Clinical Senate Executive Committee

Dan is the Chair of the Clinical Senate, Duty Operations Manager at WA Country Health Service (WACHS), National Board Member of the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (Ahpra), and Officer in Charge of Physiotherapy for the Royal Australian Air Force. He is a Fellow and Certified Health Executive of the Australasian College of Health Service Management (ACHSM) and holds a Bachelor of Physiotherapy as well as a Graduate Diploma in Health Services Management. Dan is passionate about rural and remote health and the health workforce.

Dan has previously held a broad range of positions, including Non-Executive Director of ACHSM, the National Rural Health Alliance, Future Health Leaders, and Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health. He has also served as the Chair of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) National Rural Group, Vice President of the APA WA Branch, and Co-Chair of Future Health Leaders. Within WACHS, he has held several leadership roles such as Physiotherapy Professional Lead, Senior Physiotherapist, Operations Manager, Director Population Health, Regional Emergency Disaster Coordinator, and Allied Health Manager, to name a few.

Alison is the Deputy Chair and immediate past Chair of the Clinical Senate, as well as Medical Co-Director of the Medical Division at Royal Perth Bentley Group, Director of Clinical Services at Kalamunda Hospital, Consultant in Palliative Medicine at St John of God Murdoch Hospital, Clinical Lead (Palliative Care) of the Department of Health’s End-of-Life Care Program, Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Notre Dame, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at Curtin University.

Alison is a dual specialist in Palliative Medicine and Medical Administration. She was a Consultant in Palliative Medicine and Medical Director for a Hospice and Palliative Care service in Lancashire, UK, before coming to Western Australia in 2014 to take up the post of Director of Hospice and Palliative Care Services at St John of God Murdoch Hospital.

Alison's increasing interest in medical administration led her to complete Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators training while working as Director of Medical Services at Murdoch. She has subsequently held executive roles in the WA health system, at Armadale Kalamunda Group and Royal Perth Bentley Group.

Alison has held a number of clinical, educational, and administrative positions in Western Australia, which have helped her to build networks across public, private, community, aged care, WACHS, and education sectors. She continues to work clinically alongside her administrative roles and has a passion for work that combines both. She believes strongly in collaborative approaches to safety and quality improvement and strategic management and that collaboration is key to the success of the Clinical Senate.

Karina is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management and Certified Health Executive.

Karina commenced her career in health by attending the Western Australian School of Nursing (WASON). She later continued nursing studies at Edith Cowan University, ultimately majoring in Human Relationships and Research Methodology.

Karina’s health administration career commenced as a project officer for the National Demonstration Hospital Program – Phase 3 projects. This positive introduction to project management and reform activities led to an ongoing interest in the role of agencies as advocates for clinical engagement and service development. Karina's current role within the Clinical Excellence Division of the Department of Health continues to focus on work aligned with these passions.

Karina has predominantly nursed within metropolitan, critical care, and perioperative tertiary teaching hospital environments. She has also worked within various state and private organisations throughout the mid-west, south-west, and outer metro regions of Western Australia.

Outside of work, Karina provides mentoring services to various health-based organisations, provides advisory services to the Curtin University School of Population Health’s Course Advisory Board, serves as a Clinical Senate member, and holds a membership with the Australian College of Nursing.

Clare is the Executive Director at Health Consumers’ Council WA, the state’s peak body for consumer, carer and lived experience advocacy and engagement in the health system. Health Consumers’ Council WA advocates at both an individual and systemic level for people’s rights in health and also has a program of engagement activities that support health services, policy makers, and community members to work together to improve health outcomes and experiences.

Clare has worked in a range of leadership roles in the health and social care sector in the UK and Australia, including in the Health Networks and Safety and Quality teams at the Department of Health, and as Operations Manager at the WA Primary Health Alliance (which runs WA’s three Primary Health Networks).

Outside of work, Clare chairs the national Weight Issues Network, a consumer-led advocacy group for people impacted by weight issues, is an Advisor to the national Obesity Collective, chairs the Curtin University Medical Advisory Board, and is a member of the Advisory Board for the Australian Centre for Value-Based Healthcare.

Damien is a general practitioner (GP) and the practice co-principal at Meekatharra GP Clinic. As a specialist GP, he has attained fellowship with both Australian GP colleges and has a deep interest in rural medicine, including emergency and inpatient care. His areas of expertise span chronic disease, palliative care, aged care, occupational medicine and skin/skin cancer.

Damien is passionate about improving healthcare access and outcomes for Aboriginal communities in WA, and actively works to enhance the care and wellbeing of all Western Australians. He is involved with a variety of organisations, including the WACHS Emergency Telehealth Service (serving Meekatharra and Northam) and St John of God Murdoch Hospital’s Emergency Department as a Visiting Medical Officer.

Beyond his clinical roles, Damien is the Deputy Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners WA and contributes his expertise as a member of the WA Primary Health Alliance Board.

Thomas is an Emergency Physician at St John of God Murdoch Hospital and the WA Virtual Emergency Department (WAVED). He completed his medical degree in India and emergency medicine training in the United Kingdom. He holds Fellowships of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, UK.

Thomas has worked for twelve years as an Emergency Medicine Specialist in busy regional hospitals in New Zealand, holding various portfolios that include governance, teaching, and research roles. He has also worked for the Medical Council of New Zealand in their professional conduct committee.

Thomas is passionate about democratizing healthcare. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Massey University in New Zealand.

Matthew Schmidt is a Senior Clinical Pharmacist (General Medicine) and Medication Safety Pharmacist at Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (SCGOPHCG). He has over a decade of experience across senior clinical, managerial and governance roles, and is recognised as a Consultant Pharmacist (Generalist & Medicines Management).

Matthew chairs the SCGOPHCG Medication Safety Committee and works with clinical teams to improve prescribing, strengthen governance and support evidence-based practice. His work includes leading WA’s first bacteriophage governance and therapy policy, simplifying audit processes and improving medication guidelines.

He is a member of the WA Medication Evaluation Panel (WAMEP) and the Council of Australian Therapeutic Advisory Groups (CATAG), contributing to state and national medicines governance.

Matthew is particularly interested in systems thinking and is looking forward to supporting the Clinical Senate’s work across the WA health system.