Bass Coast Health (BCH) is excited to appoint a new Clinical Director of Women’s Services who comes to the role with 17 years of clinical experience in the USA, New Zealand and Australia.
Dr Carmen Brown is a senior consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and is passionate about healthcare in regional and rural settings. She is looking forward to advancing women’s services at BCH.
“I enjoy the field of Obstetrics and Gynaecology because you get the chance to follow women throughout their reproductive life, from young women who want contraception through to women having babies and then women who are experiencing menopause and need support to work through that transition.
“I believe that all women, no matter their location, are entitled to excellent, high quality and evidence-based care. I’m passionate about bringing quality care to rural women and I’ve worked on several committees and boards to work on seeing that come to fruition.
“I would love to see through the renovation of our maternity services and attract GP Obstetricians and more Obstetricians to work with us and just grow our service,” she said.
Dr Brown has worked in rural and regional communities since coming to Australia in 2016 and most recently worked as Clinical Head of Obstetrics with the Bacchus Marsh campus of Western Health.
As clinical head of unit for more than two years, she worked tirelessly to improve consumer confidence, improve the low risk midwifery service and to work closely with GPs to improve referral streams for obstetric and gynaecological patients.
“Working in rural settings is like being with your family and you do not get that feeling in a large organisation. You get to know people so well,” she said.
Dr Brown counts as her career highlight relocating from the United States of America to New Zealand in 2010 for a change in working style.
“In the USA, the insurance companies control so much about what you can offer to women whereas in Australia and New Zealand, you can offer a more evidence-based service,” she said.
While in New Zealand, Dr Brown worked as a senior consultant in several regional public hospitals on the South Island for almost four years, and taught at the University of Otago. In 2016 she and her family moved to Melbourne and she has been working publicly in regional Victoria for the past six years.