Experience

Coffey

• Australia
• Civil Engineering
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Maternal, Newborn Health Advisor & Pillar Lead Covid19 Response Ministry of Health Fiji

  • Mar 2018 - Present

  • Lead for the Surveillance, Planning and Monitoring Pillar Covid19 Incident Management Team for the Ministry of Health Fiji.• Setting up of the surveillance system, GIS mapping for cases and suspected cases, initiation and development of daily situational reports from health facilities.• Provision of technical support to the Risk Communications and Operational Pillar for the Covid19 Response in Fiji.• Developed standard operating procedures for the setting up of fever clinics, self-isolation and many others currently underway.• Assesses the key issues in the delivery of maternal and newborn services across the continuum including discussion of entry points for the involvement and support of fathers, the broader community, and civil society organisations.• Implementation of the Confidential Enquiry of Maternal Deaths system for Fiji.• Implemented a plan to strengthen maternal and newborn care at selected facilities to improve access, patient safety, efficiency and quality care;• Assess the resources, governance and monitoring required to facilitate similar models for the safe and quality delivery of clinical services.• Support the Ministry of Health in Fiji in its response disease outbreaks including Meningococcal C (2018) and Measles (2019) that saw the largest ever mass immunization campaigns being delivered nationally.



Cardno International Development

• Australia
• International Trade and Development
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Mentor - Woman in Leadership Initiative (Volunteer)

  • Feb 2019 - Present

  • Provision of real-life leadership and coaching to 2 Pacific island students undertaking PhD studies in Perth.



Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)

• Australia
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Health Systems Specialist, ADB Grant for the Implementation for the introduction of 3 New Vaccines

  • Sep 2017 - Jun 2018

  • Assessing the national immunisation program in each country including policies, cold chain, screening programs, information systems, fiscal capacity of the health sector, regional and country specific technical requirements, operation and maintenance capacity and implementation constraints.• Identifying gaps with the broader immunization framework, policy, institutional arrangements, and human capacity.• Identifying project components and estimate cost.• Reviewing the technical, economic, and financial viability of the project and ascertain the rationale, scope, cost, schedule, implementation arrangements, risks, and mitigation measures from both the government and the societal perspectives.• Ensuring compliance with ADB’s safeguard policy statement and identify mitigation measures and institutional strengthening.



Telethon Kids Institute

• Australia
• Research Services
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Program Manager END RHD CRE

  • Mar 2017 - Mar 2018

  • Coordination and management of activities under the EDN RHD CRE• Plan and coordinate the administrative and financial activities, communication and stakeholder engagement.• Supervise the development of an END RHD Communication and Advocacy Strategy.



Abt Associates - Australia

• Australia
• International Trade and Development
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Short Term Advisor Technical Quality Assurance Transition Support Fiji Health Sector Support Program

  • Jan 2017 - Jun 2017

  - Ability to provide guidance to technical support staff and quality assurance to allocated outputs under Maternal Child Health to ensure deliverables meet technical benchmarks to time and budget.- Supports senior staff to monitor the Counselling review workplan to ensure deliverables meet technical benchmarks to time and budget and reports meet DFAT Progress reporting guidelines.- Ability to work collaboratively to ensure seamless transition of the new health program funded by DFAT. Ensuring technical activities are completed as planned with appropriate data collection and reporting including the provision of comprehensive technical handover to DFAT and new health program. - Ensures the technical risks and issues are identified and raised with appropriate colleagues with mitigation strategies to manage them effectively, with lessons learned documented and communicated with relevant program stakeholders. - Leads the coordination with FHSSP Management Team to support the seamless handover of technical activities to the new DFAT health program.

• Short Term Advisor for Maternal & Child Health, Disaster Response and Communicable Disease Control

  • Jan 2015 - Dec 2016

  - Provides guidance and expert opinion to the Fiji Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Services to successfully contract a supplier for the provision of vaccines for pneumococcal, rotavirus and human papillomavirus by reviewing request for tender documentation, evaluating tender submissions (ensuring compliance with required specifications, packaging and quality assurance) and contract negotiations.- Ability to review the technical content of existing EPI Facilitator and Learners guides.- Provision of technical reviews and content to the development of neonatal intensive care clinical practice guidelines to the publication stage.- Provision of technical advice on the specifications of biomedical equipment and consumables for the maternal and child health programs. Including assessing supplier quotations ensuring the Program supports the procurement of equipment that can be supported.- Provision of technical review of contract deliverables (such as work plans and reports) for the New Vaccine Evaluation Project (NVEP) and other relevant sub-contracted activities.- Provision of technical advice to FHSSP management team on any disasters or emerging health issues within Fiji to support an appropriate response of support to Ministry of Health and Medical Services.- Spearheaded the review and update the EPI Policy 2017- 2020 and the Cold Chain Guidelines 2017 – 2020 in consultation with relevant stakeholders, ensuring they’re ready for endorsement by the Paediatric Clinical Services Network and National Health Executive Committee.

