The Australasian College of Paramedicine

Speakers

acpic24 Click to read bio — J.D. Heffern

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J.D. Heffern

J.D. is a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, leader, chronic networker, researcher, and student whom happens to be a Paramedic. Living in Canada he serves as Chief Paramedic for Indigenous Services Canada with the Government of Canada. As a second career Paramedic he has worked as a front-line Paramedic, Paramedic educator, Community Paramedic, and at various levels of Paramedic service leadership. Prior accepting his current position, J.D. was Commander with the County of Renfrew Paramedic Service facilitating a myriad of portfolios. He volunteers as council member for the International Roundtable on Community Paramedicine and is a Fellow with McNally Project for Paramedicine Research (Canada). His passion and interests are Community Paramedicine, Paramedic practice focussing on vulnerable populations, international trends and best practices and networking with like-minded individual and organisations as demonstrated by his work in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany. Turkey, and the United States. J.D. has been married to Melanie for 24 years, with three young adult daughters and his son Stanley the 120-pound Alaskan Malamute pup.

Associate Professor Jason Bendall

Associate Professor Jason Bendall is specialist paramedic, specialist anaesthetist and specialist prehospital & retrieval specialist. Jason was the former Medical Director for NSW Ambulance and a Conjoint Associate Professor in Anaesthesia at the University of Newcastle.

Lucy Oatley ASM (Conference Master of Ceremonies)

Lucy Oatley is an Intensive Care Flight Paramedic based on the helicopter in Hobart, Tasmania with 10 years’ experience in out-of-hospital care. Since relocating from Queensland to Tasmania in 2017, Lucy has held patient facing clinical roles alongside project management duties within the Clinical Services division of Ambulance Tasmania, before moving onto the helicopter full time in 2022. Lucy has a clinical and research interest in the provision of cardiac care by Paramedics, and was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal in 2023 for her instrumental role in the development and implementation of the Ambulance Tasmania Thrombolysis Project. Also a past Chair of the ACPIC Organising Committee, Lucy is excited to return as the Master of Ceremonies to discuss, debate and collaborate with the delegates and presenters of this year’s ACPIC in Sydney.

Dr Brendan Shannon

Brendan is head of Postgraduate Programs in the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University and a member of The Australasian College of Paramedicine Community Paramedicine working group. A registered paramedic with more than a decade of clinical experience, Brendan is passionate about refining healthcare models to ensure underserved communities receive requisite care and support. He is known for innovating new education programs and paramedicine models of care and career pathways including as the education lead for the Victorian Paramedic Practitioner program.

Rebecca Houli

Rebecca Houli, Victoria University alumnus, began her academic journey in 2007. With a background in vocational education and training (VET) and higher education (HE), she has now combined her clinical operational paramedic with academia. Since 2015, she has organised and lead four highly successful international study tours, diversifying the work integrated learning (WIL) clinical curriculum via the New Colombo Plan. These initiatives not only prepare students as global citizens but also provide an innovative educational experience in varying community health settings. Her passion for paramedicine and education is evident in her commitment to drive quality improvement and patient safety and in WIL. She is leading a national academic expert reference working group whose objective is the standardisation and harmonisation of a national clinical placement assessment tool for paramedicine programs that aligns the Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics (PCFRP). The Australian Paramedicine Professional Capabilities Tool (APPCAT) will assist higher education providers in meeting program accreditation standards for the future workforce to be able to deliver safe, quality patient care.

Amy Gomes

Amy is a Queensland based Critical Care Paramedic with 15 years in the ambulance realm. She has a special interest in Paediatrics and is the Director and co-founder of PARA PEM - the successful course designed by Paramedics, for Paramedics, to provide up to date evidence based education about Paediatric Emergency Medicine. Join Amy for the first hands-on PARA PEM workshops!

Alice Svikers

Alice is a Registered Midwife who has enjoyed a ten-year career in the public health system. She balances her clinical work with her role as a lecturer and academic placement liaison for the Department of Paramedicine at Monash University. She is passionate about birth and the importance of interprofessional collaboration to optimise outcomes for patients experiencing unplanned out of hospital births.

Prof Cathie Sherrington

Prof Sherrington is Professor, School of Public Health, University of Sydney. Prof Sherrington leads the 30-person Physical Activity, Ageing and Disability Research Stream within the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health (a partnership between University of Sydney and Sydney Local Health District) and is Deputy Director of the Institute, and co-chairs the Sydney Health Partners (NHMRC-accredited Advanced Health Research & Translation Centre) Musculoskeletal Clinical Academic Group. Prof Sherrington has a background as a physiotherapist in aged care and rehabilitation settings.

