Don't panic it's a disaster!

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Don’t Panic It’s a Disaster!
The global incidence of disease outbreaks, natural disasters and manmade disasters has increased over recent years and health emergencies resulting from these incidents require a coordinated and planned response.

Darwin is home to the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) which is the Australian Government’s health emergency response capability providing health emergency preparedness, planning, education and training and response through the deployment of the Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT). The NCCTRC provides clinical and academic leadership in health emergency disciplines such as trauma, communicable diseases outbreaks and critical care.

It builds capacity and capability through strategic partnerships in the Indo Pacific region and prepares Australian clinicians for deployment and local emergencies, through its unique education and training programs. In addition to ensuring Australia has the best readily deployable medical workforce, the NCCTRC also maintains a fully equipped, rapidly deployable field hospital. In this talk, Professor Dianne Stephens OAM will explore the history of the NCCTRC, the role of the NCCTRC in health emergency response, and share some pictures and stories from the field.

Professor Dianne Stephens
Professor Dianne Stephens OAM graduated MBBS in 1988 and holds Fellowship in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Health Service Management. Dianne was the first ICU Specialist in the Northern Territory and inaugural Director of Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and developed the RDH ICU into a nationally respected tertiary level ICU. She established the first organ donation agency in the NT in 2001 and led this program until 2015. Pursuing a passion for new knowledge and exploring evidence-based medicine, Dianne developed and led the RDH ICU research program, was an Executive member of the ANZICS Clinical Trials Group for more than 15 years and contributed to research governance and development of collaborative ICU research in our region. As Director of ICU at RDH for 19 years, Professor Stephens provided leadership in clinical governance and quality committees across the hospital system with the aim of driving translation of evidence into practice to improve NT health outcomes.

Her research interests include sepsis, melioidosis, critical illness, renal disease, Indigenous critical illness outcomes and end-of-life communication and disaster medicine. In 2017 she moved into the role of Medical Director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) and led the organisation to ACHS accreditation and an ACHS global innovation award. Professor Stephens leads the academic and research partnerships portfolio for the NCCTRC including the development of postgraduate courses in aeromedical retrieval and health emergency preparedness and response at Charles Darwin University, translating evidence into academic programs to better equip our health graduates for leadership in challenging settings. In January 2022, Professor Stephens commenced in the role of Foundation Dean of the CDU Menzies School of Medicine.

Event details
Tuesday 10 May
Building Red 7 - Mal Nairn Auditorium
Casuarina campus.

RSVP or call 8946 6554.