Far West LHD Midwives Celebrate International Day of the Midwife (5 May)
Local midwives celebrated International Day of the Midwife (IDM) today with a special ceremony in the Maternity Unit and the presentation of the District's Midwife of the Year Award.
The Far West LHD Midwife of the Year for 2021 is Adriana Talotta, with the award presented by Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Ms Dale Sutton.
Ms Sutton congratulated Adriana on her achievement and said the Far West LHD is especially proud of the District's midwives and the exceptional care they provide to their patients.
FWLHD Midwife of the Year 2021 - Adriana Talotta.
Alison Isaacs, Maternity Unit Manager said Adriana is an experienced and passionate midwife.
'She has made a great contribution to improving the environment within the maternity unit and is becoming a great midwifery leader,' said Ms Isaacs.
An Outstanding Achievement award was also presented to midwife Jessica Freedman.
'Although not a local to Broken Hill, Jessica has returned to work within the unit regularly over the last six years. On this most recent occasion, Jess brought with her a wealth of recent experience in care of unwell neonates and has generously shared her knowledge and skills with the local midwifery team,' said Ms Isaacs.
This year's International Day of the Midwife theme is 'Follow the Data: Invest in Midwives.' Investing in midwives saves lives, improves health and strengthens health systems around the world.
Ms Isaacs said this was a fitting acknowledgement of midwives and the contribution they make to the care of mothers, babies and their families throughout the year.
'I am extremely proud of our local midwifery team, particularly for their dedication to their profession and commitment to providing a safe and quality maternity service to women and babies in our community,' said Ms Isaacs and added this was particularly true throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The following information about Midwife of the Year Adriana Talotta was read out at the presentation ceremony by Ms Dale Sutton:
Adriana Talotta started as agency midwife three years ago and returned to Broken Hill two years ago when she accepted the position of Core Midwifery team leader. The Core Team Leader leads a group of five senior midwives who care for admitted women and their newborn babies as well as working 12 hour shifts as the solo midwife on the maternity ward.
Adriana brought expert midwifery clinical and education skills to the Unit, having taught Maternity Emergency Care in the Solomon Islands and Tanzania in previous years. Adriana also has initiated education and shared clinical skills in neonatal care in the Special Care Nursery as the core midwives are often the midwife in charge of unwell babies in the Special Care Nursery and responsible for stabilization, prior to transfer.
Adriana has enhanced her professional development in the last 12 months by acting in the MUM role when needed, completing a Graduate Certificate in Special Care of the Newborn and supporting the Midwifery Leadership team with COVID-19-related protocols and ongoing maternity unit improvements.
In 2021 Adriana has attended the Resilience in HealthCare workshops, is enrolled to complete the People Management Skills Program and plans to co facilitate teaching Perinatal Safety Education to midwives and Emergency Midwifery Care to Registered Nurses at Broken Hill Health Service.
Adriana is an advocate for women and supports their individualised care and preferences. Adriana will support women in their choices for pain relief in labour, infant feeding choices and maintaining practices that support the mother and baby attachment in the Special Care Nursery, such as kangaroo care and supporting breastfeeding. Adriana recently cared for a young mother and strived to ensure the woman felt supported by her chosen support people and provided care and education suitable to her needs and circumstances.
The following information about Midwife Jessica Freeman, who was presented an Outstanding Achievement award, was read out at the presentation ceremony by Ms Dale Sutton:
Jessica Freedman is a hard-working midwife who deserves to be recognised for the care she provides to women and their babies. She is often called upon to assist with babies requiring resuscitation/ventilation support and to care for them in the special care nursery due to her knowledge and experience in this area. Often, she has not previously care for the woman or her baby but this does not stop her and she is always willing to help.
Jessica works as a part of the midwifery group practice (MGP) team and also sometimes works on the maternity ward as a core midwife. She is very knowledgeable and caring towards women that she cares for.