Cultural Safety Accreditation and Continuing Professional Development Upskilling Project

Tanya McGregor (Chair)

Ahpra Board Member and the Chief Aboriginal Health Officer for South Australia Health

Tanya was appointed to the Ahpra Board as a member with expertise in health, education and training, business and administration in November 2023. Tanya is the Chief Aboriginal Health Officer at South Australia (SA) Health. Tanya has over 15 years’ experience developing state-wide strategies and policies to improve Aboriginal health outcomes and community programs across South Australia and the Northern Territory. Tanya is the Chair of the South Australian Aboriginal Cricket Advisory Committee, on the Board of Directors for the Fay Fuller Foundation and a member of the Global Indigenous Runway Advisory Committee.

Margaret Banks

Director, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Margaret commenced work in the health sector as a physiotherapist in Sydney. During1986 to 1991 Margaret provided rehabilitation services at Port Moresby General Hospital. Having completed a Masters in Health Administration at the University of NSW, Margaret commenced work at the NSW Department of Health. 

Margaret’s work focused on workforce, in particular rural workforce initiatives. Between 1999 and 2001 Margaret was the Chief Executive Officer of the former Postgraduate Medical Council. In 2001 Margaret rejoined NSW Health and implemented a range of programs for general practitioners, overseas trained doctors and medical specialist trainees. 

In 2003 Margaret joined the secretariat of the Australian Health Workforce Officials Committee and was the jurisdictional lead on a review of medical training in Australian undertake by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Margaret moved to the Department of Health and Ageing to work on the Council of Australian Government’s response to the Productivity Report on workforce. 

Margaret has work as the Senior Program Director with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care since July 2006. In this time she has work with stakeholders, consumers and jurisdictions on the development of National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and a program of systematic accreditation reform for the implementation of the Standards. The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards provide the first set of safety and quality standards that are mandatory and are applied nationally and are expected to make significant gains in safety and quality improvement following their implementation.

Dr Ngaree Blow

Director, University of Melbourne

Dr Ngaree Blow (she/her) is a Quandamooka (Noonuccal Nation), Goreng-Goreng, Kombumerri and Yorta-Yorta woman. Ngaree is a medical doctor with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians currently completing her advanced training as a Public Health Physician and has previously worked in paediatrics at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. Her passion and speciality are in preventative medicine and academia working as the Director of the Wurru Wurru Health Unit (First Nations Health) for medical education at the University of Melbourne as well as consulting on various public health projects for health services, government and grass roots First Nations led organisations.

Ngaree has worked in numerous medical and public health roles, including as lead medical officer for the COVID-19 outbreak response in 2020-21 and in the COVID-19 Vaccination program in 2022 with the Department of Health, Victoria. In 2022 she also established a unique approach to health promotion and preventative healthcare through an all First Nations led and run music health festival – ‘It’s a Mob Thing’ across Victoria.

Dr Blow has most recently been recognised for her work and leadership qualities through her success in being accepted into the International Women’s Forum (IWF) Leadership Fellows Program for 2023-2024 along with being the inaugural scholarship recipient for Australia. In 2022 she was also awarded the MDHS Award for Excellence in Indigenous Health Engagement, as well as the Australasian Faculty of Public health Medicine (AFPHM) Victorian Gerry Murphy Prize in 2020 and was named one of 2019’s Australian Financial Review’s ‘100 Women of Influence’.

Dr Blow was also a current member and previous board member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) and has been involved in many First Nations health, research and education roles and committees.

Karl Briscoe

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP)

Karl Briscoe is a proud Kuku Yalanji man from Mossman – Daintree area of Far North Queensland and has worked for over 20 years in the health sector at various levels of government and non-government including local, state and national levels which has enabled him to form a vast strategic network across Australia.

Karl has taken up the position as the Chief Executive Officer of NAATSIHWP to progress and represent the invested interests of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Health Practitioners. Previous to NAATSIHWP Karl was the Clinical Services Manager at the Galambila Aboriginal Health Service in Coffs Harbour. He has a vast array of experience at Senior Executive levels including previous positions as the Executive Director of Indigenous Health and Outreach Services in Cape York and Torres Strait Hospital and Health Service, which provided the skills and knowledge to coordinate strategic intent to address the health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Karl commenced his career in health when he completed an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker traineeship with Queensland Health in Mossman Community Health where he progressed to the Senior Health Worker role, Principal Policy along with Partnership Management positions. He completed the Primary Health Care training up to the Advanced Diploma and then went on to complete a Masters of Public Health, Graduate Certificate in Public Sector Management, Diploma in Practice Management, MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class Program and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Indigenous Business Leadership.

Karl’s vision for his people is to see dramatic improvement in the premature mortality rates of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, not only in communities but the entire nation, ensuring the life expectancy rates of our people are equivalent or better than that of non-Indigenous Australians.

