Leslie's Story

Extensive Background in Advocacy

Leslie is a co-founder of Lamaze Australia, is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator and has over 18 year’s experience as a consumer advisor and advocate in Australian maternity services. She is also the director of the Lamaze BEAR (Birth Equity Advocacy Research) Program that develops projects and partnerships with consumers, service providers, media and governments to ensure birthing women and their families receive evidence-based care and are kept at the heart of every decision-making process. Leslie is a member of Lamaze International’s Research Committee and was a special interest director on the board of Women’s Healthcare Australasia (WHA). She continues to advise on state and national ministerial committees and is a member of various expert working groups with a focus on continued and real-time quality improvement. These include the ACSQHC Clinical Care Standards on 3rd and 4th Degree Perineal Tears and the AHRA Women’s Health Research, Translation and Impact Network.

A Degree that Makes a Difference

In 2018 Leslie formalized her learnings by completing a Master’s Degree in Maternal-Child Health Systems at Bastyr University. Her thesis was instrumental in spearheading the development of WHA’s Consumer Engagement Plan.

In Action

Leslie specializes in stakeholder liaison development with a focus on health equity for all birthing women and their families. She has forged valuable collegiate relationships with consumers, bureaucrats, politicians and service providers and brings to the table a wide range of maternity experiences from her connections with related networks throughout users and providers of maternity services.