PRESENTERS
Professor Cate Nagle has a co-joint appointment as the Professor of Nursing and Midwifery at James Cook University and the Townsville Hospital and Health Service. She is the Director of the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Research and the Academic Lead (Research) for Nursing and Midwifery. An experienced nurse and midwife, Cate also has postgraduate qualifications in Diabetes Education and Public Health. Cate's program of public health midwifery research is underpinned by a commitment to improve the communication of risk, women’s participation in and experience of care and informed decision making.
Assistant Minister for Health and Aging Ged Kearney started her working life as a nurse and rose to become Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation. From 2010, Ged served as the president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) – the peak body of Australia’s union movement – where she fought for better conditions for Australian workers.
Ged’s working life – from nurse to President of the ACTU to parliamentarian – has been about fighting for the rights of others.
She is a strong voice for social justice, workers’ rights and universal healthcare inside Labor and the Parliament. Ged is a passionate advocate for the environment, leading the push for Labor to declare a climate emergency. Throughout her career, Ged has supported a humane response to refugees, including the crucial medevac legislation.
Karlee Thompson is the co-founder of Let's Talk Birth. With a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, Karlee is also a mother, birthworker, doula, babywearing consultant and placenta encapsulation specialist. Karlee and Let's Talk Birth have been creating communities of birth professionals and birthing families and offer a range of birthing products and education services.
Georgina Bosworth is a registered nurse, endorsed midwife, child health nurse and IBCLC with over 35 years experience. Georgina provides full spectrum of care, including home birth. Georgina supports a number of midwives working towards endorsement and garners rave reviews from women she has supported in her many roles.
Liz Wilkes is a registered nurse and endorsed midwife, with a Master of Business Administration.
Liz is the Managing Director of the largest private midwifery practice in Australia "My Midwives" as well as the Vice President of Midwives Australia.
Liz is well known for her lobbying and advocacy at all levels of government and she was in the first group of Medicare midwives in Australia.
Sharon is a registered nurse and midwife. She holds a Master of Public health and a Master of International Public Health and is passionate about maternal health.
Scars of Gold is her first book which details her traumatic birth experience and the long-term impact it has had on her life.
Sharon’s birth experience was the catalyst for undertaking a PhD researching the personal childbearing experiences of women who are midwives.
Melanie Briggs is a senior midwife at Waminda South Coast Aboriginal Women’s Health and Welfare Corporation and heads up the Minga Gudjaga 'Mother and Baby' Maternity Service. Recognised as a model for ‘Closing the Gap’, Waminda is Aboriginal-led and community controlled, and guided by the principles of self-determination.
Melanie spearheaded a campaign to gain visiting rights at her local hospital in order to ensure women in her care were provided with a culturally safe birthing environment which led to a statement of commitment being signed with the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD).
Melanie holds a Bachelor of Midwifery , Master of Primary Maternity Care and an Advanced Diploma in Leadership & Management and was the 2022 HESTA Midwife of the Year.
Melanie was also the first endorsed Aboriginal midwife in NSW and is one of only two endorsed Aboriginal midwives in Australia.
Sari Holland is a Registered Nurse and Midwife with a Master of Midwifery. Sari is the Midwifery Unit Manager at Townsville Hospital and lead author of a recently published study about perineal outcomes of women birthing in water. Sari undertook the 2020 Healthcare Improvement Fellowship and has been providing midwifery care since 1998.
Annie Barnes is an endorsed midwife, lactation consultant and teaches into the Prescribing for Midwives course at Griffith university. Annie has been a Clinical Advisor for AHPRA, a clinical midwifery educator and the Grampians Maternity and Newborn Operating Model Project Officer.
Jaimee Smith is a registered nurse and endorsed midwife who has remote area experience and spent several years living and working in a village on a remote island of Indonesia before settling back into Tasmania. Jaimee works at the Launceston Birth Centre providing full continuum of care for women and their families as an endorsed midwife.
