Each year, the Nursing and Midwifery Awards and Scholarships (NAMAS) bring the Monash Health community together to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our dedicated nurses and midwives.
We are proud to announce that Kelly Johnson, Clinical Midwife Specialist was awarded Monash Healths Midwife of the Year and the Excellence in Foundation Midwifery Care Award at Friday night’s awards ceremony.
With a midwifery career that began at Casey Hospital in 2015, Kelly has spent the past decade making a profound impact across Monash Health. From antenatal care to birthing suites, post-partum care, and midwifery education, Kelly has shown unwavering commitment to improving care for women and families.
Kelly’s passion and leadership have been transformative inperinatal bereavement care. As the Casey perinatal bereavement lead, she has played a central role in supporting families during their most vulnerable moments.
Her work with the Victorian Perinatal Autopsy Service (VPAS) has helped ensure Monash Health’s midwifery team is well-informed, confident, and compassionate when providing bereavement support. Another significant achievement has been reviving face-to-face childbirth education classes, giving parents the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions.
Kelly has dedicated countless hours to mentoring new educators, running bereavement workshops, and supporting her colleagues through challenging clinical situations.
On winning the award, Kelly shared, ‘I’m overwhelmed and so grateful to have been acknowledged in this way. It’s the greatest honour of my life to be a midwife, to be an advocate, and to stand alongside women through such a vulnerable time in their lives.”
Kelly acknowledged those who have supported her along the way ‘Thank you to my managers, the Associate Midwife Managers, my peers, and the medical team — We’re one big team, and I’ve learned so much from each of you. I’m truly thankful for your support.’
To those starting their career in midwifery, Kelly offers this advice ‘It’s a hard but rewarding career. In time clinical experience will give you the foundations to focus on bigger and better things – so you can drive change in an area you are passionate about. Persist through the challenging moments, Midwives make a profound difference to the lives of women and their families’.
Looking to the future, Kelly hopes to help position Monash Health as a leader in perinatal bereavement care. ‘There is so much more we can achieve in this space,’ she says.
Congratulations, Kelly, on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you for your exceptional contributions to midwifery care at Monash Health.
