Board of directors

CICP-A FACIPC

Assoc. Prof. Stéphane Bouchoucha is an Associate Professor and Associate Head of School (International) in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Deakin University. He is also a researcher based in Deakin’s Institute for Health Transformation.

With over 20 years’ experience as a registered nurse and an academic, Stéphane has worked in a variety of clinical (critical care, infection prevention, and leadership and management) and community settings. Stéphane’s involvement in infection prevention and control dates from the late 1990s when he was a volunteer with AIDES (the main French NGO dedicated to HIV) before being employed there in the access to care department, advocating for marginalised populations. He subsequently led the French involvement into Eurosuport 1, a Europe-wide study investigating HIV/AIDS patient access to care in European countries.

Stéphane has developed a program of research in infection prevention and control informed by his Master of Science (Public Health) and PhD and supervises honours, masters and PhD students’ projects in infection prevention and control.

CICP-E FACIPC

Dr. Sally Havers is a committed Infection Control Professional of fifteen years, with a passion for improving and ensuring safe patient care. She has extensive experience and post-graduate qualifications in healthcare management and policy implementation, and an in-depth understanding of the current challenges and opportunities ahead of IPC practice.

Dr Havers has experience managing large, multisite infection prevention and control services and extensive project management experience in the development and roll out of a large national infection prevention program.

She has also coordinated multidisciplinary research and project teams, with an active commitment to Infection Control and Infectious Diseases research, both nationally and internationally.

Sally is a member of the Executive Management committee

CICP-E FACIPC

Erica is an experienced nurse who is a passionate leader with unique skills in leadership and management, infection control, staff health, immunisation and infectious diseases. Her broad clinical experience across multiple states in Australia has allowed her to diversify her skills, knowledge and develop her leadership style. Erica believes that the key to raising the profile of infection prevention and control has been to balance the current evidence, clinical needs and the task at hand to ensure practical application for all involved. She considers infection prevention and control is everyone’s business to ensure safe patient-centred care. Erica currently holds a Clinical Nurse Consultant position at Royal North Shore Hospital, NSW. She has a Masters in Infection Prevention and Control; is an authorised nurse immuniser and a credentialed member of the Australasian College of Infection Prevention.

Erica is a member of the Credentialling and Fellowship Assessment Panel allowing her to support her peers to further enhance their profile within infection prevention and control.

CICP-E FACIPC

Janine Carrucan is the Nursing Director for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) at Townsville Hospital and Health Service, where she oversees a team of infection control practitioners responsible for implementing the IPC program across Townsville University Hospital, seven rural hospitals, and two large aged-care facilities. With more than 30 years of experience as a registered nurse, Janine has developed a profound expertise in infection prevention, patient safety, and healthcare management. She is a strong advocate for patient-focused care, ensuring that patient well-being is at the core of all IPC initiatives.

In addition to her role as Nursing Director, Janine serves as a Board Director and Chair of the Advancing IPC Practice and Standards Committee and is the lead for NSQHS Standard 3 within the health service. A staunch advocate for the advancement of IPC in regional, rural, and remote settings, she also leads the Hot North IPC group across North Queensland.  She has an active role across Queensland as a member of the Queensland Infection Clinical Network Steering Committee and is the Chair of the Preventing HealthCare Associated infections (PHAI) working group.

Janine holds a Master’s degree in Infection Prevention and Control, a Master’s in Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and a range of other specialized IPC qualifications. Her extensive career spans surgical nursing, primary care, and nursing education. Janine is an active member of the Credentialing and Fellowship Assessment Panel and the Governance and Risk Committee, contributing to the strategic direction of IPC practices.

Nicola isles CICP-E, FAICPC, GAICD

Board Director, Chair of the Credentialing and Fellowship Committee, Co-Chair of the Practice Guidance and member of Research, Grants and Scholarships Committee, ACIPC representative on Standards Australia, a current accredited assessor for the NSQHS and Clinical Trials Standards and a current Board Director of the Australian Vascular Access Society (AVAS).

Nicola is a credentialled infection control (IPC) practitioner (expert level) of ACIPC (CICP-E) with a Master’s in Infection Prevention and Control, post graduate qualification in Intensive Care, a Registered Nurse Immuniser and a Hand Hygiene Auditor. Nicola has over 35 years of experience as a Registered Nurse with a background in intensive and critical care with over 20 years’ experience specialising in infection prevention control in both public and private healthcare facilities. She has a keen interest in promoting and ensuring best practice in infection prevention and control and vascular access. Her current role is Healthscope’s National Infection Prevention and Radiation Safety Manager where she provides a strong governance framework and a strategic direction at a national level for all 38 hospitals across all healthcare disciplines and IPC professionals. She has a keen interest in quality, governance and patient safety, with a strong focus on consumer engagement, improving patient experience and outcomes and is passionate about implementing research and evidence-based best practice to implement effective change infection prevention and control.