A/Prof. Danielle Ní Chróinín

Danielle is a Consultant Geriatrician and Director of aged care research, Liverpool Hospital, and a Conjoint Associate Professor with UNSW Medicine. She holds dual fellowships in Geriatric and General Medicine, with 20 years experience in clinical and academic medicine, here and in Ireland. She is a member of several research and professional bodies, and has led/helped with development of national guidelines e.g. for Orthogeriatric care after hip fracture. Her research focusses on clinically meaningful, collaborative and multidisciplinary research focusing on patient-centred care of older persons. She is an enthusiastic teacher, with roles within the hospital, UNSW and RACP, with several teaching accolades.

Mel Alexander

Mel has been working for SA Ambulance for 20 years, and was a paediatric intensive care RN. She is an intensive care, extended care paramedic, and has qualified as a Paramedic Practitioner through Deakin University. She has worked in paramedic education and is currently focussing her research on Hip Fracture Care in South Australia and working towards her PhD.

Hannah Latta

Hannah is a Critical Care Flight Paramedic working in Wellington and a postgraduate lecturer at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. Hannah also works as an ultrasound educator in the Wellington Emergency Department. Hannah has extensive experience in the ambulance and emergency care sector and is passionate about learning and continuing education to ensure patients receive the highest standard of care. Hannah has completed her doctorate investigating how ultrasound can be integrated into the resuscitation of patients in cardiac arrest. Her research aims to identify very ‘low flow’ states associated with pseudo-pulseless electrical activity. Hannah is also a photographer, mum to Sam and enjoys taking him on many adventures exploring the outdoors in her spare time.

Dr Angela Martin PhD

Dr Angela Martin PhD, is a Registered Paramedic, published author and long-standing advocate for Community Paramedicine. Her PhD thesis was an international exploratory study on perspectives of Community Paramedicine through multiple stakeholder lenses. After a 21-year career with SA Ambulance Service, Angela has recently embarked on an exciting career change, appointed as the Manager Clinical Practice – Integrated Care with Ambulance Tasmania. In this new role, Angela will draw from her research and clinical expertise to lead the progression of Community Paramedicine across Tasmania. Angela’s accolades include CAA Women in Ambulance honour recipient 2024, ACP Fellowship 2023, SA Emergency Services Medal 2018, SAAS Clinical Excellence Commendation 2016, ACP/SAAS Rod Kershaw Scholarship 2013. Her qualifications include PhD, MCommtyParamed (C.), GDipN (Emerg), BN, Dip.ParaSci (Amb), Dip.Mgt., Cert IV TAE. Angela has academic affiliations with Edith Cowan University, Flinders University and the International Institute Health Research Institute.

Dr Nigel Barr

Dr. Nigel Barr is an accomplished academic and researcher with expertise in paramedicine, nursing, and education. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), along with multiple advanced qualifications. Currently an Associate Professor at UniSC, Dr. Barr has led various programs and contributed significantly to curriculum development in paramedicine education. He has served on the UniSC Academic Board and the Student Academic Appeals Committee, demonstrating his commitment to academic excellence. Dr. Barr also holds leadership roles in professional organisations, including the Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans, Australian Vascular Access Society, and Australasian College of Paramedicine. His research focuses on paramedicine, interprofessional education, and infection control practices. His dedication to improving healthcare education and practice has made him a recognized leader and innovator in the field of paramedicine.

Dr Natalie Dodd

Dr Natalie Dodd is a Senior Lecturer of Paramedicine in the School of Health at UniSC. Natalie is an early career researcher with an interest in health behaviours (cancer screening), health professions communication, interprofessional education, student support, and wellbeing of paramedics. She has over $350,000 in grant funding and has fourteen peer-reviewed publications and commissioned reports. Natalie has worked in medical education for five years, most recently she coordinated a full-year level of the Doctor of Medicine, Griffith University, Sunshine Coast and taught communication skills using simulation. She also led the student support initiative. Natalie is a member of the Sunshine Coast Health Institute (SCHI) Interprofessional Leads Working Group and is currently working on design and development of interprofessional education modules that form part of a body of work shared between the SCHI partners. She is a registered paramedic with sixteen years of on-road experience and is a member of the Australasian College of Paramedicine.

