Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research

Embedded within Deakin University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, the Institute for Health Transformation’s Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research has pioneered academic-industry partnerships.

The centre embeds researchers within six major Victorian health services – Alfred Health, Barwon Health, Eastern Health, Epworth HealthCare, Monash Health and Western Health.

The Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) focuses on quality of care and patient safety.

Established in 2009 as a leading strategic research centre, QPS integrates public and private health services with one of Australia’s largest Schools of Nursing and Midwifery. Our partners govern 30 acute and subacute care hospitals and 12 residential aged care facilities, employ approximately 30,000 nurses and midwives, and provide care for in excess of 3 million Victorians annually. Our research pillars of patient safety, patient experience, and health workforce span the whole patient journey, and encompass residential, community, subacute and acute care settings.

Annual reports

A founding member of the Institute for Health Transformation and based in Deakin University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery in the Faculty of Health, QPS is a pioneering academic-industry partnership, embedding Chairs in Nursing and Midwifery within six major Victorian health services.

The first partnership collaboration between Deakin’s School of Nursing and Epworth Hospital, Richmond was established in 1996 with the appointment of a Clinical Chair in Nursing. Since then 5 other health services have joined the partnership collaboration, forming an innovative academic-industry partnership network.

Directors

Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Barwon Health
Alfred Deakin Professor Alison Hutchinson

Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Alfred Health
Alfred Deakin Professor Tracey Bucknall

Members

Chairs in Nursing and Midwifery
Chair in Nursing, Eastern Health
Professor Julie Considine AO

Chair in Nursing, Epworth HealthCare
Professor Ana Hutchinson

Chair in Nursing, Western Health
Professor Bodil Rasmussen

Chair in Midwifery, Western Health
Professor Linda Sweet

Chair in Nursing, Monash Health
Vacant

Professors
Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery
Professor Nikki Phillips

Professor Andrea Driscoll
Professor Judy Currey
Professor Trish Livingston
Professor Lauren McTier

Associate Professors
Associate Professor Stephane Bouchoucha
Associate Professor Debra Kerr
Associate Professor Jo McDonall
Associate Professor Pat Nicholson
Associate Professor Anna Ugalde

Senior Lecturers
Dr Gabrielle Burdeu
Dr Virginia Hagger 
Dr Emily Tomlinson

Lecturers 
Dr Kaara Ray Calma
Dr Lucy Kerr
Dr Adam Searby

Postdoctoral Research Fellows
Dr Anna Chapman

Senior Research Fellows
Dr Sara Holton

Honorary Research Fellow
Dr Maryann Street

Research Fellows
Dr Ayele Bali
Ms Penny Casey
Dr Robin Digby
Dr Renee Fiolet
Dr Damien Khaw
Dr Olumuyiwa (Muyiwa) Omonaiye
Dr Guncag Ozavci (Associate)
Dr Monica Peddle
Dr Nantanit (Rainie) van Gulik
Dr Vidanka Vasilevski
Dr Natalie Winter 
Dr Eva Yuen

Associate members
Associate Professor Louise Alexander
Dr Karen Best
Dr Mohammadreza Mohebbi
Associate Professor Lemai Nguyen
Dr Amie O’Shea
Professor Pubudu Pathirana
Dr Kinga Pemo
Dr Susan Perlen
Associate Professor Sandeep Reddy
Associate Professor Bernice Redley
Dr Monica Schoch
Dr Rebecca Thornton
Dr Heather Wallace
Dr Elyse Warner
Dr Vanessa Watkins

Associate members (HDR students)
Beyene Adhena
Rami Aldwikat
Afizu Alhassan
Mohammed Amin
Jennifer Barr
Fatemeh Barzegarkalmeri
Pataporn Bawornthip
Melissa Blake
Laura Brooks
Kathryn Brundell
Deana Copley
Tendayi Dziruni
Abdul-Ganiyu Fuseini
Luis Meave Gutierrez Mendoza
Madeline Hawke
Monina Hernandez
Hannah Jongebloed
Mataya Kilpatrick
Sabine Kleissl-Muir
Natalie Kondos
Apinya Koontalay
Elyse Ladbrook
Michael Le Grande
Lysha Zhi Yan Lee
Jessica Lees
Michele McGrath
Karen McKenna
Rachel McKittrick
Paula Medway
Atefeh Mehrabifar
Birye Mekonnen
Sharyn Milnes
Israel Molla
Britt O’Keefe
Amanda Pereira-Salgado
Margaret Pollock
Kerry Rigby
Andrea Russell
Annie Tan
Olivia Tierney
Catherine Williams
Vicky Yuan

The QPS partnership network is the first fully coordinated collaboration of its kind in Australia. The goal of this innovative network is to facilitate applied multidisciplinary and multi-site research.

Improving patient care

Our research is based on improving patient care and meeting the needs of healthcare organisations. We do this through our rigorous programs of research and clinical education relationships.

Our partnerships are committed to developing a strong interface between research, education and practice. They have a direct impact on the quality of patient care, as well as building capacity in the health workforce.

Partnering with six major health services

The partnership network is a unique and fully integrated model. It connects QPS and Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to six major health services in the public and private sector in metropolitan and regional areas of Victoria.

Each partner organisation has joint appointments with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, all with a Professor in Nursing and other joint appointments, including associate professors, senior research fellows, research fellows, and research assistants. Our Western Health partnership also has a jointly appointed Chair in Midwifery and researchers. These joint positions ensure curricula are evidence-based and the research is specific to the health care needs of the community.

  • About

    The Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research (QPS) focuses on quality of care and patient safety.

