Speakers

Paul Webber

Director, Webber Training Inc, Belleville, Canada 

Paul Webber, of Webber Training Inc, Canada, speaks and writes in the field of healthcare hygiene and infection control and health message communication.  With co-founder, Dr. Syed Sattar of the University of Ottawa, they created an educational program called Teleclass Education – telephone-based seminars on infection control topics accessed by tens of thousands of healthcare professionals on 7 continents

Assoc Prof Nigel Dickson

Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Director of AIDS Epidemiology Group
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin                  

Associate Professor Nigel Dickson initially trained as a paediatrician and then undertook further study and gained postgraduate qualifications in epidemiology and public health medicine. Since 1990 he has been part of the AIDS Epidemiology Group – and is now the Director - based at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine at the University of Otago Medical School in Dunedin. The AIDS Epidemiology Group has a contract with the New Zealand Ministry of Health to undertake epidemiological surveillance of HIV/AIDS in New Zealand. He is a member of the Ministry of Health’s AIDS Medical and Technical Advisory Committee

Alison Carter

Nurse Consultant - Infection Control
Medlab South, NZ

Alison is a Registered General and Obstetric Nurse and has been employed by Medlab South since 1995. Prior to that she was employed as Director of Nursing at private hospitals in Bundaberg, Queensland and Darwin in the Northern Territory. She has over thirty years experience in infection control, working in both NZ and Australia. Her educational qualifications include Certificate in Infection Control, a Bachelor of Nursing, Graduate Diploma of Education and Graduate Diploma of Health Management. She is one of the founding members of the NZ National Division of Infection Control Nurses and has held office both as secretary and chairperson.  She has also held office of the both New South Wales and Queensland infection control committees. In August 2006 Alison was made an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Nurses’  Organisation National Division of Infection Control Nurses. Alison is a member of the New Zealand Organisation for Quality and is currently a member of the Canterbury NZOQ Committee and is involved in the delivery of the NZOQ course ‘Quality in Health – Practical Skills’ March 2010.

Catherine Rae

Regional Quality and Risk Manager
Otago & Southland District Health Boards, NZ                       

Catherine is the Regional Quality and Risk Manager for the Otago and Southland District Health Boards. She is responsible for the strategic leadership and implementation of quality improvement and risk management systems and processes. Catherine has 17 years experience in health care management. Prior to undertaking her current role in 2003, she held the role of Project Manager for the Otago DHB with responsibility for introducing the Quality Health NZ accreditation programme and for setting up quality and risk systems including the legislative compliance programme.  Catherine was a member of the national Quality Improvement Committee (QIC) that led the national DHB quality improvement programmes, including the NQIP Infection Prevention and Control programme.  

Catherine is committed to improving quality in healthcare and patient safety by applying quality improvement practices, strengthening the consumer voice and promoting a culture that encourages the learning needed to improve systems and reduce the risk of patient harm.

Suzi Rishworth 

Transfusion Nurse Specialist
New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS)

Suzi is a Registered Nurse working as part of a national Transfusion Nurse Specialist (TNS)/ Clinical Nurse Specialist team operating within eight New Zealand hospitals. Suzi joined NZBS in 2003 when they launched the TNS project. Her role rests at the clinical end of the NZBS “vein to vein” philosophy and focuses upon teaching (including under-graduate and post-graduate programmes), auditing (national and local), policy writing, haemovigilance, CQI, liaison and support. Suzi is based in the NZBS Blood Bank at Dunedin Hospital and covers the Otago and Southland region. Prior to joining NZBS Suzi spent 14 years working predominately within the fields of Oncology, Haematology and Palliative Care both in New Zealand and the UK, and District Nursing in Central London. She undertook post graduate studies in Cancer Care at the University of Manchester, while working at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London, during the 1990s. Suzi held office (president) in the Otago Cancer Nurses during the early 2000’s and was a member of the National Executive of NZNO Cancer Nurses in 2002. She is the New Zealand representative in the ANZSBT (Australia & New Zealand Society of Blood Transfusion) Education Sub-Committee. Currently she is completing the occasional Clinical Teaching paper via the University of Canterbury. Suzi has recently developed a passion for cycling, and her friends note she is an excellent dancer and committed consumer of fine wine.