Media release

Nurse and midwife wins AMA Women's Health Award

A nurse and midwife who persuaded Family Planning to allow her to complete a course normally available only to doctors and nurse practitioners in the Northern Territory is the winner of the AMA Women’s Health Award 2017.

Eleanor Crighton’s successful completion of the Interuterine Device (IUD) Certificate course has allowed Aboriginal women in greater Darwin to have access to affordable family planning at a time when no other clinic was offering an IUD service.

The AMA Women's Health Award goes to a person or group, not necessarily a doctor or female, who has made a major contribution to women's health.

AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, presented Ms Crighton with her award at the AMA National Conference 2017 in Melbourne today.

Dr Gannon said that Ms Crighton, the Women’s Health Team leader at Danila Dilba Health Service, had shown her commitment to Indigenous health by pursuing additional studies and gaining personal skills with the aim of filling gaps in health care services.

“As an obstetrician, I know the importance of the work of women’s health teams, particularly in Aboriginal community-controlled organisations like Danila Dilba,” Dr Gannon said.

“Ms Crighton showed great initiative and persistence in presenting her case to NT Family Planning to become an accredited IUD inserter.

“She has also worked tirelessly to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). Ms Crighton has also started training Danila Dilba’s first home-grown trainee midwife, at the same time as pursuing her own Nurse Practitioner studies.”

A cost-benefit analysis by Deloitte Access Economics has found that each dollar invested in Danila Dilba generates a $4.18 benefit to society.

26 May 2017

CONTACT:         John Flannery                     02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761

                            Maria Hawthorne               02 6270 5478 / 0427 209 753

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