    Established in 2009 as a leading strategic research centre, QPS integrates public and private health services with one of Australia’s largest Schools of Nursing and Midwifery. Our partners govern 30 acute and subacute care hospitals and 12 residential aged care facilities, employ approximately 30,000 nurses and midwives, and provide care for in excess of 3 million Victorians annually. Our research pillars of patient safety, patient experience, and health workforce span the whole patient journey, and encompass residential, community, subacute and acute care settings.

    Annual reports

  • Our story

    A founding member of the Institute for Health Transformation and based in Deakin University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery in the Faculty of Health, QPS is a pioneering academic-industry partnership, embedding Chairs in Nursing and Midwifery within six major Victorian health services.

    The first partnership collaboration between Deakin’s School of Nursing and Epworth Hospital, Richmond was established in 1996 with the appointment of a Clinical Chair in Nursing. Since then 5 other health services have joined the partnership collaboration, forming an innovative academic-industry partnership network.

  • Our team

    Directors

    Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Barwon Health
    Alfred Deakin Professor Alison Hutchinson

    Co-Director and Chair in Nursing, Alfred Health
    Alfred Deakin Professor Tracey Bucknall

    Members

    Chairs in Nursing and Midwifery
    Chair in Nursing, Eastern Health
    Professor Julie Considine AO

    Chair in Nursing, Epworth HealthCare
    Professor Ana Hutchinson

    Chair in Nursing, Western Health
    Professor Bodil Rasmussen

    Chair in Midwifery, Western Health
    Professor Linda Sweet

    Chair in Nursing, Monash Health
    Vacant

    Professors
    Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery
    Professor Nikki Phillips

    Professor Andrea Driscoll
    Professor Judy Currey
    Professor Trish Livingston
    Professor Lauren McTier

    Associate Professors
    Associate Professor Stephane Bouchoucha
    Associate Professor Debra Kerr
    Associate Professor Jo McDonall
    Associate Professor Pat Nicholson
    Associate Professor Anna Ugalde

    Senior Lecturers
    Dr Gabrielle Burdeu
    Dr Virginia Hagger 
    Dr Emily Tomlinson

    Lecturers 
    Dr Kaara Ray Calma
    Dr Lucy Kerr
    Dr Adam Searby

    Postdoctoral Research Fellows
    Dr Anna Chapman

    Senior Research Fellows
    Dr Sara Holton

    Honorary Research Fellow
    Dr Maryann Street

    Research Fellows
    Dr Ayele Bali
    Ms Penny Casey
    Dr Robin Digby
    Dr Renee Fiolet
    Dr Damien Khaw
    Dr Olumuyiwa (Muyiwa) Omonaiye
    Dr Guncag Ozavci (Associate)
    Dr Monica Peddle
    Dr Nantanit (Rainie) van Gulik
    Dr Vidanka Vasilevski
    Dr Natalie Winter 
    Dr Eva Yuen

    Associate members
    Associate Professor Louise Alexander
    Dr Karen Best
    Dr Mohammadreza Mohebbi
    Associate Professor Lemai Nguyen
    Dr Amie O’Shea
    Professor Pubudu Pathirana
    Dr Kinga Pemo
    Dr Susan Perlen
    Associate Professor Sandeep Reddy
    Associate Professor Bernice Redley
    Dr Monica Schoch
    Dr Rebecca Thornton
    Dr Heather Wallace
    Dr Elyse Warner
    Dr Vanessa Watkins

    Associate members (HDR students)
    Beyene Adhena
    Rami Aldwikat
    Afizu Alhassan
    Mohammed Amin
    Jennifer Barr
    Fatemeh Barzegarkalmeri
    Pataporn Bawornthip
    Melissa Blake
    Laura Brooks
    Kathryn Brundell
    Deana Copley
    Tendayi Dziruni
    Abdul-Ganiyu Fuseini
    Luis Meave Gutierrez Mendoza
    Madeline Hawke
    Monina Hernandez
    Hannah Jongebloed
    Mataya Kilpatrick
    Sabine Kleissl-Muir
    Natalie Kondos
    Apinya Koontalay
    Elyse Ladbrook
    Michael Le Grande
    Lysha Zhi Yan Lee
    Jessica Lees
    Michele McGrath
    Karen McKenna
    Rachel McKittrick
    Paula Medway
    Atefeh Mehrabifar
    Birye Mekonnen
    Sharyn Milnes
    Israel Molla
    Britt O’Keefe
    Amanda Pereira-Salgado
    Margaret Pollock
    Kerry Rigby
    Andrea Russell
    Annie Tan
    Olivia Tierney
    Catherine Williams
    Vicky Yuan

  • Our partnerships

    The QPS partnership network is the first fully coordinated collaboration of its kind in Australia. The goal of this innovative network is to facilitate applied multidisciplinary and multi-site research.

    Improving patient care

    Our research is based on improving patient care and meeting the needs of healthcare organisations. We do this through our rigorous programs of research and clinical education relationships.

    Our partnerships are committed to developing a strong interface between research, education and practice. They have a direct impact on the quality of patient care, as well as building capacity in the health workforce.

    Partnering with six major health services

    The partnership network is a unique and fully integrated model. It connects QPS and Deakin’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to six major health services in the public and private sector in metropolitan and regional areas of Victoria.

    Each partner organisation has joint appointments with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, all with a Professor in Nursing and other joint appointments, including associate professors, senior research fellows, research fellows, and research assistants. Our Western Health partnership also has a jointly appointed Chair in Midwifery and researchers. These joint positions ensure curricula are evidence-based and the research is specific to the health care needs of the community.