IMPROVE Workshop

About The IMPROVE Workshop

The IMPROVE workshop was developed by the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand (PSANZ) and the Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence, and and has been delivered throughout Australia and New Zealand as well as in the Netherlands, Vietnam, Spain, the UK, and elsewhere. We are thrilled to host IMPROVE expert clinician trainers from Australia and the UK:

What is IMPROVE?

IMPROVE is a half-day training workshop to improve the quality of care around stillbirth and newborn death, with an interactive learning approach, and pre-and post- assessments. The workshop is capped at 42 participants, with approximately 30 slots reserved for individuals wishing to become trained as IMPROVE Educators” (added the phrase “and newborn death”).

IMPROVE includes six “stations” on the following topics:

  • Communicating with parents about autopsy
  • Autopsy and placental examination
  • Investigation of death
  • Examination of baby
  • Audit and classification of causes of death
  • Respectful and supportive bereavement care

Who is IMPROVE For?

IMPROVE is for all health care providers involved in care of parents during and after stillbirth and newborn death, including (but not limited to):

  • MFMs
  • Nurses
  • Midwives
  • Social workers
  • Pathologists
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Sonographers
  • Obstetricians
  • Neonatologists
  • People working in public health and health policy

If you are unsure whether you are eligible to attend the IMPROVE Workshop, please email Sarah Lopez at sarah.lopez@hsc.utah.edu.

The IMPROVE Workshop is limited to 42 participants; we may not be able to accept all applicants. Priority will be given to those also wishing to become IMPROVE Educators (see below), and to ensuring that the newly-trained IMPROVE Educator teams include a range of provider specialties, especially including pathology and neonatology. 

Currently, IMPROVE is offered only to health care providers and is not aimed at bereaved parents unless they are also health care providers.

Should I Apply to Become An IMPROVE Educator?

Our vision is to provide IMPROVE workshops around the country. Would you like to help realize this vision?

IMPROVE Educator applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Have experience/skills in medical education/training
  • Be able to attend both the IMPROVE workshop, Sun morning, Oct 13 and the two-part
    certification:
    • Sun afternoon, Oct 13 (Training of Trainers)
    • Mon, Oct 14 (Trainees demonstrate their new skills and are certified)

  • Be willing to serve as a volunteer Educator for at least one IMPROVE workshop in the USA within the subsequent 12 months, donating your time (travel and all other associated costs to be covered, but your time must be donated; this phase dependent on financing)

  • Provide your CV and a statement of interest
Register here

IMPROVE Trainers

Emeritus Professor Jane Dahlstrom OAM headshot

Emeritus Professor Jane Dahlstrom

Jane is a Perinatal Pathologist at ACT Pathology for Canberra Health Services and Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University. She has a strong interest in stillbirth investigation including identifying gaps in care and reducing the burden of stillbirth by assisting with addressing inequities. She has been involved in the development of evidence-based, collaboratively designed educational resources for health professionals and parents including being a member of the expert working group for the recently published Care around stillbirth practice guidelines (CASaND) as part of the stillbirthcre.org.au. Over her career, Jane has held leadership positions in the Hospital and University sectors, and several professional organizations, including as past president of the International Pediatric Pathology Association (IPPA). She received an Order of Australia Medal (2019) for services to Medical Education and to Pathology. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Pathologist Medals from the International Academy of Pathology (2022) and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (2023).

Professor Vicki Flenady headshot

Professor Vicki Flenady

Professor Flenady is co-director of the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth at Mater Research, University of Queensland, Australia, and is a nationally and internationally recognized perinatal epidemiologist. She is well-known for her expertise in Cochrane systematic reviews, clinical trials and the development and implementation of high-quality clinical practice guidelines. With a background in midwifery and neonatal nursing, clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, her research is now devoted to stillbirth prevention through improving identification and care for women with risk factors and improving data quality to drive change. Prof Flenady also has a major interest in improving care for parents whose child is stillborn, including in a subsequent pregnancy. She is a past chair of the International Stillbirth Alliance, and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her research into stillbirth in 2024.