Melissa Browning

Program Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit, Ahpra

Melissa Browning is a Coodjingburra, Bundjalung, Kullilli and Kombumerri woman and the Program Manager within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit. She has a Bachelor of Management (Community) and has worked in the public health sector with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for 20 years. 

Belinda Gibb

Manager, Indigenous Policy and Programs at the Australian Medical Council

Belinda is a proud Dharug woman, the traditional owner group from Western Sydney Australia. She has over 20 years’ experience in education, policy and program delivery, in both government and the not for profit sector, including a senior manager role at the Healing Foundation, and CEO at Australia’s leading Indigenous education provider, the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre (AILC).

Since joining Indigenous Community Volunteers (ICV) in 2017, she has contributed to a number of projects, including the ICV Action Research Project, and working with Better Evaluation to redesign the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander evaluation website.

Belinda also sits on a number of Boards, including the Dharug Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation (DNAC) and CRANAplus, a not for profit organisation which exists to ensure the delivery of safe, high quality primary healthcare to remote and isolated areas of Australia.

Dr Ali Drummond

Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives

Dr Ali Drummond is a Meriam and Erubam man of Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait) and Wuthathi man from far north Queensland. He was appointed as the CEO of the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses and Midwives (CATSINaM) in April 2023. A highly experienced leader in the sector, Dr Drummond has more than two decades of professional experience in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, clinical practice, policy, research, and teaching and learning.

During his career, Dr Drummond has focussed on strengthening the health workforce to ensure a culturally safe health system. He has contributed to an innovative approach to nursing education in his role with Queensland University of Technology (QUT’s) School of Nursing, and as inaugural co-Director of Indigenous Health within QUT’s Faculty of Health

Dr Drummond holds a Bachelor of Nursing Science and a Master of International Public Health. His recently awarded PhD critically examines how Australian nursing academics collaborate with Indigenous peoples in developing, delivering, and evaluating nursing curricula concerning Indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing.

Dr Drummond is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of CATSINaM and the Torres Strait Islander Nurses Indigenous Corporation, and Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute Research Committee.

Jayde Fuller

National Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit (Ahpra)

Jayde Fuller is a Gamilaroi woman and the National Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit. She has a Bachelor of Arts, Double Majoring in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and has worked in the public health sector with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples for 11 years in policy development and cultural safety education. She has worked for Ahpra since 2019 and leads the implementation of the ‘National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy 2020-2025.’

Donna Murray

Chief Executive Officer at Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA)

Donna is a proud Wiradjuri and Wonnarua nation citizen and the Chief Executive Officer of Indigenous Allied Health Australia Ltd (IAHA). Donna holds an Adjunct Associate Professor (Industry) with the University of Technology Sydney and is a 2021 Impact 25 Award winner. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), Chair of Thirrili Ltd and Director on the Gayaa Dhuwi (Proud Spirit) Australia Board. She is a committed Indigenous Community Development Practitioner working to support Indigenous people’s rights, cultural governance and embed nation-building principles in shaping their own future for generations to come.

Dr Olivia O’Donoghue

National Clinical Head of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Training, National Medical Education at The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and a Director of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA)

Dr Olivia O’Donoghue is descendant from the Yankunytjtjara and the Narungga Nations people. Olivia is an RACGP Fellow currently living and working in South Australia. Olivia has significant experience living and working in urban and remote Northern Territory, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. Olivia has worked as a Cultural and Medical Educator in the general practice training space since 2014, including six years with Northern Territory General Practice Education (NTGPE). 

Olivia is the currently the Medical Educator for the Indigenous General Practice Registrar Network (IGPRN). IGPRN is a national network that provides clinical education, exam preparation support, mentorship, advocacy and cultural support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander GPs in training.  

Olivia is also currently the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Censor for the RACGP representing National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health on matters pertaining to the quality assurance processes for education, training, policy and assessment. Including support and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors undertaking RACGP training. 

Olivia has been on the board of AIDA in 2009 and 2017.

Rachel Phillips

Chair, Psychology Board of Australia

Qualifications:

• General Registration (Higher Degree pathway), Endorsement in Clinical Psychology B Arts (Hons), M Clin Psych

Rachel Phillips is an endorsed Clinical Psychologist and Board-approved supervisor of provisional psychologists. Rachel has worked predominantly in the Queensland public health sector across a variety of settings, including acute hospital, community child and youth mental health, and alcohol and drug outpatients. She has more recently worked in psychology leadership positions and is currently employed as the Executive Director, Clinical Support Services at Princess Alexandra Hospital. She has also worked in private practice – as a sole practitioner, within large practices, and with psychiatrists. Rachel has had a longstanding role as a clinical supervisor of provisional psychologists completing the different pathways to general registration as well as registrars in clinical psychology.

Rachel’s experience in psychology regulation started when she was appointed to the National Psychology Examination committee in 2010 and assumed the Chair role in 2017. She was appointed to the Queensland Regional Board in 2014 and to the Psychology Board of Australia in August 2015.