• Long Term Advisor for Maternal, Child Health, Communicable Diseases and Disaster Response

  • Jul 2011 - Jan 2015

  • Leads a team of ten staff members, manages an AUD 3 million budget, and serves in an advisory capacity to personnel from all levels of the health sector.• Provides guidance and expert opinion to the Clinical Service Networks (particularly obstetrics and paediatrics) to ensure that activities are in-line with the Clinical Service Plans and that appropriate clinical advice is being used to inform decision-making.• Ensures that the Fijian Ministry of Health (MoH) is ready for national emergencies and is equipped with disaster-response plans. • Collaborates with Fiji’s MoH by involving the private sector thru a public private partnership (PPP) and led the negotiations to introduce the pneumococcal, rotavirus, and human papillomavirus vaccines which allowed Fiji to introduce three new and underutilised vaccines. • Successfully implemented three vaccines which achieved very high coverage. The pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines are estimated to have reached 98% of infants at 14 weeks. • Sustained technical support to the immunisation program; has seen the MR1 vaccine encounter at 12 months reach over 95% of infants in 2013 (versus 79% in 2005) in Fiji.• Spearheaded the redesign of the Fijian Child Health Record and conducted capacity building activities. The project was selected as a semi-finalist for the Gates Foundation Records for Life competition in 2013. • Conducted knowledge management activities and provided background to policy documents for the various government ministries to aid in the making of informed decisions and choosing priorities for its core programs. . • Developed an equipment procurement plan ensuring that it is in line with the existing Ministry of Health Biomedical Department procurement plan. • Supported the development of annual work plans which tracked all achievements against a monitoring and evaluation framework. Provides mentorship to junior-level staff.

• Advisor to the Expanded Program on Immunisation

  • Jan 2006 - Jun 2011

  • Developed and managed the implementation of the EPI training package, a train the trainers model, and ensuring that it reached over 700 nurses from 2007 to 2011 as part of the an Australian Aid-funded AUD37 million 7 year project.• Spearheaded the annual National EPI week from 2007 to 2011, a week-long celebration attended by over 150 participants, which promoted the importance and value of immunisation, encouraging parents to immunise their children. Managed the whole process from preparation, logistics, communication strategy, and agenda development, to implementation.• Designed multiple TV and radio communication strategies that encouraged community mobilisation to promote important health priorities.• Four years’ worth of a track record of success serving in an advisory capacity to the MoH, leading a team of three to seven members, and managing health programs. • Focused on enriching the capacity of locals thru several training programs.• Handled several successful sub-projects.• Handled knowledge management activities such as the review and finalisation of the Fiji National Immunisation Policy of 2009-2012. The revised policy was endorsed by the National Health Executive Committee in early 2010 and was successfully implemented nationally.



UNICEF

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant to the Expanded Program on Immunisation

  • Feb 2005 - Mar 2005

  Engaged in a one-month consultancy and successfully delivered the following: • Technical advice to Pacific Island Countries after identifying gaps in their processes; proposed the need for cold chain monitors to accompany all vaccines sent from various locations to ensure vaccine viability. Developed an information package with instructions on how to complete a vaccine arrival report and read cold chain monitors;• Implemented changes on the nursing curriculum of Fiji and Vanuatu;• Re-drafted the 2004 Immunisation Coverage Survey Solomon Islands Report;• Assisted in the preparation of the joint UNICEF/WHO Regional Pacific Immunisation program Strengthening (PIPS) Meeting in Noumea;• Coordinated the implementation of the Vaccine Independence Initiative, including the timely distribution of vaccines to 22 Pacific Island Countries;• Coordinated with various stakeholders including ministries, donors, and partners to ensure tasks completion.



World Health Organization

• Switzerland
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant, reviewing Acute Fever and Rash Surveillance System, for Pacific Island Nations.

