Australian Women’s History Month: Celebrating Prof Kelsey Hegarty
Professor Kelsey Hegarty is an internationally renowned academic and a leading figure in primary care research. We celebrate her substantial contributions to the prevention and intervention of domestic and family violence.
Professor Kelsey Hegarty specialises in designing interventions to prevent violence against women and aid in the identification of domestic and family violence (DFV) in health care settings. As the Co-Lead of the Safer Families Centre, joint Chair in Family Violence Prevention at The University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital, and inaugural Chair at the Melbourne Research Alliance to End Violence against Women (MAEVe), she is a driving force behind research in DFV.
Providing regular expert advice to the World Health Organization, Kelsey's insights contribute to shaping strategies for addressing violence against women on a global scale and she has recently been invited to serve on the Higher Education Standards Panel, offering independent advice to Ministers on tertiary education, particularly in the area of gender-based violence in Australia.
In addition to her leadership roles, Kelsey directs the Postgraduate Primary Care Nursing course in the Department of General Practice and Primary Care at The University of Melbourne, ensuring that primary care nurses have a key role in addressing health care needs of people. She regularly trains medical, nursing and psychology students in recognising and responding to DFV. Her innovative Readiness Program actively addresses the health impacts of DFV by enhancing the awareness, skills and confidence of general practice team members to identify and respond to when violence is suspected. The program is currently being delivered through primary care networks nationwide.
A prolific author and editor, Kelsey has significantly contributed to the body of work in DFV. She co-edited the 2006 book Intimate Partner Abuse and Health Professionals and led the development of the Royal Australian College of General Practice White Book on Abuse and Violence, accompanied by a comprehensive GP learning module. She has contributed to over 290 scholarly articles and publications with the most recent focussing on educators' perceptions of medical student wellbeing in domestic violence training. A trailblazer in her field, Kelsey also developed the Composite Abuse Scale, a multidimensional measure of intimate partner abuse that is used worldwide and is available in 10 languages.
Despite all her extensive commitments, Kelsey has been in clinical practice for over 30 years, dedicating time to engaging with general practice patients. Her multifaceted contributions to research and healthcare have undoubtedly reshaped the landscape of DFV prevention for the better, making her a leading light for women and children exposed to violence and one of our most notable Australian women in history.