Background

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health is a not-for-profit organisation providing important services for women from adolescence to mid-life and beyond. Established in Victoria in 1992, it is now regarded throughout Australia as a leader in women's healthcare.

The strength of the Foundation is the integration of our team of internationally recognised researchers, clinicians, and educators delivering programs and resources to improve Australian women's health. It is the link between the three arms of The Foundation - clinical care, education and research - that places The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health in a league of its own in women's health care.

Dr Jean Hailes was a pioneer in women's health in Australia. In 1971 she began the first clinic in Australia dedicated to the management of women in midlife and beyond. Following Jean's death in 1988, her colleagues and friends created a foundation to honour her memory. 

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health shares her passion for improving the health and well being of all women, with a singular determination to make a difference.   

Ethics

The Foundation’s primary focus is the health and wellbeing of the 3.3 million Australian women aged between 35 and 65 years.

As a not-for-profit organisation, the Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors and comprises three business units: Research, Education and Medical Centre. The Foundation is based in Clayton, Victoria, and has close links with Monash University.

The Foundation adopts a three-fold approach to health and wellbeing: the integration of education for the community and for health care professionals, with clinical practice and focused research.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health has developed a significant reputation as an independent and objective source of information on the latest scientific developments in women's health. This independence and objectivity is recognised by government and the general public alike and hence is rigorously guarded. In particular, the Foundation protects its academic freedom and right to speak objectively and openly on all matters, controversial or otherwise.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health considers it important that the Foundation and the staff of the Foundation abide by an ethical culture. Underpinning this culture, are the requirements of disclosure and transparency and the adherence to principles, which are referred to below. They are regularly reviewed.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health is committed to a high standard of behaviour and bases its ethical principles, standards and guidelines that include and incorporate those published by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians where applicable.
(Go to www.racp.edu.au/public/publications.htm)

The principles that underpin the ethical issues and by which the Foundation abides include but are not limited to

• acting honestly,
• complying with the spirit as well as the letter of the law ,
• not making improper use of information whether or not it would result directly or indirectly in personal gain or advantage, or gain or advantage for an associated person ( a person connected to a staff member or Member of the Board),
• not making improper use of or taking advantage of one’s position to directly or indirectly gain a personal advantage or an advantage for an associated person which might be to the detriment of the organisation including its reputation,
• not allowing personal interests or the interests of any associated person to conflict with the interests of the organization,
• personal interests or those of an associated person must not be given priority over those of the organization,
• full disclosure of any conflict or potential conflict including significant and possible consequences.

Interests which are covered include but are not limited to financial, non financial, personal, institutional, clinical, research, publication and a promise of a future benefit.

As part of the Foundation’s strategy to ensure an ethical culture in the organisation, the Board has established an ethics advisory committee to provide the Foundation with advice on general and particular issues relating to the Foundation’s operations and activities.   

Funding

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health is recognised by the Australian Tax Office as a not-for-profit organisation with "Research Institute" status. Like most other major, independent research organisations within Australia, including all Universities, funds for research activities are obtained from a spectrum of government and non-government sources. For The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health, non-government donors include other philanthropic organisations and charities, private individuals and commercial organisations. Some donors however, specifically request anonymity as a condition of donating funds to The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health. For this reason, individual details on donors (private or commercial) are not routinely made public.

The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health has developed a significant reputation as an independent and objective source of information on the latest scientific developments in women's health. This independence and objectivity is recognised by government and the general public alike, and hence is rigorously guarded. In particular, we protect our academic freedom and right to speak objectively and openly on all matters, controversial or otherwise.

Grants and donations for research are only accepted on the basis of full academic freedom to publish all results deriving from the studies. Study results are published in international peer reviewed scientific journals that ensure objective scrutiny and assessment of all information before results are released publicly. Donors have no say or influence over what information is published or released. In addition the editors of medical journals have set policies to ensure that the financial associations of authors are disclosed and that published articles are not influenced by their financial associations. We support and comply with these policies.

The Board members of the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health provide their time and expertise on an entirely voluntary basis and receive no fees, salaries or benefits for the work they undertake for the Foundation Board.

Further Resources

  About the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health (94.42 KB)

 About the Jean Hailes Foundation for Women’s Health (3.3 MB)