Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship awarded to Dr Jessica Teoh and Pharmacist Julianne Chong.

Sydney Local Health District is lucky to have not just one, but two new Churchill Fellows.

Julianne Chong, Concord Hospital Pharmacist and Dr Jess Teoh, RPA Senior Resident Medical Officer, have both been awarded a prestigious Churchill Fellowship Trust Award for 2023.

Jess is just one of two women from around the country under 30 to receive the honour.

“It is incredibly motivating to be a fellow early in my career,” Jessica said.

“I think it gives me a fresh lens to see challenges within research and our current practice. I feel a lot of expectation but am also feeling energised.”

As recipients of an internationally recognised award, Churchill Fellows gain access to expertise from around the world through their chosen research fields.

Applicants are empowered to design their own projects to explore international best practice and innovation that can be applied in Australia.

Julianne is a member of the Concord/Canterbury Hospital Pharmacy team and co-leads the District’s multidisciplinary Venous Thromboembolism/Anticoagulation Stewardship program.

As co-chair of the Thrombosis Haemostasis Australia/New Zealand Anticoagulation Stewardship network, she is excited to learn from colleagues overseas.

“Anticoagulants are a leading cause of medication error in hospital and leading contributor to medication-related hospitalisations, causing significant patient harm” she said.

“I am very grateful for this fantastic opportunity to learn from pioneering Anticoagulation Stewardship sites in the USA, Canada and the UK. This will help to improve our practice within the SLHD but also help to promote establishment of more sites across Australia. Anticoagulation Stewardship is breaking new ground in Australia, particularly as a new opportunity for pharmacists to specialise and improve patient care,” she said.

Jess’ passion is in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and her research into the role of early pregnancy assessment service clinics in domestic violence screening will potentially lead to policy change and improve long term outcomes.

The project also will establish international research collaborations in Fiji, Norway, Sweden, USA and UK.

“My goal with this fellowship is to improve safety of women, especially those with early pregnancy complications or pregnancy loss, who are not screened and do not currently have the same level of resources allocated to women with ongoing pregnancies despite being at high risk for domestic violence,” she said.

Since 1965 the Churchill Fellowship Trust has aimed to reward individuals who possess passion and a commitment to make a difference in Australian society.

Churchill Fellows make a difference in all aspects of Australian life, across a broad and diverse range of topics and issues such as agriculture, health, arts and music, building and architecture, business, sport, science, environment and more.