[ozmidwifery] Chris Cornwell PSM

[Jackie Kitschke]

Chris Cornwell, ACMI SA National Delegate was awarded a Public Service Medal this past Australia Day for her contribution to Midwifery Education and Practice. Below is what is on the website explaining why she was bestowed this prestigious award. (She is also my boss!!) Mrs Christine Cornwell Divisional Chief, Nursing and Midwifery Women�s and Children�s Hospital Department of Human Services For outstanding service to midwifery education and practice Mrs Christine Cornwell is the Divisional Chief, Nursing and Midwifery, Women�s and Children�s Hospital.  In addition to the responsibilities and duties required of her by this role, Mrs Cornwell has been involved with and is an integral part of some ground breaking initiatives concerned with the ongoing development of midwifery education and practice in South Australia. The recruitment and retention of midwives in South Australia is a serious problem.  Mrs Cornwell has been forward thinking in dealing with this problem by campaigning for and supporting new models of midwifery education and models of care.  She has achieved this through being involved with various committees in her position at the Women�s and Children�s Hospital, as a member of the South Australian Branch of the Australian College of Midwives (ACMI) management committee and as a member of the ACMI National management committee. Within her role, Mrs Cornwell has been a strong advocate for midwives and the education of midwifery.  Her advocacy along with other midwives has resulted in both the University of South Australia and Flinders University establishing Undergraduate Midwifery (Pre-Registration) Degrees.  These programs reflect the philosophy of �women centred; midwifery practice that recognises the needs of individual women in relation to choice, control and continuity of care�. Mrs Cornwell has also led the development of a Midwifery Caseload Model of Care at the Women�s and Children�s Hospital.  Caseload Midwifery is a model of care where women have their own midwife and a backup midwife, who provides care throughout her pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal period.  This program is the first for South Australia and is to commence in September 2003.  The development of this service has not been an easy task, taking 4-5 years to be developed in collaboration with consumers, midwives, the Department of Human Services, the Australian Nursing Federation and her medical colleagues. Mrs Cornwell�s support during the inception of the Northern Women�s Community Midwifery Service, a groundbreaking model of midwifery care, contribute significantly to its ongoing success.  This initiative allows midwives to care for birthing women in both the community and hospital settings. Mrs Cornwell was recognised by her midwifery colleagues for her excellence in midwifery when she was awarded the highly coveted �South Australian Excellence in Midwifery Leadership� Award during International Midwives Day in May 2003.