Palliative Care NSW
Suite 706, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
General enquiries: +61 2 8076 5600 or email ea@palliativecarensw.org.au
Suite 706, 50 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
General enquiries: +61 2 8076 5600 or email ea@palliativecarensw.org.au
Allison McLaughlin’s journey in healthcare began in the small regional hospital of Maclean on the NSW North Coast, where she worked as a kitchen assistant. It was there that a ward nurse recognised her interest in nursing and encouraged her to consider a career in the profession. That single conversation became the beginning of an extraordinary health and palliative care journey.
Allison has been a Registered Nurse since 2002. Having grown up on the Northern Rivers, she completed her nursing education at the then-new Coffs Harbour Health Campus before beginning her career in community nursing across Dorrigo, Bellingen and Macksville following the birth of her first child.
She subsequently spent ten years on the NSW South Coast, where palliative care was an integral part of generalist community nursing. It was during this time that Allison discovered her passion for palliative care and the privilege of supporting people and their families through one of the most significant stages of life.
Returning to the Mid North Coast in 2017, Allison commenced working in Macksville and moved into specialist palliative care. Her growing commitment to the field led her to undertake a Master’s in Palliative Care. Following this, Allison successfully secured a Transitional Nurse Practitioner position with the Macksville and Kempsey Specialist Palliative Care and End of Life Service. Allison successfully completed her Master’s in Nurse Practitioner and is now an endorsed Nurse Practitioner specialising in palliative care, bringing together her extensive nursing experience, advanced clinical practice and passion for supporting patients and their families through end-of-life care.
Today, Allison brings together more than two decades of nursing experience, specialist palliative care knowledge and the perspective of a regional clinician who has worked across hospital, community and specialist services. Her career has been shaped by curiosity, lifelong learning, strong relationships with colleagues and, most importantly, a deep respect for the people and families she has the privilege of caring for.
For Allison, palliative care remains both a professional passion and a privilege, being alongside people during one of life’s most significant moments, much as we are at its beginning.
Cynthia O’Brien-Younie is a proud Dunghutti woman from Kempsey on the Mid North Coast of NSW, a mother of three and grandmother of three.
Cynthia is a qualified Aboriginal Health Worker with a Diploma in Community Services. She brings extensive experience in Aboriginal health, including six years as a Senior Aboriginal Health Worker in Specialist Community Palliative Care with Mid North Coast Local Health District, followed by 13 months as an Aboriginal Cancer Care Coordinator with the Mid North Coast Cancer Institute.
Cynthia is deeply passionate about supporting Aboriginal people, families and communities through some of the most significant and challenging stages of their healthcare journey. Her work is grounded in culturally safe, compassionate and person-centred care, with a particular focus on supporting Aboriginal patients and families to navigate palliative and cancer care.
She is passionate about sharing Aboriginal culture and history with health professionals and strengthening understanding of culturally safe palliative and end-of-life care. Cynthia believes that culture, family, community and Country should remain central to the care of Aboriginal people and their families.
Beyond her professional work, Cynthia is a proud Aboriginal artist who uses art as a powerful way to express culture, identity and storytelling. She is particularly proud to have been commissioned by Disney Australia to create a painting, providing an opportunity to share her culture and storytelling through her art.
Cynthia is also an Advanced Firefighter and volunteer with the Willawarrin Rural Fire Brigade, joining the brigade following the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019–2020, when her community tragically lost a community member.
Through her professional practice, cultural knowledge, art and community involvement, Cynthia is committed to sharing knowledge, supporting others and making a positive difference for Aboriginal people, their families and communities.
A/Prof Chris Schilling is an applied health economist and inaugural Head of the Palliative Care Economics (PaCE) Unit at the University of Melbourne. His research focuses on understanding the need for, access to and impact of palliative care, using linked data, economic evaluation and simulation modelling. Chris works closely with patients, clinicians, health services and policymakers to translate data and analytics into evidence to help shape the future of palliative care.
Dr Kate Kennett is a public health professional with extensive experience across clinical practice, program management, international health, and health policy. She has worked as an allied health professional in rural and remote communities across Australia, coordinated regional and statewide chronic condition management programs, and contributed to health initiatives in the Pacific and Africa. Her work is focused on developing and implementing localised, evidence-based interventions to improve health outcomes.
Dr Mackey is Senior Lecturer (Social Work), Faculty Member (Rural Health Research Institute) and co-leads the Social Work/Social Development Research Alliance and the Aging, Care, Health, and Wellbeing Research Stream at Charles Sturt. Also, an occupational therapist, she is a member of the NSW State Advisory Council and two National Reference Committees (mental health/aged care) with OT Australia. Her research resulted in the STARR model for Attuned Trauma-Safe Research participation. Dr Mackey is leading important research, commissioned by Palliative Care NSW, on the impact of palliative care volunteers.
Dr Kerrie Noonan is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and educator with 30 years’ experience in palliative care, bereavement, and community development. In 2020, she founded the Death Literacy Institute, which supports the development of death literacy globally. Her research spans public health approaches to palliative care, compassionate communities, bereavement and innovative models of practice that bridge health services and community. She is the Vice President of Public Health International and the Australian Home Funeral Alliance.
Dr Lukas Hofstaetter is the Manager Research and Development at Carers NSW, the peak body representing family and friend carers in New South Wales. In this capacity he manages Carers NSW research and evaluation projects and collaborations and leads the National Carer Survey. He holds a PhD in Sociology from Goethe-University Frankfurt and Macquarie University Sydney (cotutelle),and is an Honorary Industry/Professional Fellow at the IMPACCT Research Centre at the University of Technology Sydney.
Kelly’s commitment to patient and carer education is shaped by her own experience as a young carer, a story she will be sharing on behalf of her and her sister, Karina. This experience has fuelled a desire to ensure every individual has the information and support they need to feel empowered in their healthcare journey.
On a professional level, Kelly is Chief Operating Officer of the Liver Foundation. She has more than 15 years’ experience across the charities and associations sector, specialising in patient education and advocacy. As part of the Liver Foundation’s executive team, Kelly oversaw the project management of Australia’s first national support line for people with primary liver cancer, from development through to launch.