Chief Executive Officer, Women’s Healthcare; Australasia

Dr Barbara Vernon (BA Hons, PhD) is the CEO of Women’s Healthcare Australasia, a peak not-for-profit body of 146 maternity services. Through WHA, hospitals share data and expertise to improve care and outcomes for women and newborns. Dr Vernon has extensive engagement with maternity and women’s health services across Australia, from CEOs of hospitals to staff on the frontline of clinical care. Under her leadership, WHA has partnered with both government and research organisations to facilitate improvements in clinical care and outcomes for women and newborns, including on preventing stillbirths and reducing severe perineal tears. Preparations are currently underway to support interested hospitals to reduce post-partum haemorrhage rates as well as rates of preterm and early-term births in the next 1-2 years using IHI Collaborative methodology. Each of these projects is being progressed in partnership with the IHI and other key stakeholder organisations. Dr Vernon is passionate about closing the gap between evidence and practice in the maternity care sector, and sees capacity building in improvement science among maternity service leaders and clinicians as a key strategy to accelerating and sustaining improvement efforts.