Deputy Director-General
Dr Helen Brown
Dr Helen Brown is the Deputy Director-General of Clinical Excellence Queensland.
She graduated in medicine from the National University of Ireland, Galway and moved to Queensland in 2001. She completed her neurology fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists and was awarded a Master of Philosophy from Griffith University in 2011.
Dr Brown has extensive clinical and leadership experience with over 20 years of experience working in hospitals across Queensland Health. Her roles have included Director of Neurology and Stroke at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and Clinical Director of the Neurosciences Division at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. She has been in her current role since 2022.
Helen is passionate about ongoing education. She was the Queensland Chair for the Australian and New Zealand Association for Neurologists (ANZAN) Education and Training Committee from 2014 to 2022 and is a senior lecturer with the University of Queensland. Her area of sub-specialty clinical and research expertise is stroke, and she is a former co-chair of the Queensland Stroke Clinical Network within Clinical Excellence Queensland.
Chief Medical Officer
Associate Professor Catherine McDougall
Dr Catherine McDougall is the Chief Medical Officer for Queensland Health.
She trained and worked as a physiotherapist, before completing her medical degree at the University of Queensland in 2006. Catherine completed specialist surgical training, receiving a fellowship in orthopaedic surgery with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). She went on to complete post-fellowship specialisation in lower limb arthroplasty surgery.
Dr McDougall has been a clinical leader in orthopaedics and surgery since 2014. She has held roles at Prince Charles Hospital and Metro North Hospital and Health Service, including as Clinical Director of Surgery at the Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS).
Catherine is passionate about public health, quality improvement and health equity. She has a post-graduate certificate in safety, quality, informatics and leadership from Harvard University and a Masters’ of Public Health majoring in health strategy and policy. She is an associate professor at the University of Queensland Medical School and a reservist in the Australian Defence Force and Air Force. She previously held roles as co-chair of the Australia and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) and Assistant Deputy Clinical Director of the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR).
Chief Allied Health Officer
Liza-Jane McBride
Liza-Jane McBride is Queensland’s Chief Allied Health Officer.
She is an experienced physiotherapist with over 30 years of practice experience in the public and private sectors in Queensland and overseas. She has a strong track record in delivering strategic policy results at a state and national level, including leading many complex service and workforce reform projects.
Liza-Jane has postgraduate qualifications in health management and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology. Her past publications and current research collaborations include a range of allied health workforce, education, and service redesign projects. She is also the current deputy chair of the National Allied Health Chief Officers and Advisors Committee.
Learn more about the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer.
Chief Dental Officer
Dr Ben Stute
Dr Ben Stute is Queensland’s Chief Dental Officer.
He graduated in dentistry from the University of Queensland in 1999 and has more than 25 years of clinical and leadership experience in both the private and public sector.
Ben is using his passion and postgraduate training in public health policy and dentistry to make oral health services better for all Queenslanders.
Chief Nurse Officer
Adjunct Professor Shelley Nowlan
Shelley Nowlan is Queensland’s Chief Nurse Officer.
With over 38 years of healthcare experience, including 24 years in executive leadership, Shelley has worked in metropolitan, regional, and rural areas working in 8 of our 16 Hospital and Health Services.
Shelley holds Adjunct Professor positions with the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Queensland, the School of Nursing at Queensland University of Technology, the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Southern Queensland, the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, and the James Cook University Central Queensland Centre for Rural and Remote Health.
Shelley’s efforts have strengthened the profession of nursing and healthcare systems at national and international levels. She has helped the profession of nursing adopt better practices and improve care processes.
Chief Midwife Officer
Liz Wilkes
Liz Wilkes is Queensland’s Chief Midwife Officer.
She has 30 years of experience as a midwifery professional, spanning the public and private sector. Most recently she has worked in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services in establishing Birthing on Country models.
Liz is an Adjunct Professor with the University of Queensland and Charles Darwin University and an Adjunct Research Fellow with Griffith University. She assisted in the development of the Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum at Griffith.
Liz is passionate about working with people across the health system to find innovative ways to improve access to birthing services, especially in regional, rural, and remote areas.
Executive Director, Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch
Dr John Reilly
Prior to being the Executive Director, Dr John Reilly was Queensland’s Chief Psychiatrist.
He's been a general adult psychiatrist since 1992, working in many clinical roles in Victoria and Queensland. He was previously Medical Director of the Mental Health Service Group (MHSG) at Townsville Hospital, where from 2012, his clinical work was primarily addiction and forensic.
John is currently chair of the RANZCP Faculty of Addiction Psychiatry Committee.
Learn more about Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Branch.
Executive Director, Patient Safety and Quality
Kirstine Sketcher-Baker
Kirstine Sketcher-Baker is Queensland Health’s Executive Director of Patient Safety and Quality. In this role she works predominately with health care executive, clinicians, consumers and other key stakeholders to minimise patient harm, reduce unwarranted variation in health care and achieve high-quality patient-centred care.
Kirstine has a statistical background with a longstanding interest in patient safety and quality of care in hospitals. She has extensive experience in Australia and overseas introducing tools and systems to monitor and improve patient care.
Executive Director, Healthcare Improvement Unit
Michael Zanco
Michael Zanco is Executive Director of the Healthcare Improvement Unit at Queensland Health. He works with health services, clinical networks and other leaders to make healthcare better and easier for people to use.
Throughout his career he’s worked closely with clinicians, executives and policymakers to improve care for patients. With a background in public hospital administration and corporate policy and investment, he focuses on making healthcare fair, high quality, and available to everyone.
Executive Director, Office of Rural and Remote Health
Elisha McGuiness
Elisha McGuiness has lived in north Queensland for the past 15 years and enjoys the challenges and diversity of working in rural and remote healthcare.
Elisha has led significant statewide health priorities, as well as person-centred care for rural, remote and First Nations communities. She's passionate about working with people across Queensland to improve service delivery to regional, rural and remote areas and achieve health equity.
Learn more about the Office of Rural and Remote Health.