Matt Green

Matt Green is an Extended Care Paramedic who began his career working in Australia and UK as a Registered Nurse before joining NSW Ambulance in 2000. He has been employed as a full time Extended Care Paramedic for the past 13 years and is currently based in Newcastle ,Australia. He is a strong advocate of the Extended Care Paramedic Role and concept and he and the Inner Hunter ECP team have forged strong local networks ,partnerships and helped create alternate patient pathway options in their Local health Districts over the years. He is a passionate believer in lifelong learning and empowering patients and their carers to be active and informed participants in decisions about their health care.

Matthew Hill

Matthew Hill is a registered paramedic with 10 years of clinical experience working with the Queensland Ambulance Service. During this time, Matt undertook several roles including Advanced Care Paramedic II, Critical Care Paramedic, and Critical Care Flight Paramedic. He has also been involved with in-service education, taking on relief positions as a Clinical Support Officer and Senior Clinical Educator. Prior to being appointed as Lecturer, Paramedicine at UniSC in 2021, Matt taught into both the undergraduate and postgraduate Paramedic Science programs at CQUniversity. The main drivers for Matt’s research stem from his clinical experience as a paramedic and his experience as a Peer Support Officer, where he has developed a keen interest in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of paramedics and their families. Matt is currently undertaking his PhD, where he is exploring the impact of traumatic stress on paramedics and their intimate partners.

Mick Byrne

Mick is Co-Founder and Head of Growth at EmergiSim, a VR Training Platform for Military and First Responders. EmergiSim currently supports Ambulance and EMT services in Australia and the USA as well as Special Operations Teams in both the Australian & British Defence Forces.

Marty Nichols

Marty has been a paramedic with NSWA since 2000. For 20 years Marty developed extensive clinical & operational experience across the roles of paramedic, Intensive Care Paramedic, Special Operations, Rescue & Remote Area paramedic, Critical Care Flight Paramedic, educator and frontline manager. In 2021 Marty was appointed Associate Director Paramedicine & Clinical Practice. Outside of his roles with NSWA Marty has over a decade of experience on the board of paramedicine colleges and has been a member of the Paramedicine Accrediation Committee since 2019.

Shaun Whitmore

Shauns substantive role is currently a HEMS Intensive Care Flight Paramedic with Ambulance Victoria, but he has held various roles in acute health care since 1986. These have included Division 1 Nursing Roles in Oncology, Paediatrics and Emergency Nursing. Shaun has been a lecturer at Monash University for 24 years, and has facilitated Education Programs in Borneo, PNG, Bougainville and Malaysia. Outside of his substantive role he has worked in various clinical roles in the private, state and commonwealth sectors. His special interests include Wilderness and Disaster Response, with a particular interest in Human Factors and clinical error.

Dr. Nirvana Luckraj

Dr. Nirvana Luckraj brings a wealth of international healthcare experience to her role as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Healthdirect Australia. As a Fellow of the RACGP and with 30 years’ experience across four continents, Nirvana has held leadership positions in digital health, clinical artificial intelligence, medical service provision and general practice, overseeing clinical governance, quality assurance, and service delivery. Nirvana’s career has also encompassed managing medical teams across Australia, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea while managing major government and private healthcare contracts. As CMO at Healthdirect Australia, Nirvana leverages her vast experience to drive innovation in the delivery of accessible, high quality and safe digital and virtual healthcare services for all Australians.

Dr Louise Reynolds

Dr Louise Reynolds, Safer Care Victoria's Chief Paramedic Officer and ACU Associate Professor in Paramedicine, began her career as a student paramedic with SA Ambulance Service. Her career included operational and educational roles across Australia, the UK, and South-East Asia. As Australia's first female paramedic with a doctoral degree, her research focuses on qualitative explorations of paramedicine evolving professional culture, education, systems and leadership. She's a five-time editor of 'Understanding the Australian Health Care System', contributing to the paramedicine chapter.

Dr Peter Mangles

Dr Peter Mangles is a registered paramedic and nurse, and the Managing Director of Absolute Medical Response. He is the Chairman of LiveBetter, Pace Aged Care, and Physio Inc., and serves as an adjunct Fellow at the University of Western Sydney, where he also chairs the WSU EAC. With international experience in the UK, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Singapore, Dr Mangles brings extensive expertise in healthcare leadership and governance. His diverse roles reflect his commitment to advancing healthcare standards and education, showcasing his dedication to ethical practice, innovative strategies, and effective stakeholder engagement across various global settings.

