Our Team

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Our Team

Linda Cutler – Executive Director

The NSW Director General of Health Robyn Kruk announced the appointment of Linda Cutler as the Executive Director for the Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching in early January, 2006. Ms Cutler was the Director of Clinical Operations for Greater Western Area Health Service at that time and commenced her new role in March 2006.

"Linda will provide excellent leadership to the Institute as she has extensive clinical and health management experience over 25 years. Linda has worked in a variety of roles in the health sector, having started her career as a nurse in Canada," Ms Kruk said at the time of Linda’s appointment.

Ms Cutler holds degrees in nursing and nursing administration. Linda has first hand knowledge and experience of the particular challenges of working in health services across rural and remote NSW. She will bring a depth of understanding of health service delivery that will promote effective strategy development by the Institute.

Linda's previous senior roles in Area Health Service management will also ensure that partnerships with clinicians and Area Health Services maximise the potential of the Institute.

Well known as a rural advocate, and having spent her entire life in a rural environment, Linda is finding the role of Executive Director both a stimulating and challenging one, utilising all of her knowledge of the rural and remote healthcare sector to progress the aims of the IRCST, and offering new and exciting programs to our rural and remote workforce.

CAREER HISTORY

Jan 2005-Feb 2006 Director of Clinical Operations, Greater Western Area Health Service
July 2004 – Dec.2006 Deputy Administrator, Greater Western, Far West Division
March 2004 – July 2004 Chief Executive Officer, Far West Area Health Service
Nov. 2001 – March 2004 General Manager, Lower Hunter Sector, Hunter Area Health Service
March 1998 – Nov. 2001 General Manager, Upper Hunter Sector, Hunter Area Health Service
March 1997 – March 1998> Executive Officer/Director of Nursing Scott Memorial Hospital, Scone, Hunter Area Health Service
Sept 1978 – March 1997 Various nursing positions in Tasmania, Queensland and rural and remote Areas of NSW

 

Melissa Gill – Stroke Project Officer

(currently on Maternity Leave)

 

Melissa has been a senior speech pathologist for ten years, working in rural NSW for the past seven years. She has worked in Bathurst, Dubbo and more recently in Tamworth and Armidale. Melissa has a preference for adult Speech Pathology, however also has experience working with peadiatrics. Through her work with adult Speech Pathology she developed a keen interest in working with stroke survivors. Melissa is committed to all stages of stroke recovery as well as health care services in rural areas. Melissa was appointed as the NSW Rural Stroke Project Officer in March 2006 and is based with Hunter New England Area Health Service in Armidale. Her experience with both stroke care and rural healthcare allows her to appreciate the challenges rural health professionals face and the unique and specific issues that occur in rural communities with regards to providing effective services.

The Rural Stroke Project, in partnership with the Australasian Stroke Unit Network (ASUN), commenced in March 2006. The project aims to review, develop, pilot and evaluate models of coordinated, organised stroke services across rural NSW. In addition, the rural stroke project officer aims to empower rural stroke clinicians through access to local education forums, establishment of networks, facilitation of information and promotion of stroke research and evidence. Strong partnerships have been developed with the NSW Stroke Services Network through Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce (GMCT), the National Stroke Research Institute (NSRI), the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC), NSW Stroke Recovery Association, National Stroke Foundation (NSF), NSW Ambulance Service and Rural Area Health Services. The rural stroke project officer acts as an advisor to these key stakeholders regarding rural issues and stroke services and represents rural stroke on a number of committees including the annual nursing and allied health stroke conference – ‘Smart Strokes’ held in Sydney.

 

 

Di Marsden – Stroke Project Officer

 Di has taken over the role of Rural Stroke Project Officer from Melissa Gill.

 

Di Marsden is a physiotherapist who has worked in the public health system in the Rural Hunter region for the majority of her career. For the past 5 years Di was worked as the physiotherapist with the Rural Stroke Team. Key projects of the team have been implementing stroke protocols into rural hunter hospitals and supporting stroke best practice at these sites through education, provision of resources and consultation. The team has just completed a research project addressing chronic stroke survivors and their carers living in the community. Di has recently worked as a project officer on a research project addressing continence promotion after stroke in rehabilitation units. She has recently completed her Masters of Applied Management in Health Promotion.

 

Through her role as senior physiotherapist in a small district hospital Di is aware of the challenges facing generalist clinicians in rural settings. She has a strong commitment to improving stroke services in rural communities.

