culturally appropriate care

Cherisse Buzzacott is a finalist in the 2019 HESTA Australian Nursing & Midwifery Awards. She works for the Australian College of Midwives in Civic, ACT

Cherisse Buzzacott is recognised for her work in providing culturally safe maternity care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and for advocating for health care services that provide culturally appropriate care that enables women to birth on country.

Cherisse is passionate about supporting the local community where she tutors Aboriginal students and mentors Aboriginal midwives.

She is currently the Midwife Project Officer for Birthing on Country, a project run by the Australian College of Midwives. The program aims to improve birth outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and babies by bringing together community and health care services to establish culturally appropriate Birthing on Country models of care.

Within this role, Cherisse established and continues to lead the National Strategic Committee with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander midwives, policymakers and researchers as its members. The Committee focuses on advocating for government and insurance providers to better support and fund Aboriginal birthing centres.

Further to this, Cherisse played a key role in the clinical risk assessment of the Birthing on Country Midwifery Group Practice model. The first of its kind in Australia, the model aims to lead the way as a best practice model of care for Birthing on Country. 

Watch the awards online. Tune into Facebook live from 6.30pm AEST Friday 9 May 2019.