Cherie Myburgh has been appointed the new Midwifery Unit Manager in Cooktown
Summary
- A highly experienced midwife dedicated to providing continuity of care to women has been named as Cooktown’s new Midwifery Unit Manager.
- Cherie has almost two decades of clinical experience in both rural settings and larger hospitals in Australia and her home country of New Zealand.
A highly experienced midwife dedicated to providing continuity of care to women has been named as Cooktown’s new Midwifery Unit Manager.
Cherie Myburgh commenced work with Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) this week and will undergo orientation in Cairns before starting in Cooktown.
Ms Myburgh has almost two decades of clinical experience in both rural settings and larger hospitals in Australia and her home country of New Zealand.
Along with being a midwife, Cherie holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is also a diabetes educator.
She was most recently a Principal Project Officer within Queensland Health’s Office of the Deputy Director-General in the Clinical Priority Oversight team and also worked on the Growing Deadly Families Strategy in the Office of the Chief Midwife Officer.
“I have always been very passionate about rural and remote birthing, having come from a semi- rural area in New Zealand,” she said.
“I have had a wide range of experience, including my own practice in a semi-rural region of New Zealand, where I facilitated woman-centred care through midwifery continuity, supporting birthing in the home, at birthing units and tertiary level hospitals. I am looking forward to leveraging my experiences to support birthing on country in Cooktown.
“Having previous experience in working with First Nations women and elders, I remain committed to nurturing and building on the foundations already established.”
Cooktown Director of Nursing and Facility Manager Eastern Vikki Jackson said Ms Myburgh’s appointment was a positive step.
“We are delighted Cherie could join the Health Service and she will lead the Cooktown Midwifery Group Practice team which offers continuity of care in the antenatal and postnatal periods for women in the Cooktown area,” she said.
Birthing services at Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service were temporarily suspended in February 2022 due to medical staffing shortages.
TCHHS Chief Executive Rex O’Rourke said TCHHS remained committed to resuming birthing services at Cooktown as soon as appropriately qualified staff are in place and it is safe to do so.
Recruitment remains ongoing to attract suitably skilled staff, particularly doctors with appropriate skills in obstetrics and anaesthetics to ensure a safe and sustainable birthing service can be delivered.
“With $200 million funding now committed to redevelop Cooktown Hospital we believe this will assist us to attract the key staff we need to bring birthing back to this area,” he said.
“We were so delighted to re-open the Weipa birthing service last month and understand how important this service is to local women and their families.”