Zoe Islip takes out CHA's emerging leader award

7 Sep 2017

7 September 2017

Zoe works across 11 St John of God hospitals to support nursing and midwifery managers to improve structures and processes that provide safe and high quality patient care.

Group Director Nursing, Cynthia Dowell congratulated Zoe and acknowledged the leadership attributes that contributed to Zoe’s win. 

“Zoe has courage, commitment and skills in facilitation and team building and has influenced organisation-wide improvement in the way we care for mothers, babies and families,” Cynthia said.

“She facilitated the development and deployment of St John of God Health Care’s Obstetrics and Midwifery Strategy, which included establishing a multi-disciplinary steering committee of obstetricians, paediatricians, neonatologists and midwives across three states.

“This committee has identified opportunities for quality improvement including clinical engagement in implementing initiatives. 

“Zoe is a fine example of an emerging leader. I have no doubt she will make a significant contribution to healthcare in the future,” Cynthia said.

In response to the Award win Zoe said, “Each day that goes by I feel so very lucky to be part of the midwifery profession. To receive the Emerging Leader Award from Catholic Health Australia was an exciting and rewarding experience personally and for the amazing team that I work with across SJGHC.

“The scholarship funds generously provided will assist with my attendance at an international obstetric conference and to further my healthcare leadership studies,” Zoe said.

Zoe played a pivotal role in an organisation-wide deployment of the K2 Guardian electronic fetal monitoring system into all of our birth suites.

The system allows obstetricians to remotely monitor the wellbeing of the baby in ‘real-time’ and collaborate on decision making with the midwife at the bedside.

Zoe led the development of an education program to support the introduction of the new system, which so far has seen 380 midwives from St John of God Health Care participate in the RANZCOG Fetal Surveillance Education Program.

Zoe began her career as a graduate nurse at our Subiaco Hospital and developed an early interest in midwifery and went on to complete her training.  She continued to further her skills to take up roles in lactation, labour and delivery, antenatal and postnatal care and education.

This commitment to education set her on a leadership journey with opportunities to act in management positions in midwifery and obstetrics at Subiaco Hospital.

In 2013 Zoe was recognised for her commitment to excellence in midwifery and was appointed to the role she currently fills as the Maternity Reference Group Coordinator across St John of God Health Care.