Dr. Adrienne Gordon headshot

Dr. Adrienne Gordon

Prof Gordon is a Senior Staff Specialist Neonatologist in the RPA Centre for Newborn Care, Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney and Chief Investigator of the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth. She is President-Elect of the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, Co-Chair of the IMPACT Network (Improving Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes – Action through Clinical Trials) and a Board Member of the International Stillbirth Alliance. She has strong links with national parent-led organisations and is Deputy Chair of the National RedNose scientific advisory group. Dr Gordon is a key member of the Safer Baby Bundle initiative and leads the MRFF-funded PreBabe Trial which aims to improve pregnancy and newborn outcomes for women with overweight or obesity. She founded the award-winning Sydney local health district iSAIL (integrated support after infant loss) service.

Professor Alexander Heazell headshot

Professor Alexander Heazell

Dr Alexander Heazell is Professor of Obstetrics and Director of the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre, University of Manchester, UK and the Regional Lead Obstetrician for the North-West of England. He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 2000 and began his clinical training in the West Midlands before completing his PhD in Manchester in 2008. His research portfolio includes basic science, clinical and qualitative research studies to gain a better understanding of causes and consequences of placental dysfunction, to prevent stillbirth and improve care for parents after stillbirth or perinatal death. Dr Heazell has received over £4M of grant income and has published over 280 research papers and received national and international awards for his work on stillbirth and placental dysfunction, and for improving care. He led the recent Stillbirth Priority Setting Partnership and was one of the team for the 2016 Lancet Ending Preventable Stillbirth Series. He is a past chair of the International Stillbirth Alliance. Dr Heazell is the national lead for Rainbow Clinic, a specialist clinical service for parents in pregnancy after loss. He passionately believes that a better understanding of placental disease will improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

Associate Professor Chris Lehner headshot

Associate Professor Chris Lehner

Professor Chris Lehner works as a Maternal Fetal Medicine Subspecialist Obstetrician at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in Australia. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (APTBPA, www.pretermalliance.com.au) and Queensland Clinical Lead of the National Preterm Birth Prevention Program. Chris co-chairs the joint Timing of Birth Working Group between APTBPA and the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth. In these concurrent roles, he has been involved in the co-design of an evidence-based tool kit to optimise timing of birth at term, while assisting in the development of the Safer Baby Bundle educational resources. Chris currently leads several collaborative quality improvement and implementation projects that focus on improving rural and remote maternity care in Australia. He is a member of the National Stillbirth Evidence and Implementation Committee within the Stillbirth CRE.

Megan Weller headshot

Megan Weller

Ms Weller is a proud Registered Nurse and a Registered Midwife. She is passionate about providing holistic, women-centered care to women, babies and families. She has a clinical background in continuity of care. Ms Weller is the Education Manager at the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, which includes the coordination of women’s and clinician-facing resources and education as part of the Safer Baby Bundle implementation, and she has been involved in multiple activities in the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth including coordinating the large, multi-centre My Baby’s Movements trial. She is also the current National Coordinator for IMPROVE.

Title: Stillbirth Symposium: Closing The Gaps, IMPROVE Workshop

Date: October 12-14, 2024

Accreditation: The University Of Utah School Of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

AMA Credit: The University of Utah School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of __21.25____  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

CME Passport: The CME credits that physicians earn from this activity will be submitted to ACCME's CME Passport, a free, centralized web application where you can create a personalized account to view, track, and generate transcripts of your reported CME credit. Please contact UUCME (CME.Office@hsc.utah.edu) with any questions. 

Disclosure: None of the speakers or planners or anyone in control of content for this accredited continuing educational activity have any relevant financial relationships since the content does not relate to any products or services of an ACCME-defined ineligible company; therefore, there are no relevant financial relationships to disclose or mitigate.

All attendees are encouraged to use the CME system to claim their attendance.  Physicians will be awarded AMA PRA Category 1 credits TM; all other professions will be awarded attendance at a CME event credit that they may use for their re-credentialing purposes. Nurses seeking contact hours must claim through the CME system.  All users will be able to print or save certificates.  For questions regarding the CME system, please contact the UUCME Office.  For questions regarding re-credentialing process or requirements, please contact your re-credentialing organization.

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