NQPHN is proud to present our Women in Health Spotlight as part of our International Women’s Day celebrations across this week. This series recognises the women working across health professions and within NQPHN, and the vital contributions they make to the health and wellbeing of communities across northern Queensland. It also acknowledges the leadership shown by women at all levels, including those in roles that may not always be visible or widely recognised.
Below, you will find interviews with NQPHN staff who share their experiences, insights, and the impact of their work.
Patricia Taylor (Tricia)
Senior Primary Care Engagement Officer
📍NQPHN – Townsville
“You are doing enough. Your care, strength, and presence matter.”
Read what Tricia had to say
How does your role support the health and wellbeing of communities across Northern Queensland?
Supporting the health and wellbeing of communities across northern Queensland isn’t just my role, it’s my passion. I work alongside primary care teams and communities to support the people and systems behind everyday care, guided by values I see so often in women across healthcare: compassion, collaboration, and resilience. On International Women’s Day, I’m proud to acknowledge the women whose care, commitment, and quiet strength help hold our health system together.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you in your work or everyday life?
For me, International Women’s Day is really about noticing and appreciating the women around me, the ones who show up every day, often without fuss, and just keep caring.
In my work, I see women holding so much together. They’re supporting patients, propping up services, juggling work and family, navigating complex systems, and still doing it with kindness and grit. A lot of that effort goes unnoticed, but it matters more than people realise.
It also makes me think about the women who’ve shaped me personal, the ones who taught me to listen properly, to stay grounded, and to keep going even when things feel heavy or slow to change. Those lessons sit with me every day.
International Women’s Day is about recognising care, effort, and resilience, and reminding ourselves that when women are supported, everyone benefits.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme highlights progress and action. What does that look like in your role or workplace?
For me personally, progress is about showing up consistently, being present, following through, and creating space for others to be heard. It’s mentoring, sharing knowledge, and making sure people feel supported rather than overwhelmed. Those small, steady actions add up.
So this year’s International Women’s Day theme feels very real to me. Progress is happening, not all at once, and not always loudly, but through everyday actions that strengthen people, services, and communities over time.
My mother used to tell me that girls can do anything, and over the years I’ve seen that proven to be true, in the women I work alongside, the communities I support, and in the quiet confidence that grows when women are given the space and support to step forward.
How do you prioritise your own health and wellbeing, and why do you think this is important for women working in health and community services?
I’ll be honest; I’m not very good at prioritising my own health and wellbeing, but I know how important it is. Working in health and community services, especially as women, we often put everyone else first. I’ve learned that even small steps to look after ourselves matter, because you can’t keep supporting others if you’re completely running on empty.
What message or encouragement would you like to share with other women this International Women’s Day?
This International Women’s Day, I want to acknowledge us not just for what we do at work, but for who we are every day: as mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunties, carers, and friends. We carry a lot, often quietly, and we give so much of ourselves to others. Please remember that you are doing enough, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Your care, strength, and presence matter, at home, at work, and in your communities. Be gentle with yourself, lean on one another when you can, and know that you are valued more than you may realise.