Simone Raye

President, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)

Dr Simone Raye is a proud Bardi Jabbir Jabbir woman from the Kimberley. As a medical student, Simone was closely involved with the initial meetings that led to the formation of AIDA.

She continues to work as a GP in Darwin and do healthcare advocacy work, plus provide mentoring and support to Indigenous medical doctors nationally.

Rachel Stringfellow

Senior Project Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Unit (Ahpra)

Rachel has proud matriarchal connections to the Barkly and Borroloola region, through her Nanna, Nida Lowe who was part of the Stolen Generations and currently resides on Kabi Kabi, Jinibara and Turrbal lands. Rachel is a qualified Behavioural Scientist (Hon) with experience across a variety of industries, including Education, Government, Non-for-Profit and Media. She has taught across a range of undergraduate units most related being Cultural Safety, with a research background in reconceptualising trauma through epigenetic methods, and the intersections of health, criminal justice and cultural safety within an Australian and New Zealand context.

Helen Townley

National Director, Policy & Accreditation at Ahpra

Helen Townley has a legal and policy background, with degrees in law and psychology. She initially worked in administrative law then legal aid, before moving into health policy, specialising in health workforce regulation. At Ahpra, she was Executive Officer with several National Boards before becoming National Director Policy and Accreditation. This role covers multiprofession regulatory policy, research and evaluation, data and accreditation functions.

Kevin Yow Yeh

Associate Lecturer and PhD candidate, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)

Kevin Yow Yeh is Wakka Wakka and South Sea Islander man and Lecturer at The Carumba Institiute at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). At QUT, Kevin is also completing his Higher Degree Research which investigates strategies to best support First Nations peoples through complaint processes, seeking justice and compensation from racial discrimination. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Social Work from QUT and is also a Director of the Institute of Collaborative Race Research (ICRR). At ICRR, Kevin interrogates the function of race, as a structure of power and has been engaged in a range of commissioned works. Kevin was recently employed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Aphra) as a Senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Notifications Officer. His primary role at Ahpra was to lead the national Culturally Safe Notifications project, which was a key deliverable of the National Scheme’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Cultural Safety Strategy, in eliminating racism from the healthcare system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

As a Social Worker, Kevin provides Cultural Supervision/Support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across educational, legal and healthcare settings. This service is designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees experiencing racism and other forms of discrimination, to debrief, analyse and strategise ways to overcome it. Kevin also teaches about race, racism and cultural safety across a range of disciplines, within both Undergraduate and Masters courses at QUT. In his spare time, Kevin is a regular on Triple A's Let's Talk radio show and enjoys a laugh as a tv commentator on Network Tens Gogglebox series.

Ashley Paxton

Weenthunga Health Network partner

SEWB and VAHENonline Spaces Lead 

Ashley is a proud Waywurru woman born and raised on Boon Wurrung Country in a matriarch spanning multiple generations of strong Waywurru women. From a young age she was taught about the importance of connection to community, culture, Country and spirituality which has guided her throughout her life to date. Ash is a Clinical Psychologist and has previously worked as a psychologist at two Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations in so-called Victoria. She currently leads the Social and Emotional Wellbeing Spaces and Victorian Aboriginal Health Education Network online (VAHENonline) at the Weenthunga Health Network.

Sam Paxton

Weenthunga Health Network partner

Chief Executive Officer, Weenthunga Health Network

Sam Paxton is a proud Waywurru woman and mother, born and raised on Boon Wurrung Country. She is currently in the role of CEO at Weenthunga Health Network Inc. Weenthunga is an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCO) that upholds health sovereignty and progresses health justice for First Nations people across so-called Victoria. Sam has undertaken work in social and emotional wellbeing across many organisations in roles as employee, advisor and consultant. This includes five years employed at VACCHO, co-creating the headspace Yarn Safe campaign, and establishing health service facilities and partnerships for an Aboriginal Early Years Centre. She has also been a Director on multiple ACCO Boards. Sam’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology)/Bachelor of Business (Management) from Monash University, Certificate IV’s in Workplace and Business Coaching, Training and Assessment, and Indigenous Leadership, and a National Mediation Accreditation Certificate.

Erin McKinnon

Weenthunga Health Network partner

Chief Operations Officer (COO)

Erin McKinnon is a Settler Australian with Irish and Scottish heritage, born and raised on Barapa Barapa Country and living on Wurundjeri Country. Erin is Chief Operations Officer at Weenthunga Health Network and works in a two-way team with Sam. Erin has a background in policy, advocacy and community engagement, with skills and experience developed across voluntary board roles and previous paid roles at Reconciliation Victoria, Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, and the International Women’s Development Agency. Erin has a Bachelor of Arts (Politics, History), Master of International Politics, Graduate Diploma in Education and is completing a Diploma of Governance in 2024.