Adjunct Professor Rich Johnson

Rich is a UK and Australian trained emergency specialist with extensive experience in aeromedical retrieval. With a mountain rescue, expedition and HEMs background he moved to Central Australia as medical director for the retrieval service and was instrumental in the system level re-design that led to the commissioning of the award winning Medical Retrieval and Consultation Centre at Alice Springs Hospital (ASH). Still based at ASH he is the Deputy Director of Medical and Clinical services at ASH and Director of Clinical Research where he is a keen advocate for equity in health access and the development of regional academic career pathways

Dr Claire Bertenshaw

Dr Claire Bertenshaw is the Deputy Medical Director at the Queensland Ambulance Service. She is an Emergency Medicine Specialist working on road with the High Acuity Response Unit and in the Clinical Hub. She is also employed at the Emergency and Trauma Centre at the Royal Brisbane as a Consultant in the Emergency and Trauma Centre. Her current interests include point of care ultrasound, recognition of the deteriorating patient, and the clinical assessment of risk.

Paul Simpson

Paul is a paramedic academic at Western Sydney University, and Editor in Chief of Paramedicine. He continues to practice clinically in the private sector though is admittedly pretty rusty these days.

Kallie Kitas

Kallie is a dedicated clinical nutritionist who specialises in helping individuals recover from binge eating, establish balanced eating habits and reduce burnout among healthcare workers. With over 10 years of experience, Kallie understands the unique challenges faced by those in high-pressure roles, including long hours, unpredictable breaks, and limited access to proper food storage. Kallie provides practical solutions to fuel the body efficiently amidst non-stop work demands, enabling healthcare heroes to thrive.

Jack Howard

Jack is an Intensive Care Paramedic at Ambulance Victoria. He has worked as a Paramedic for the past 14 years, mostly in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. He has a passion for prehospital research, especially on the subject CPR-Induced Consciousness and Leadership.

Dr Will Browne

Will completed medical training in 1999 and completed post graduate training in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine in 2006. He is currently based in Melbourne managing an inpatient unit at Maroondah Hospital and where he also works with Residential InReach. He is the current Director of Physician Education at Maroondah Hospital. He is heavily involved in post graduate medical education and has interests in clinical diagnostics, movement disorders, and general Geriatric Medicine

Charlton Quitoriano

Charlton is a Naarm/Melbourne-based academic at Monash University and registered ALS paramedic. Prior to this, Charlton started his career working as a graphic designer and has now been collaborating with other academics to utilise his combined skillset including the Australian Paramedicine Professional Capabilities Tool (APPCAT) and an upcoming Autistic Suicide Prevention Resource Hub with the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre. Being queer, neurodivergent, and a person of colour, Charlton's professional interests lie within the wellbeing, mental health, neurodiverse, and LGBTIQ+ spaces in the paramedicine and higher education contexts.

George Jack

George Jack is an Advanced Life Support (ALS) EMT at ProMedical Ambulance Vanuatu, hailing from Tanna Island in the Republic of Vanuatu. With 12 years of experience in pre-hospital healthcare, George has dedicated his life to reducing suffering and improving health outcomes in his community. Originally an automotive mechanic, George discovered his true calling in healthcare while attending the Theological Bible School in Port Vila. His time working in the Church clinic revealed the significant health needs of his community, inspiring him to pursue a career in healthcare. George's strong faith remains his primary motivation in his work. George has completed a Diploma of Paramedical Science and currently excels as an ALS EMT, specializing in emergency ambulance calls, aeromedical retrieval, aeromedical evacuations, and first aid training. A passionate football (soccer) enthusiast, George volunteers his medical expertise to his local football club and the Vanuatu national team. He is a dedicated father of two young children, a loving husband, and a respected community and church leader. George is also committed to his long-term goal of completing a Bachelor of Paramedicine.

Kalinda Wills

Kalinda is a proud Jerrinja-Wandi-Wandian-Wodi-Wodi Woman from the Cullunghutti Mountain who was grew up on the Jerrinja Aboriginal Community. Kalinda is currently employed with Waminda’s South Coast Women's Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation as a full-time since 2018 as a Senior Aboriginal Primary Health Care Practitioner and Practice Manager. Kalinda has ignited passion and dedication for all aspects to do with Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing. Kalinda prides on providing culturally safe, strength-based, holistic health care to our peoples physical, emotional, social, spiritual health and wellness within our local Aboriginal communities

Whitney Fordham

Whitney is a proud Aboriginal woman from Nowra on the South Coast of NSW. Whitney has strong connections to the Cullunghutti Jerrinja Wandi-Wandian people of the Yuin Nation. Whitney has been employed with Waminda since 2020 as Senior Aboriginal Health Practitioner at Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation. Whitney is a dedicated Senior AHP who loves, cherish, and adores what she does as its for her community. Whitney loves supporting, caring, listening, and learning from her people and is passionate about providing culturally safe holistic health care.

