Senior infection specialist nurse headed to Australia's COVID hotspot

Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (FSFHG) Infection Prevention and Management Coordinator, Ann Whitfield, has answered the call for experts to support Victoria’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ann will spend three months in Victoria and provide her infection prevention (IP) expertise in reviewing processes, ensuring compliance with IP standards and the training of healthcare care workers.
 
This will not be the first challenge Ann has faced in her career - she has worked for the World Health Organisation as an Infection Prevention Consultant in Liberia during  the Ebola outbreak and also in West Timor.
 
“COVID-19 is different from my previous experiences because of how it is transmitted from person to person and how it is a global issue, not just isolated to a few countries,” said Ann.
 
“Infectious outbreaks hugely impact our lives, but my concern with COVID-19 is the impact of isolation and reduced contact with families and friends.
 
I am most worried about the long term issues and COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon.”
 
Ann hopes to bring back a wealth of knowledge to WA, including lessons learnt from Victoria and new process and systems to support safe care.
 
“I intend to keep in close contact with my WA colleagues during my time there and share knowledge,” she said.
 
“It is a privilege to be able to share my expertise and I’m grateful to be released from my current job and have my family’s support.”
 
We would like to wish Ann the very best as she embarks on this opportunity.