Margaret Leong is the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Advisor for the Pacific Community (SPC) and is based in Suva, Fiji. She has extensive experience at the Pacific Regional level and understands the regional IPC challenges and is works with IPC focal points to strengthen IPC capacity in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories. 

Margaret has 30 years of experience working in the public sector both as a nurse clinician and in senior Nursing leadership roles in Fiji. Her previous senior positions with the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical services includes Chief Nursing and Midwifery officer (Fiji) and Director of Nursing role at the Colonial War Memorial hospital.  

Margaret is the pioneer for IPC in Fiji and spent many years working as an IPC officer and was also instrumental in establishing the Fiji Clinical Risk Management program.  

Margaret is a member of the Membership Engagement Committee

CICP-E

Dr Matthew Mason is a lecturer in Nursing, the Academic Lead for Work Integrated Learning in the University of the Sunshine Coast’s School of Health, and a researcher with the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research. Matt has extensive experience including 20 years working in IPC, with clinical nursing experience including Trauma Intensive Care, Emergency, and Remote Area Nursing. He has a teaching and research agenda across infection prevention and control in resource-challenged areas grounded in the provision of accessible and safe services for communities and the health staff that serve them. Matt has a professional network across the Western Pacific Region and works collaboratively to improve health care outcomes through sustained mentorship and support. Matt is a Technical Adviser to the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, an Executive Member (IPC lead) of the Pacific Region Infectious Disease Association, and is Co-Director of the Collaborative for the Advancement of Infection Prevention and Control that supports IPC activities across the Western Pacific.

CICP-P

Catherine is the Manager of Governance Strategy and Clinical Development at Bene Aged Care. Currently her role encompasses the implementation of evidence based, best practice delivery of care and clinical service across the Aged Care Services portfolio. From Infection Prevention Control (IPC) policy development, providing IPC expertise, advice and education, Catherine delivers ongoing support and mentorship to the organisation’s IPC lead nurses.  

As a registered nurse for more than 30 years and with a passion for IPC and client safety Catherine has extensive experience working in both the acute and aged care sectors.  

She was recognised in the South Australian State Parliament by the Minister of Health for her work as the Infection Control Outbreak Coordinator which contained the COVID-19 Outbreak at Brompton Aged Care in November 2020. The successful management of the COVID-19 outbreak was derived from the experiences gained from holding senior leadership roles allowing for prospective implementation of clinical governance, risk management and IPC. She also contributed to the In-depth interviews with System Leaders and Experts with adjunct Professor Alan Lilly for the Independent Review of COVID-19 Outbreaks in Australian Residential Aged Care Facilities. 

Catherine is a long standing member of the SA Health Network of Infection Control Teams (SANIT) & incorporating Non-acute Infection Control Special Interest Group (NICSIG). 

Catherine is a member of the Developing the Profession Committee and the Scientific Conference Committee.  

Dianne Smith is a business manager with 20 years’ experience in the disability sector, marketing, and business management. Dianne has extensive experience in leadership roles, managing not-for-profit organisations and community advocacy.

Having had cancer twice in the last five years, Dianne is passionate about healthcare and consumer issues and is committed to contributing to better health outcomes for all consumers. Dianne supports and believes in patient-centred care and empowering patients to become active participants in their own healthcare. Dianne has been appointed to ACIPC as director and consumer representative.

Dianne is a member of the Representation & Advocacy Committee and the Governance and Risk Committee

CICP-E FACIPC

Ann Whitfield is the Associate Nurse Director Infection Prevention & Occupational Health in Auckland. Ann has been a registered nurse for 26 years and has a diverse nursing background which includes positions in the British Territorial Army Medical core, a Nursing Officer Merchant Navy (Cruise ships) and has worked both in small and tertiary hospitals. She has spent the last 17 years as a senior infection prevention and control (IPC) expert and worked for the Communicable Disease Control Directorate in Australia and New Zealand.

Ann has humanitarian experience in developing and implementing IPC courses in Tanzania with the Global Health Alliance Western Australia and in West Timor for the Flinders Overseas Health Group. She has also been deployed with the World Health Organisation in West Africa as part of the Ebola response and for the Commonwealth with the COVID-19 Aged Care Response.

CICP-E FACIPC

Dr Peta-Anne Zimmerman is an internationally respected clinician, educator, and researcher in infection prevention and control (IPC). Dr Zimmerman’s experience in IPC spans over 20 years and her domestic clinical experience, research, and expertise has led her to work extensively in China, South East Asia and the South Pacific, on outbreak response, the development of comprehensive infection prevention and control programmes, and on the integration of public health and acute care response in infectious disease emergencies, in low and middle income country settings.

Peta-Anne is the program adviser for the Graduate Infection Prevention and Control Programs at Griffith University, which includes the only named Master of Infection Prevention and Control in the region, and she is proud to be the Visiting Research Fellow with the Infection Control Department of the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

Peta-Anne is the ACIPC representative and senior teaching faculty for the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN)  Peta-Anne has also recently received the award of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.