Dr Joanne Caldwell Odgers

Dr Caldwell is a Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular and Exercise physiology at Monash University. She is Head of the Exercise Physiology and Environmental Health Laboratory and brings extensive experience in occupational physiology. Her expertise has been crucial in developing new Physical Employment Standards for Intensive Care Flight Paramedics at Ambulance Victoria. Additionally, Dr Caldwell is deeply interested in studying how humans can adapt to rising temperatures associated with climate change.

Assoc Professor Shannon Rutherford

Associate Professor Rutherford is a public health specialist with a long research career focussed on assessing the links between environmental change and human health and building capacity to understand, assess and respond to the consequences at the local, national and global level. Her research has spanned various aspects of climate and health across diverse settings. She leads several transdisciplinary projects focussed on improving the health of communities as our climate warms. These include a large project aimed to reduce the health impacts of increasing heat on older persons and the Queensland Heat-Health Community of Practice.

Ursula Howarth

Ursula has worked as an infection prevention and control (IPC) CNC since 2020. She started her career in healthcare over 20 years ago as a veterinary nurse and then worked as a paramedic throughout Queensland for 13 years. Ursula has a Bachelor of Nursing, a Bachelor of Paramedicine, a Graduate Diploma in Health, and a Master of IPC. The master studies coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and Ursula began working as one of two IPC CNC's for Queensland Ambulance Service throughout the pandemic and is the first dedicated IPC professional to work for Ambulance Tasmania.

Dr Sharon Campbell

Dr Sharon Campbell is an academic researcher in climate change and health, and a fellow of the Healthy Environments and Lives (HEAL) Network. Her research focusses on the health system and community impacts of extreme events such as heatwaves and bushfires, and working out the best adaptation solutions available in the face of a rapidly changing climate.

Richard Armour

Richard is a critical care paramedic with experience spanning Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Richard has a passion for improving the integrated care paramedics provide for patients with both high and low acuity care needs. While in Canada, Richard became especially passionate about improving paramedic care for people who use drugs and successfully lobbied for federal legislation changes, now implemented in multiple provinces and territories, to allow paramedics to take a more active role in the longitudinal care of people who use drugs.

Professor Scott Devenish

Dr Scott Devenish is the Chair of the Australasian Council of Paramedicine Deans and a Professor and Paramedicine Discipline Lead for the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). Scott has two and a half decades of experience in the paramedic education field. He is a Registered Paramedic and a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine. Scott has actively contributed to the Paramedicine profession through high-quality teaching, academic leadership, peer-reviewed publications, the supervision of research higher degree candidates, actively contributing to the Australasian College of Paramedicine Research Engagement Committee and being a program accreditation assessor for Ahpra.

Dr Jaimi Greenslade

Jaimi Greenslade is an Advanced Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service and a Principal Research Fellow at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Her research focuses on the acute assessment of chest pain and infection. Jaimi has attracted over 6 million in research funds and published over 200 papers during her career. Jaimi’s research has been widely translated into clinical practice and incorporated into international guidelines.

Max Han

Max has recently completed his Honours degree in Paramedicine with Monash University, on a scholarship from the Singapore Civil Defence Force. He has just embarked on his graduate year and is looking forward to contributing to the profession through evidence-based practice. His research interests currently include dementia care and community paramedicine.

Laura Hirello

Laura Hirello is a Canadian paramedic from Halifax, Nova Scotia. She moved to Melbourne in February 2023 to pursue a PhD from Monash University. Laura’s research study, project ASAP, looks at how shift work and the resulting circadian rhythm disruption impact paramedics, their work performance, and their decision making. Prior to moving to Australia, Laura worked as an ambulance paramedic for 9 years before moving into healthcare project management and process improvement.

Lisa Hobbs

Lisa Hobbs is a registered paramedic, academic, researcher and visual artist with over 2 decades experience in paramedicine. Her research experience includes a Master of Philosophy, qualitative research utilising Constructivist Grounded Theory. Lisa is a confirmed candidate in a Doctor of Philosophy, her research topic is Women in Paramedicine: Exploring the experiences of female paramedics in Australia through creative research.