 

Jenny Preece – Rehabilitation Rural Clinician Network Support Project Officer

 

Jenny Graduated as a Registered Nurse from Royal North Shore Hospital in 1975 and worked in the rural areas of Kempsey and Tamworth, NSW. 

For the last 20 years Jenny has been a generalist community clinical nurse specialist based at Dorrigo Multi Purpose Service and has completed post graduate certification in Rural and Remote Nursing, Generalist Nursing Advanced, Adolescent Health, Community Health, Palliative Care and Health Promotion.

Jenny’s work as a generalist community nurse has enabled her to specialise in health promotion utilising a community capacity building approach to build proactive preventative health measures. The significant health outcomes facilitated by Farm Safety and Physical Activity programs has brought Jenny to the NSW Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching.

The Rehabilitation Rural Clinician Network Support Project aims to establish a structured framework for a rural clinician network for rehabilitation clinicians across rural NSW.

Rehabilitation is an area which has been identified as a service which would benefit from a more structured clinician network, given the multidisciplinary nature of the specialty; the diverse and complex case mix; and the broad professional core competencies required. Many rural clinicians are professionally isolated due to lack of networks for education and training, peer support and mentoring / supervision.

Jenny’s role involves engaging rural clinicians (medical, nursing and allied health) and to develop sustainable recommendations for trial and implementation.

 

 

Scott Wagner - Rural Allied Health Project Officer

 

Scott commenced with IRCST in January 2007 after a 20 years career as a dietitian. His work has spanned over a decade in private practice in regional Queensland and since 2000 as a specialist Paediatric Dietitian and Clinical Senior in the North Coast Area Health Service based in Lismore. He has had an active role in Allied Health politics in NSW as Chair of Allied Health in the former NRAHS, as part of the NSW Allied Health Directors/Advisors group, and has acted as Chief Allied Health Officer NSW. Scott is a member of the NCAHS Advisory Council. Scott brings with him strong established strategic relationships and understanding of the issues facing Rural Allied Health.

The Rural Allied Health Project Officer is the senior clinical advisor for the Institute on rural allied health issues. In this capacity they will advise the Institute on issues facing rural allied health professionals. In partnership with NSW Department of Health, Area Health services and other agencies such as University departments of Rural Health advise on strategies to support allied health practitioners across all stages of their careers. The role will also work with leading State and National Rural and Allied Health organisations to identify and promote good practice models of allied health practice including services delivery, recruitment and retention, and training and education, and to influence the adoption and implementation of programs which can promote excellence and innovation in these areas.

 

Emma Webster - Rural Research & Executive Support Officer (Part-time)

 

Initially trained as an Exercise Physiologist, Emma Webster comes to the NSW Institute of Rural Clinical Services and Teaching with a twelve-year history in public health (health promotion). She brings a sound and varied research background in both social and empirical research techniques that she has applied to the areas of physical activity and the environment, tobacco control and fall injury prevention.

Emma has always worked in a rural area and understands the opportunities and constraints this context can offer. Her particular passion is developing the professional skills of local people to enhance their ability to contribute to solutions in their own communities.

Currently studying a Doctorate in Public Health at Flinders University, Emma plans to complete this in the next two years. Emma is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Rural Health (The University of Sydney, Faculty of Medicine).

 

Anne Field - Rural Research & Executive Support Officer (Part-time)

 

Anne has over 20 years experience in the health industry; all in rural NSW, and predominantly in Dubbo. After several years as Accountant, then Business Manager at Dubbo Base Hospital, Anne moved into Area roles: firstly as Health Improvement Manager, then Health Service Development Manager for the former Macquarie Area Health Service.

Anne acknowledges the difficulties of working in rural and remote settings, but recognises the many innovations that have come out of this environment.

Having completed a Master of Health Services Management, Anne has experienced the challenges of balancing study with a career and a young family.

This position coordinates the Building Rural Research Capacity Project, as well as providing management support for the Executive Director of the Institute.

The Building Rural Research Capacity Project aims to increase the number and range of people with knowledge and skills in rural health care evaluation and research. The objectives are:

• To develop rural based researchers:
  • with knowledge, skills and abilities in applied research and evaluation;
  • with the ability to address health care issues in policy and practice; and
  • who can work collaboratively with practitioners, consumers and researchers from other disciplines.
• To increase the number of health care workers, who can apply research knowledge and skills to everyday practice.
• To contribute rigorous research on contemporary rural issues to the evidence base.

This program has been developed for health professionals wanting to learn more about research and follow up with a research project which may take up to two years.

There are currently 25 participants in the project from across rural NSW.