The Allan Labor Government is upskilling Victoria's health workforce so that women and girls across the state can get the health care they need, closer to home.
Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas today visited the Grampian Health's Women's Health Clinic to announce the second round of funding for the Women's Health Scholarship program for health care professionals working in Victoria's network of Women's Health Clinics and Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Hubs.
The program has awarded more than 420 scholarships to date, supporting staff to undertake training and upskilling in the delivery of thorough, safe and comfortable women's healthcare.
The scholarships offer the chance to grow their skills in areas like IUD insertion, sexual and reproductive health, pelvic physio training, menopause and PCOS, as well as training to promote cultural safety and remove existing barriers for First Nations women, women from migrant and refugee backgrounds and LGBTIQA+ communities.
At Grampians Health, 33 scholarships worth a total of $112,000 have been awarded to health care staff in the past two years to train practitioners and nurses working across a range of professions including nursing, midwifery, obstetrics, gynaecology, psychology, mental health and physiotherapy.
For many women, timely, affordable and safe sexual and reproductive healthcare can be difficult to access depending on where they live, which is why these scholarships are critical to ensure care is delivered when and where they need it.
The scholarships are part of the Labor Government's $153 million women's health package that is delivering 20 new women's health clinics, a mobile and virtual women's health clinics, a dedicated Aboriginal women's health clinic and an expansion of the sexual and reproductive health hub network.
The new women's health clinics are making a real difference in regional Victoria too - where some women's health services like abortion care, have previously been inaccessible.
For more information or to apply for a scholarship, visit health.vic.gov.au/womens-health-and-wellbeing-program/about-the-program.
The women's health package is completely changing the way women's health issues are treated in Victoria and delivers on a 2022 Labor election commitment to give women's health the funding and focus it deserves.
As stated by Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas
"Women's health concerns have gone under diagnosed, under researched and underfunded for far too long - that is why we are completely transforming how women's health care is delivered in Victoria."
"We know the gender health gap is real so we're building a stronger women's health workforce - supported by this scholarship program - so that no matter where you live, or what your gender is, you can access the care you need."
As stated by Member for Wendouree Juliana Addison
"Our landmark $153 million women's health package is helping women across the Grampians to access the care they need, closer to home."
"These investments ensure better access to specialist care for the women and girls of Ballarat."
"These scholarships support our nurses, doctors and other health professional to up-skill and meet the needs of our community."