Ryan Matthews

Ryan Matthews has been a Paramedic for almost 30 years. He has experience in Military and civilian contexts and has worked in the aeromedical and ground ambulance environments. He also has experience in remote and site-based emergency care. For the last 12 years he has been lecturing Paramedic students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town, South Africa. He has special interests in pain management and curriculum development. He holds a master’s degree and is working toward a PhD degree.

A/Professor Ben Meadley

Ben Meadley is a registered paramedic and Director, Paramedicine at Ambulance Victoria. Ben has worked as a clinician, educator, and researcher in paramedicine for more than 26 years, with the majority of his time as an intensive care flight paramedic. His research interests include respiratory and cardiovascular physiology, point of care ultrasound, human performance optimisation, and selection to specialist paramedicine teams. Ben divides his time between clinical leadership, teaching and research roles. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Paramedicine and was awarded the Ambulance Service Medal in 2023.

Dr Alannah Morrison

Alannah has 15 years of experience as a paramedic enjoying working across various communities. Alannah is also an experienced academic and more recently overseeing graduate and entry-to-practice education for a jurisdictional ambulance service, focusing on contemporary education models for complex working environments. Alannah completed her PhD investigating paramedic decision-making and exploring the progression of professionalisation of the profession and ambulance work culture.

Sarah Penney

Ko Tarakeha te maunga, Ko Moetangi te awa, Ko Matihetihe te Marae, Ko Tao Maui te hapū, Ko Te Rarawa te iwi, Ko Penney tōku whānau, Nō Mitimiti ahau, Ko Sarah Penney tōku ingoa. Sarah Penney was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and works as a lecturer in the Paramedicine Department at Auckland University of Technology. She is a registered paramedic and a practicing EMT with Hato Hone St John. Since completing her Undergraduate in Paramedicine, Sarah has completed post graduate studies in Public Health and has recently completed a Master of Philosophy, exploring Māori and whānau experiences when accessing acute pre-hospital cardiovascular care from paramedics. Sarah research interests include Māori health, health equity, cardiovascular health and community/extended care paramedicine.

Dr Simpiwe Sobuwa

Dr Sobuwa is the Senior Lecturer and Acting Head of the Department of Emergency Medical Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. He is the Chair of the Professional Board for Emergency Care at the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). He is also the Vice-President of the HPCSA and chairs its Remuneration Committee. He has published several articles and supervised several Masters and Doctoral students to completion.

Dr Verity Todd

Dr Verity Todd is a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Paramedicine, supporting postgraduate research. Verity worked for 5 years as the Clinical Research Fellow at Hato Hone St John. Verity is supported by the NZ Heart Foundation as a Co-Investigator on the First Responder Shock Trial (FIRST). Her research interests include low-acuity patients, Early Warning Scores, trauma, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Dr Todd's research background includes a PhD in Genetics and postdoctoral fellowships in Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins University and The University of Auckland.

Laura Triffett

Laura Triffett is a registered paramedic, a Lecturer in Paramedicine at the University of Tasmania and a PhD candidate at Western Sydney University. Laura has worked in paramedicine for over 25 years, starting her career in the UK before relocating to Australia in 2007. Laura's research interests stem from her experience as both a paramedic and academic, where she developed an interest in work-integrated learning (WIL), authentic assessment, innovative learning and teaching, and health literacy responsiveness. Laura's PhD project is looking at the use of Entrustable Professional Activities for the assessment of entry to practice paramedic students undertaking WIL.

Simon Vella

Simon is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and also works in clinical practice as a chiropractor. Simon's research focuses on the management of back pain in prehospital and emergency health care settings. In the prehospital setting, Simon's research has explored ambulance service guidelines for back pain, ambulance service and paramedic management of back pain including alternate referral pathways, and paramedic perceptions toward the management of people with back pain. Simon has a keen interest in bridging community and emergency health services to manage people with non-serious back pain.

JP Veronese

JP Veronese has been a Lecturer in Paramedicine at Griffith University since 2018 and also works casually as an ACP for the Queensland Ambulance Service. Previously, he served in the South African State Ambulance Service for 13 years in critical care, supervisory, and clinical educator roles. He completed a Master’s degree in Emergency Medicine in 2015 and has published research in both local and international peer-reviewed journals. With a passion for educating future paramedics, JP focuses on simulation-based education and assessment to develop clinical competence, which is the focus of his recently commenced PhD.

Paramedicine's evolution – Embracing the new era

11 - 13 September 2024

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