International Women's Day edition
Northern Queensland PHN (NQPHN) is proud to present our women in health spotlight in celebration of International Women's Day. This spotlight highlights the women working in health professional roles, as well as the staff of NQPHN, and their contributions to the health and wellbeing of Northern Queenslanders.
Below you will find the interviews from NQPHN staff members.
How does your role contribute to the health of northern Queenslanders? Coming from a nursing background, I’ve seen many people end up in the emergency department with conditions that could have been treated much earlier—if only they’d had better access to healthcare. That’s what led me to this role in health service planning and design. I wanted to help fix those gaps and make it easier for people to get the care they need before things get worse.
Now, I work in the Health Priorities team at NQPHN, where we look at ways to improve access to healthcare across northern Queensland. One of the projects I’m involved in is the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics. These clinics give people a place to go when they need urgent medical care for things that aren’t life-threatening but also can’t wait for a GP appointment. It’s about making healthcare more accessible, so fewer people end up in the emergency department because they had nowhere else to go.
For me, it’s all about making sure people get the right care at the right time, because good healthcare should be easy to access, not a challenge to navigate.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?To me, International Women’s Day is about recognising the strength, resilience, and contributions of women in all areas of life, especially in healthcare. It’s a day to celebrate progress, but also to reflect on the barriers that still exist in accessing equitable healthcare and career opportunities.
As someone working in Health Service Planning and Design, I see how important it is to ensure women have the support they need. Whether it’s improving access to healthcare services or creating pathways for women to step into leadership and advocacy roles, IWD is a reminder that there’s still work to be done.
It’s also a moment to appreciate the incredible women I work with every day, those making a difference in communities and ensuring better health outcomes for all.
What message would you like to share with women about prioritising their health and wellbeing? Your health and wellbeing are important. Not just for you, but for the people around you. Listen to your body, ask questions, and advocate for both yourself and others. Looking after your health allows you to keep doing the things you love and be there for the people who need you
How does your role contribute to the health of northern Queenslanders? As a data analyst for the Primary Health Network, I work on transforming complex data into meaningful insights that drive better planning, understanding, and decision-making. This includes developing dashboards that help track GP access, mental health services, and regional profiles along with capturing population health analysis to better understand the unique and diverse needs of our communities. My role also involves supporting strategic planning and delivery through data analysis, helping support data quality and literacy (to improve how we understand and respond to data that informs the health of our community) and contributing data science experience to build stronger data tools for partners, providers, and decision-makers.
By making health data more accessible, clear, and actionable, I help ensure that women in our region can have more care that is informed, equitable, and responsive to their needs.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? To me, International Women’s Day is a time to recognise the diverse ways women have contributed to shape our current opportunities, rights, and access while reflecting on the real gaps that still exist in representation, equity, and opportunity.
As a woman in a STEM role, I have such gratitude for the efforts of those before me and how they have paved a way so I can contribute to a field I love, leveraging my strengths in mathematics and technology to improve lives. But while celebrating this progress I also acknowledge the biases that continue to affect society and how that plays into the very data that is collected and analysed to inform our decisions.
This day is also an opportunity to celebrate female leaders in their fields who are working to make data more ethical, representative, and diverse. At the same time recognising the often-invisible labour that many women perform alongside their primary vocations while striving for excellence within them.
What message would you like to share with women about prioritising their health and wellbeing? Health literacy is an essential tool to prioritising health and wellbeing. Understand your health by leaning on strong sources of information, seeking out trusted medical professionals, be willing to ask questions to take ownership of your wellbeing.
Also, one of the most overlooked aspects of contributing factors to women’s health is time. Globally men access significantly more leisure and rest time than women, which is reflected strongly in Australia. This imbalance affects our daily lives and ability to invest in our health. It’s important we feel empowered to take up space and prioritise our wellbeing as a priority.
Is there anything else you might like to add? Data is a tool we can all use to drive equity and a strong and healthy future for women in our region. It can help us identify disparities, challenge bias, and push for improvements that benefit women’s health in our communities. Celebrating IWD is an opportunity to recognise those who lead in health utilise innovation for a community where health is accessible and inclusive.
How does your role contribute to the health of Northern Queenslanders? My professional and personal experiences with the barriers and gaps in health and social and community services, have shaped my long-term vision and deepened my passion for driving systemic change and reform, which ultimately led me to NQPHN.
In my role, and as a fresh social work graduate, I help make Northern Queensland a healthier place by teaming up with local communities to shape mental health services that really work for them. I bring together a mix of people – from healthcare workers to community groups to design fit for purpose pathways for different services. It's all about listening to what people need, building strong connections, and supporting both clinical and non-clinical services to team up.
One of the projects I have led is Psychological Therapies for people in Residential Aged Care Homes. This service has been designed in a way to ensure all homes, including rural areas, have streamlined access to expert clinicians who are passionate about older people's mental health. This is achieved through creating fun partnerships, sharing ideas, and working side-by-side. I help make sure people have the support they need for better mental health and wellbeing. It’s all about making things better, together!
What does International Women’s Day mean to you? To me, International Women’s Day is a powerful reminder of both the challenges and the incredible strength of being a woman. As a mother to my young daughter, I think about the world I want to help create for her – one where she knows she can be anything, face any challenge, and stand tall with pride. Being a woman isn't always easy, but we should see this day as a chance to celebrate the strength, resilience, and power we share with the women around us. Whether it's our mothers, sisters, friends, or colleagues, we lift each other up, support one another, and show up with grace – even when things get tough.
Today, I celebrate not only the woman I am and the woman I’m raising, but all the incredible women who inspire, encourage, and empower me every day.
What message would you like to share with women about prioritising their health and wellbeing? I want to acknowledge that women’s health is complex! Balancing everything from hormones and reproductive health to mental health, work-life balance, and societal pressures, women face unique challenges. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to health and wellbeing, but a message that might resonate is that sometimes it’s about resting and other days, it’s about moving your body or connecting with loved ones. Small but consistent healthy habits, make for better physical and mental health.
