Western Health Partnership

The Western Health Partnership was established in 2014 and drives collaborative clinical research that provides Western Health staff and students with the opportunity to engage in clinically focussed, multidisciplinary research and training across acute, chronic, rehabilitation, and community healthcare settings. The Partnership is committed to improve patient safety outcomes, patient experience of healthcare, and support the role of nurses and midwives in their workforce development, with the ultimate aim to deliver world class health outcomes for our large and diverse community in Melbourne’s west.

The Western Health Partnership is unique as is the only partnership dedicated to both nursing and midwifery, with clinical chairs for each discipline.

The Partnership is led by Professors Bodil Rasmussen (Nursing) and Linda Sweet (Midwifery) and is supported by a highly-skilled team of researchers from a range of backgrounds working closely with clinicians and researchers from all health disciplines. Postgraduate research students (honours, master's, PhD’s) also contribute to the Partnership’s research activities.

Our research agenda

The Partnership’s researchers specialise in developing robust evidence to how best to support and care for all people, particularly those living with chronic and complex conditions and their families, and childbearing women and their families. We focus on health care service research that partners with consumers in co-design, with particular interest in the areas of chronic conditions management, technology use in healthcare, health workforce development, gender and health, and enhancing maternity services.