Dr Nicole Highet has a Doctorate in clinical psychology, specialising in community approaches to treating PND. Founder and Executive Director of the Centre Of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Nicole was the former Deputy CEO and National Perinatal Advisor of Beyond Blue. Her roles have include oversight of the National Research Program and implementation of Australia’s National Perinatal Depression Initiative. Other areas of specialisation include consumer research, national community awareness campaigns, clinical guidelines and resource development, digital screening and research and advocacy to inform and guide policy and best practice.
As a Bachelor of Midwifery graduate, Tani Paxton has worked various maternity settings in including as an Endorsed Midwife in private practice supporting women choosing homebirth. Tani apprenticed with midwives at Yayasan Bumi Sehat in 2013 and later volunteered in Bali for a year with DFAT alongside midwives working in the public health system. She holds a masters in international public health and masters in primary maternity care. In her role as Midwifery Advisor to the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) she supports stakeholders to consider midwives views when developing research and education. Tani is attuned to and understanding of the challenges midwives face and is excited about the opportunities ahead.
Alison Weatherstone is a dual qualified Midwife, completing a postgraduate diploma of Midwifery at Curtin University and Master of Primary Maternity Care at Griffith University. With lived experience across Western Australia, Victoria, Queensland and Kenya, Africa; Alison is drawn to rural and remote midwifery and has a keen interest in access to safe woman and family centred maternity care, midwifery leadership, breech birth and global maternal health.
An advocate of culturally safe and midwifery led continuity of carer close to home, Alison has played key roles in the implementation, review and sustainability of Midwifery Group Practices across Far North Queensland and dreams of creating a First Nations birth centre where she lives in Cairns. Alison draws on experience working in both private and public healthcare sectors, executive level leadership and governance and clinical research projects.
Alison recently visited Papua New Guinea as part of the PNG Midwifery leadership & buddy program and is newly appointed to the Chief Midwife role with the Australian College of Midwives.
Tanya Vogt was appointed the Executive Officer of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia in 2014 and has been working in the area of health practitioner regulation in Australia since 2007. Tanya has been directly involved in the development of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in Australia.
Tanya has qualifications in nursing and law and the combination of these qualifications has provided a solid foundation for her roles in health practitioner regulation and especially in the role of Executive Officer for the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Dr Belinda Maier has led a varied career in midwifery, ranging from private practice, agency work in rural communities, to teaching undergraduate and postgraduate midwives at university. She has acted as the Midwifery Advisor in the Office of the Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer for Queensland Health and has worked closely with First Nations women, having written South Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Antenatal Guidelines.
In 2006, Belinda earned her PhD with her work titled, ‘I do worry every single day’: An analysis of women’s narratives of worry about childbirth. Belinda’s passion is working to ensure that all women have equal access to midwifery, continuity of care, and safe and timely access to respectful and appropriate medical care when they require or choose it
Emma Jensen is an Integrative Pharmacist with a Bachelor in Pharmacy and Certificates in Pharmaceutical Compounding and Nutraceutical Therapy. Emma specialises in skin management with a major interest in women's health, gut microflora and nutraceutical compounding. As a mum of two young boys, Emma understands the demands of juggling a career with motherhood. A fitness enthusiast, Emma enjoys her daily CrossFit sessions to keep her mind and body strong and healthy.
Hallie Barron has provided risk management services to Australian Privately Practicing Midwives, doctors and Practice Managers for the past 15 years. She delivers education to MIGA clients, Practice Managers and medical practices based on MIGA claims experience. Hallie conducts practice reviews to help identify policy, procedural and medico-legal issues that give rise to claims and complaints and provides advice on strategies for minimising risk and meeting a variety of standards. Hallie’s extensive experience prior to her risk management role was in the QLD Hospital and health sector. Hallie also has a Bachelor of Nursing from Griffith University.
Kellie Wilton is an endorsed midwife who has worked across a variety of settings. Kellie has a background in advocacy, workforce, policy, legislation, regulation, professional practice, education, health promotion and research. Her postgraduate studies include qualifications in clinical education, international health, Master of Primary Maternity Care and a Master of Public Health (Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing) and Master of Health Leadership and Management. In her role as Senior Midwifery Advisor for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care she supports the Commonwealth Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer to provide high-level advice to Ministers, the Executive and other stakeholders in the Department.