Board of directors

CICP-A

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

Prof. Phil Russo has worked in infection prevention and control for over 25 years in a number of different positions including: several roles in infection prevention in major Victorian hospitals, inaugural Operational Director of the VICNISS Coordinating Centre and National Manager of Hand Hygiene Australia. Phil has a Masters in Clinical Epidemiology and completed his PhD on HAI Surveillance in 2016. Phil was the Chair of the National Consultative Steering Committee, which outlined the roadmap for the establishment of ACIPC, and has been a board member of the college since 2014, previously chairing the research committee. He is also a member of the HAI Advisory Committee for the Australian Safety and Quality in Health Care Commission, and the National Health and Medical Research Council Infection Control Guidelines Advisory Committee. His current role is Director, Cabrini Monash University Department of Nursing Research.

Phil strongly supports national initiatives in healthcare prevention that are fostered by the college and is proud of the college’s achievements in representing its members at both national and international forums since it commenced. He believes that continuing to build on ACIPC’s broad membership in the Australasian region, ongoing educational opportunities for its members, a strong new journal, and the delivery of a high quality annual international conference, is the key to the ongoing success of the college.

CICP-E, FACIPC

Janine Carrucan is Nursing Director, Infection Prevention and Control, Townsville Hospital and Health Service. Janine is a senior registered nurse with a passion for infection prevention and control and patient safety. As nursing Director for infection prevention and control, she manages a team of infection control practitioners to deliver the infection prevention and control program at the Townsville University Hospital. This includes seven rural hospitals and two large aged-care facilities. Janine is the (NSQHS) Standard 3 lead and is one of the primary leads for the COVID-19 response including large drive-through testing sites, very large vaccination hubs, hotel quarantine and plays an integral role in all aspects of the response across the health service.

Janine is a credentialled expert infection control practitioner (CICP-E) with a master’s degree  infection prevention and control, master’s degree in public health and tropical medicine and a range of other IPC qualifications. She has been a registered nurse for more than 30 years and has experience in surgical nursing, primary care and nursing education. Janine recently assisted ACIPC as a course facilitator for the Aged Care Leads Foundations course and is a current member of the governance and risk committee, professional and credentialling standards committee and the education committee. Janine is a past member of the membership engagement committee.

CICP-E, FACIPC

Kathy is a registered nurse with 37 years’ experience clinically, 22 years of frontline infection prevention and control and three  years leading NSW Infection Prevention and Control and Healthcare Associated Infection program. Kathy is a nationally and internationally respected infection prevention and control expert. She is the lead infection prevention and control clinician for NSW Health Clinical Excellence Commission, responsible for the strategic direction and support for infection prevention and control and Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) reduction across NSW Healthcare. Kathy is the NSW IPC lead and has key responsibility for IPC for NSW COVID response and is the first NSW Chief ICP and HAI Advisor. Kathy has provided consultation to state, national and international IPAC guidance throughout the pandemic, frontline IPC support and direction for health and other industry (instrumental in the control of outbreaks in aged care and other settings), and has also contributed to many high level national and interjurisdictional reviews. Kathy is an expert on the national IPC evidence taskforce and Infection Control Expert Group Advising AHPPC (Australian Health Protection Principle Committee)

Kathy holds the award of Credentialled Infection Control Professional – Expert (CICP-E) with a master’s degree, a diploma in leadership and management, a range of internationally recognized certifications and is a current Future Leaders of Healthcare DrPH candidate. She is considered a leader in the field of infection prevention and control. Kathy is a director on the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) Board and chair of the ACIPC Professional and Credentialing Standards Committee

Kathy has extensive and broad expertise and lived experience in infection prevention and control clinical practice, spanning across healthcare and non-healthcare environments, with particular experience in biocontainment and outbreak management. She possesses high level analytical and research skills to inform policy and program development for infection prevention and control.

CICP-A

Nicola Isles has over 35 years of experience as a registered nurse with a background in intensive and coronary care and 20 years’ experience specialising in infection prevention and 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 as Healthscope’s National Infection Prevention, Control and Radiation Safety Manager for 42 Healthscope Hospitals. She has the proven ability to both develop and implement policies, manage risks, lead projects and provide strategic direction at a national level. She is a credentialled member with the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (CIPC-A), with a keen interest in quality, governance and patient safety, a strong focus on consumer engagement, improving patient experience and outcomes. She has more recently commenced as an accredited assessor for the NHQHS National Standards. She is passionate about implementing research and evidence-based best practice to implement effective change in infection prevention and control.

CICP-P

As the Head of Practice Services at the Australian Dental Association NSW Branch, Kylie has been instrumental advocating for best practice in infection prevention and control (IPC) and quality and safety standards for the oral health profession across Australia and internationally.

Kylie is a Fellow and Board Director of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control and has postgraduate qualifications in IPC and health services management. Kylie holds the award of Advanced – Credentialed Infection Control Professional (CICP-A) and sits on several university external reference groups for IPC. Kylie has been recognised by the World Health Organisation’s Western Pacific Regional Office for her dental IPC expertise and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America through her appointment onto their International Ambassadors Program.

CICP-E

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. She holds a position on the professional and credentialing standards committee and the membership, communication and engagement committee allowing her to support her peers to further enhance their profile within infection prevention and control.

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 holds the award of Credentialled Infection Control Professional – Expert. She is the convenor of the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) LMI Special Interest Group, ACIPC representative and senior teaching faculty for the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and a member of the ACIPC Professional and Credentialling Standards (PACS) Committee. Peta-Anne has also recently received the award of Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

CICP-E

Ann Whitfield is the Associate Nurse Director Infection Prevention & Occupational Health in Auckland and is credentialled as an expert with the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. 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.

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.