Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health

Clare McHugh

Research Assistant

Telephone: +61 3 5128 1014
Facsimile: +61 3 5128 1080
Email: Clare.McHugh@monash.edu

Clare began her career as an Occupational Therapist (OT) in adult rehabilitation and aged care assessment in a rural New South Wales, and continued her work with the elderly as an OT in a busy London hospital. Seeing the need for follow-up for patients after discharge from hospital, she took on the pilot position of a Discharge/Community OT at the same hospital, which resulted in ongoing funding for the position.

After a break from health to study and teach in Japan, Clare returned to Australia to work as an OT while also commencing a career in health promotion. In one health promotion position she was instrumental in supporting a regional hospital in going totally smoke-free, one of the first to do so in Victoria. Resources developed by Clare have been distributed to health services and other organisations throughout Victoria to assist them in going smoke-free. She developed a resource kit, “Going Smokefree – A Guide for Health Services”, which is now distributed by Quit Victoria.

As a Primary Health Care Research Education and Development (PHCRED) fellow in 2008, Clare explored the concept of health promoting health services and its barriers and enablers. Her interest in quality, evidence-based healthcare and health promotion has led her to work as a research assistant at MUDRIH where she is developing and consolidating her research skills while contributing practical knowledge and networking links to health services, personnel and resources throughout Gippsland in the areas of health promotion, chronic disease management, workforce development and quality assurance. She plans to commence a PhD in 2009.

Academic Qualifications

MAppLing, University of Southern Queensland
BAppSci (Occupational Therapy), La Trobe University

Publications

McHugh, C., Robinson, A., Chesters, J., (2010). "Health promoting health services: a review of the evidence." Health Promotion International 25(2): 230-237.