Dr Kirsten Connan

22/09/2025

leave

Thank you to Dr Amy Correy, Dr Portia Spaulding and Dr David Gartlan who will covering over the next 12 days while I am leave.

To the women & families I will miss during this time, you will have the best of care with our wider TasWomen team.

Signing off to reset and invest in some quality exercise time!

31/08/2025

A huge thank you to the TasWomen team, Dr Gartlan, and Dr Spaulding for covering while Dr Correy and I attended the AGES 2025 Peri-operative Surgical Meeting in Melbourne (ages.com.au).

Packed with lots of amazing speaker on surgical leadership, teams, and clinical updates, we also had a chance to explore Robotic laparoscopic surgery, and the role of vNOTES (vaginal laparoscopic surgery).

Engaging in continuing medical education is such an important part of being a clinician, ensuring you get care from up-to-date practitioners.

07/08/2025

Such an important read about MATERNITY care.

The 2025 BJOG study revealed higher risks of stillbirth and poorer outcomes in standard public care—and yet we continue to sideline the role of specialists. Real reform demands real-time data, not ideological division.The recently published article in BJOG titled "Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes an...

30/07/2025

Healthcare, Lenah Valley.

The TasWomen obstetricians and midwives have now been at Calvary for almost 2 months.

Huge thank you to the TasWomen admin team & midwives who have learnt new processes and systems during this time.

Enormous acknowledgement of the Calvary staff for making us feel so welcome (especially Sally, Saman, Kate, Tan & Leah), and working diligently to create safe expanded services.

Lastly, deep gratitude to the families we have supported with births during this transition time.

We look forward to continuing to support families with pregnancies and births for many years to come.

16/07/2025

Healthcare

We are so fortunate to have Calvary Healthcare in Hobart provide the last remaining private obstetric care service in Tasmania. But the sustainability of private obstetrics remains at risk.

This week the Australian newspaper is running a daily series on the private obstetric crisis. This follows the publication of the BJOG Callander et al article just released (in the comments below).

This conversation should not be about private Vs public.

This conversation must to be centred on the acknowledgement that continuity of care - CoC - seen in private obstetric care models and midwifery group models, and private obstetric care (which see midwives and specialist obstetricians work together) gives better outcomes.

This conversation must also drive solutions that improve the birthing outcomes for ALL women. Keep following these new stories and see the many solutions NASOG (National Association of Specialist Obstetricians and Gynaecologists) are suggesting.

12/07/2025

Being involved in research is such a valued way of both contributing too, and learning more about disease.

If you have ENDOMETRIOSIS and INFERTILITY (currently or previously), researchers in NSW would really value hearing from you in the 'Talking Fertility Project' if you fulfil the following criteria - people aged 18 and over, residing in Australia with a diagnosis of endometriosis, who feel comfortable to share their
experiences of fertility-based discussions with health professionals or provide feedback on the resources that will be developed.

Participants will be invited to attend an online interview (1 hour) or focus group (2hours) and will be reimbursed with a $50 gift voucher.

You can express your interest in applying to be part of
the research here:

Patient experiences of fertility-based conversations with health professionals.

07/07/2025

Dr Connan is now OPEN for pregnancy bookings for the month of 2026.

Kirsten books a maximum of 8 families each month. This ensure she has time to provide quality care for each family, as well as maintain her professional standards through ongoing eduction & training.

For more information, head to TasWomen by TasOGS at https://www.tasogs.com or https://www.drkirstenconnan.com

27/06/2025

Applications are now open for TasWomen's Rachel Wake Midwifery Scholarship for 2025.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a Tasmanian midwife, and provides financial support towards midwifery education.

For more information about the Rachel Wake Midwifery Scholarship, you can visit the website: https://www.tasogs.com/rachel-wake-scholarship

One of our favourite memories of Rachel is captured below 🦋🩵

22/06/2025

Prize

Are you an artist, or do you know an emerging or established artist who would like to showcase their work? The annual AGES Society Art Prize has opened for submissions for 2026/2027.

Submissions for a $10,000 cash prize will be considered by the AGES Society Board for three (3) commissioned artworks to be the covers of three AGES annual meeting brochures in 2026 and 2027.

AGES Society Art Prize is judged on a variety of criteria, including but not limited to; creativity and originality; composition and design; technique and craftsmanship; and interpretation and clarity of a concept.

Every year the commissioned works are auctioned at the March AGES Annual Scientific Meeting, with all proceeds going to a charity of the AGES Board’s choice.

AGES Society Art Prize Submissions for a $10,000 cash prize will be considered by the AGES Society Board of Directors for three commissioned artworks, to be the covers of three of our annual meeting brochures in 2026 and 2027. About the Art Prize Submissions have opened for the 2026/2027 Annual AGES...

18/06/2025

Network

TasWomen is delighted to have the Lactation Network join our team on MONDAYS from July 2025 onwards!

The Lactation Network provides outstanding support for ALL feeding issues, both prior to and after birthing your baby (or babies if you have twins or more!).

The Lactation Network also provides advice and treatment for mastitis (as they are midwife practitioners who can also prescribe medication).

The Lactation Network will be finishing at Hobart Private Hospital with the closure of the unit. Hundreds of Tasmanian families have benefitted from their care during their time. Without a hospital base ahead for the Lactation Network, we are keen to ensure our Hobart community can continue to benefit from their services every weekday.

You do not have to be a patient at TasWomen to access their services in our rooms, and you can continue to book with them through their website https://www.lactationnetwork.com.au

09/06/2025

10th of JUNE 2025

Maternity care at Hobart Private Hospital

TODAY marks the end of my time of birthing at Hobart Private Hospital, and the beginning of a new chapter of birthing at Calvary Healthcare.

During the last decade I have had the absolute pleasure of supporting hundreds of women & their families during pregnancy & birthing at HPH.

Infrequently, but heartbreakingly, this has been sometimes with devastating outcomes. As midwives and obstetricians we remember every one of these loses. With some of you I have shared tears, and with all of you I have seen your heartache.

Sometimes times pregnancy has been with held with incredible stress, letting us all only breathe when your newborn safely arrived. Your courage & resilience with these moments has been so inspiring.

BUT mostly your pregnancy and birth have been incredibly joyful, and an enormous privilege to be a part of. Your joy, has been my joy.

TODAY also marks the end to a long history of maternity care with my amazing midwifery colleagues at Hobart Private Hospital.

I owe each of you an enormous thank you. You have worked so hard to keep women safe, both physically & psychologically.

I have also had wonderful friendships with many of you, having watched your children grow, seen your relationships change, and learnt of your hopes for the future. I will miss these moments ahead, as some of you move into retirement, and to other workplaces.

TODAY as I reflect, what I am most, is overwhelmingly grateful & hopeful; grateful for what has been, and hopeful for what we can still offer the women and families of Tasmania ahead. Excellent maternity collaborative care, with choice.

Dr Kirsten Connan

21/05/2025

Dr Connan is now OPEN for pregnancy bookings for the month of 2026.

Kirsten books a maximum of 8 families each month. This ensure she has time to provide quality care for each family, as well as maintain her professional standards through ongoing eduction & training.

For more information, head to TasWomen by TasOGS at https://www.tasogs.com or https://www.drkirstenconnan.com