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.
Emele Tuinona
Senior Marketing and Communications Officer
📍NQPHN – Cairns
“Don’t feel guilty for putting your health and wellbeing first. There’s only one you, and you deserve to be the best version of yourself
Read what Emele had to say
How does your role support the health and wellbeing of communities across Northern Queensland?
In my communications role at NQPHN, I support the health and wellbeing of communities across northern Queensland by helping tell their stories and making sure their voices are heard. While I’m not in a clinical role, I see communications as a really important part of how we support communities and the services that work with them.
I’m part of a communications team that works closely together to share the story of NQPHN and the communities we represent. As a team, we use things like graphic design, videography, social media and media stories to highlight local needs, celebrate the great work happening across the region, and shine a light on where more support is needed.
We also help promote training, upskilling and programs that support the health workforce, which plays a big role in keeping services strong and sustainable across northern Queensland.
Communications is a powerful way to connect people, share information and create impact, and I’m grateful that I can contribute creatively to the wellbeing of our region.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you in your work or everyday life?
International Women’s Day is a really meaningful time for me to pause and reflect on the women around me, both at work and in my everyday life. It’s a chance to celebrate the strength, resilience and leadership of women who show up every day, often juggling a lot behind the scenes.
I’m especially inspired by the resilient single career mothers I know personally. Seeing how they balance their careers, families and everything in between reminds me that it is possible, even when it feels challenging. It’s both a celebration and a reminder to acknowledge how far women have come, support one another, and back myself too.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme highlights progress and action. What does that look like in your role or workplace?
Progress and action in my role look like supporting a workplace culture that understands balance. I see action in the way our organisation supports flexible working and wellbeing and recognises that people have full lives outside of work. I’m blessed enough to work in a place that genuinely values that.
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’m really big on prioritising my own health and wellbeing, because I honestly don’t think I could function at a high level if I didn’t. Working in a desk‑based role, it’s so easy to sit for long periods of time, and that can really impact your overall wellbeing if you’re not mindful.
For me, moving my body regularly and eating well makes a huge difference in how I feel and how I work. It boosts my energy, focus and creativity, I often come up with my best ideas while going for a walk along the Esplanade.
I think this is especially important for women working in communications and media, where we’re often under the pump and juggling multiple demands. Looking after our own wellbeing isn’t a luxury, it’s essential to being able to show up, do our jobs well, and avoid burnout.
What message or encouragement would you like to share with other women this International Women’s Day?
Don’t feel guilty for putting your health and wellbeing first. There’s only one you, and you deserve to be the best version of yourself.
Natalie Kerrigan
Primary Care Access Lead
📍NQPHN – Mackay
“progress and action look like gradual, practical change rather than big gestures..”
Read what Natalie had to say
How does your role support the health and wellbeing of communities across Northern Queensland?
My role is to support my team as they work alongside local providers to strengthen how primary care responds to community needs and improves health outcomes. A big part of my work is listening to what providers are experiencing, bringing people together, and helping turn ideas into practical improvements in access and coordination. I aim to contribute by building strong relationships across the system and supporting services to work more effectively together, so community needs are met, particularly across regional and remote northern Queensland.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you in your work or everyday life?
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to pause and acknowledge the many ways women contribute, often quietly across both work and life. It’s also a reminder of the importance of support, mentorship, and shared experience, and of creating spaces where women feel safe to speak up, learn, and grow, even when they don’t always see the impact they’re having.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme highlights progress and action. What does that look like in your role or workplace?
For me, progress and action look like gradual, practical change rather than big gestures. In my role, that often means supporting conversations, helping teams work through complexity, and contributing to changes that may not always be visible but help things run more smoothly over time. In the workplace, it also looks like encouraging collaboration, flexibility and shared leadership, and learning as we go.
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, prioritising my own health and wellbeing is something I’m still learning to do consistently. Like many people working in health and community services, it’s easy to put others first and let your own wellbeing slide. Over the past few months, I’ve been making a more conscious effort to exercise regularly, move more and make healthier choices, knowing that these small changes matter. I think it’s important for women in these roles to acknowledge that wellbeing doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s about making progress, being kind to ourselves, and recognising that looking after our own health helps us stay present, resilient and able to support others over the long term.
What message or encouragement would you like to share with other women this International Women’s Day?
You don’t need to have all the answers to make a difference. Showing up, listening, and being willing to learn matters more than perfection. Trust that your contribution has value, even if it doesn’t always feel visible, and remember that progress is often made through collective effort rather than individual achievement.
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.