  • Aug 2004 - Oct 2004

  • Based from the review of the Acute Fever and Rash (AFR) Surveillance System and the Hospital Based Active Surveillance (HBAS) system for Pacific Island Nations, revised the surveillance mechanisms to make it more effective in detecting and reporting measles, mumps, and rubella cases. • Conducted knowledge management activities, identified commonalities, and documented lessons learned for future surveillance system improvement.• Developed an email-based pilot project which improved Hospital Based Active Surveillance (HBAS) reporting timeliness, sensitivity, and accuracy while integrating the country health information systems.• Handled database management and updated the list of National, Hospital, and EPI Coordinators for the HBAS including best means of communication, and requested and recorded all missing Monthly Active Surveillance report from established reporting sites for 2003 and 2004. • Drafted and submitted a progress report to the Sub-Regional Committee for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Pacific for its meeting on 20-21 October 2004.



UNICEF

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant to the Expanded Program on Immunisation

  • Jan 2003 - Dec 2003

  • Served as the project manager for the ‘Strengthening the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Pacific Island Countries’ project and handled the end-to-end process from writing terms of reference for consultants, coordination of regular project meetings, provision of technical assistance, to preparation of donor reports. • In collaboration with project partners, developed the agenda for the annual ‘WHO/UNICEF Workshop on the Expanded Programme on Immunisation and Control of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in Pacific Island Countries and Areas’. • Initiated the Pacific Immunisation Program Strengthening (PIPS) committee that lead to a coordinated approach to donor and technical support for immunisation programs in the Pacific. • Oversaw the management of the Vaccine Independence Initiative, a regional vaccine procurement mechanism which coordinated vaccine orders for 21 Island Pacific countries; revised and submitted regional vaccine orders for 2003 and 2004. • Completed a five-year vaccine forecast for all Pacific Island Countries.



UNICEF

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 700 & Above Employee

• Health Education Specialist for the Expanded Program on Immunisation

  • Sep 2002 - Nov 2002

  • Reviewed and revised the EPI curriculum for Fiji School of Nursing after careful consultation with the school principal, tutors, students, etc. Supplied plans of action with corresponding timeline of activities and strategies for implementing the revised curriculum. • Developed a training manual on the EPI for students and a facilitator’s teaching/training guide on managing vaccine programs at vaccine provider level. • Conducted capacity building activities including a pre-service training workshop which also served as a test run for the training manuals.



World Health Organization

• Switzerland
• International Affairs
• 700 & Above Employee

• Consultant to Sub-regional Committee for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication

  • Aug 2002 - Sep 2002

  • Handled coordination with National and Hospital Coordinators (of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI)/Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance activities) for all 22 Pacific Island Countries participating in the EPI surveillance network.• Ensured that all records are complete by requesting all missing information on previously-reported AFP cases from 1999-2002 as well as all missing Monthly Active Surveillance reports from established hospital reporting sites in 14 countries. • Conducted database management activities and updated the list of hospital coordinators and key clinicians.• Wrote reports and prepared documents for key high-level meetings.



Various hospitals and health units

• From 1991-2002: Various roles as a registered nurse for various hospitals and health units

  • 1991 - 2002

  • Australian Capital Territory Department of Health and Community Care February 2000 – July 2001, Communicable Disease Control Unit, Registered Nurse, level 2, Public Health Nurse• The Canberra Hospital Paediatric Department, Australian Capital Territory June 1999 - February 2000 Registered Nurse level 1 – casual on call• Joondalup Health Campus Special Care Nursery, Western Australia February 1998 - May 1999, Senior Registered Nurse - level 1 • Port Moresby General Hospital Operation Open Heart, Papua New Guinea May 1998, Registered Nurse• Sydney Children’s Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, New South Wales August 1996 – January 1998, Senior Registered Nurse - Level 1• Port Moresby General Hospital Operation Open Heart, Papua New Guinea July 1996, Registered Nurse• Princess Margaret Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Western Australia March 1995 – July 1996 Registered Nurse – level 1• King Edward Memorial Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Western Australia October 1994 – March 1995 Registered Nurse - level 1• St Mary’s Hospital Winincott Baby Unit, United Kingdom October 1992 – March 1994, Staff Nurse – E grade• St Mary’s Hospital Paddington Green Children’s Ward, United Kingdom April 1992 – October 1992 Staff Nurse - E grade• Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Intern Program, Western Australia February 1991 – February 1992 Registered Nurse - level 1