Message from the Chair, Cabrini Research Committee

Cabrini Research Annual Report 2020-21 Message from the Chair

Our 2020-21 Cabrini Research report demonstrates the strong commitment of the Cabrini Board and Cabrini Executive to progress and strengthen research at Cabrini Health. We continue to work in conjunction with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing excellence in community participation. Research output and research strategic development reflect the resilience and passion of all participants including research and executive staff, our patients and other members of the Cabrini community.

Whilst it may feel at times as if the world around us has been treading water in an effort to combat successive waves of COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria, the Cabrini Institute, now renamed ‘Cabrini Research’ has retained a strong forward momentum – building on prior successes and restructuring in accordance with a comprehensive review undertaken in 2020.

The Institute review, undertaken by the Miller Network Group, recommended the following key changes which have been, or are in the process of being adopted, including:

• Restructure of Cabrini Institute governance with institution of a Cabrini Research Committee, a Board subcommittee, development of a separate Scientific

Advisory Committee (SAC) and review of governance policies and processes to ensure research quality, accountability and transparency; • De-coupling of research and education; the latter being integrated within relevant clinical disciplines; • Continued focus on translational and health services research, with a focus on key research pillars (some already existing and some to be developed), aligned to

Cabrini Health strategic objectives, community need and mission. This will include establishment of a Clinical Trials

Business Unit (CTBU); • Development of strategic research collaborations in

Victoria, nationally and internationally; • Development of a comprehensive performance outcomes and evaluation framework.

From a strong field of applicants, Professor Gary Richardson OAM was appointed to the position of Group Director Cabrini Research in 2021, having previously been Acting Group Director during the period of review. He has worked tirelessly to meet the demands of the restructure recommendations, whilst continuing to support and provide oversight to existing research projects and staff. We are delighted to welcome him to this position and to support his role in implementing the recommendations of the review.

The recently appointed members of the Cabrini Research Committee include people with outstanding academic and business qualifications as well as the diverse personal strengths and perspectives that will ensure Cabrini Research is in the best position to optimise research opportunities

and improve outcomes for our researchers, our patients and all our Cabrini communities.

We would like to thank the Cabrini Board for their commitment to supporting a long-term strategic role for Cabrini Research. Further, we would like to thank in particular our Chairman of the Board Sylvia Falzon and our Chief Executive Sue Williams. Their leadership and commitment to completing and implementing the findings of the Cabrini Institute review will undoubtedly ensure Cabrini Research success moving forwards.

This report demonstrates the ongoing and outstanding results of research at Cabrini. In the last two months alone, Cabrini Research staff from nursing, medical and allied health disciplines have contributed to 54 new research publications. These results reflect the outstanding leadership within the respective departments.

We look forward to ongoing success for Cabrini Research and would like to thank all Cabrini staff for their passion, energy and persistence under difficult environmental conditions. We firmly believe that the changes being made currently as a result of the review will serve to strengthen Cabrini Research and we are committed to our researchers into the future knowing that, through high quality research, better outcomes will be achieved for our patients and the broader community.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CAROLINE BRAND CHAIR, CABRINI RESEARCH COMMITTEE Whilst it may feel at times as if the world around us has been treading water in an effort to combat successive waves of COVID-19 lockdowns in Victoria, the Cabrini Institute, now renamed ‘Cabrini Research’ has retained a strong forward momentum