Dr Pauline Dawson checks the heartbeat of Oranga Wahine Administrator Amy Wornin’s baby. This is one of the services Pauline provides at her monthly pop-up maternity clinic in the Southern Catlins.
The title of Dr Pauline Dawson’s study says it all – “How can I help?”
Pauline, a registered midwife and a Senior Lecturer in the Dunedin School of Medicine, is running a monthly pop-up maternity clinic at the Tokanui Health Centre in the Southern Catlins and she and her team plan to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of these types of clinics in remote southern areas.
What makes this study special is that it is being set up in consultation with health and community stakeholders.
“In the past, people have been told, ‘This is your health system, make the best of it’, but in line with the Health NZ Kahu Taurima programme, we’re getting the community and healthcare providers to tell us what works, that’s the novel part.
“It’s about supporting families in the community, but also supporting midwives and their caseloads,” Pauline says.
Workforce pressure, health funding cuts and the closure of some rural maternity units has meant some remote communities in Aotearoa New Zealand have significantly reduced maternity services. People giving birth often travel long distances for care.
Pauline, who is based in Oranga Wahine, the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women’s Health, says her clinics complement existing lead maternity carer (LMC) services by providing the opportunity of maternity and newborn care closer to home. The services she offers include preparation for pregnancy, breastfeeding support, neonatal concerns and contraception. Services may expand if there is demand.
Pauline ran her first clinic on 23 May and says although it will take time to build up rapport with the community, things are off to a good start.
The aim of the study is to work with stakeholders to develop the services that are offered and explore the broader maternity and women’s health care needs of a remote rural community. Pauline will assess whether a pop-up clinic, in combination with LMC services, meets community needs and whether it is economically sustainable to run these types of clinics.
When evaluating the clinic, Pauline is keen to hear from a wide range of people about what the community needs and if they find the clinic useful.
“I’d like to hear from families using the clinic, but also people living in the community, such as people who have previously had babies here, grandparents, GPs, district nurses, midwives, anyone who has an interest in maternity care in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
She’s also keen to record what those residents would see as ideal maternity care.
Pauline says she chose Tokanui as the pop-up site because she has family ties to the area. Both her parents grew up there and she still has relatives living in the region. She is no stranger to working in remote rural areas, having done so in the North Island early in her career.
She sees the clinic, which will run for at least the next 12 months, as “just the start” as she wants to become part of the community.
“I’m really keen on breaking down silos in healthcare and helping create a community of care.”
Pauline is grateful for the encouragement she has received for the clinic from Te Whatu Ora and organisations such as Rural Women New Zealand. The project has also received seed funding from the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust.
- Kōrero by Andrea Jones, Team Leader, Divisional Communications
Oranga Wahine research
Learn more about research strengths in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Women's Health at Otago.
Find out more