Global Emergency & Critical Care Conference

Rob Mitchell (@robdmitchell) is an academic emergency physician at the Alfred Hospital Emergency & Trauma Centre; Chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Global Emergency Care Committee; and faculty for the Monash University/Alfred Health Capacity Building in Global Emergency Care program. He is involved with emergency care capacity development projects across the Indo-Pacific, including the Regional Emergency and Critical Care Systems Strengthening Initiative (RECSI), funded by the Australian Government through the Partnerships for a Healthy Region initiative. In 2024, he completed a PhD focussed on emergency care systems in low- and middle-income countries, and was the recipient of a Premier’s Award for health services research.

Professor Gerard O’Reilly is a senior Emergency Physician at the Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre in Melbourne, Australia. He serves as Director of the Alfred Emergency Academic Centre, Head of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the National Trauma Research Institute, and Professor in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University. His work focuses on emergency medicine, trauma care, epidemiology, and health outcomes research.

Dr Georgina Phillips has worked at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne for more than 25 years, with special interest in clinical excellence and research for patients with complex psychosocial issues. Since 1996 as an Australian Volunteer doctor in Kiribati, Georgina has had ongoing involvement in emergency care capacity development in the Asia-Pacific region, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Fiji, Timor-Leste and Myanmar.

Dr Jennifer Jamieson is an emergency physician and trauma specialist, and is the current Deputy Director of the Trauma at the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania. She helped establish Tasmania's first trauma admitting service at the RHH and is particularly passionate about bringing trauma education & public health projects to Tasmania, including Trauma Team Training and the PARTY program. Jenny has previously worked with the Alfred Trauma service in Victoria, with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in Kunduz, Afghanistan, and in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. She has a number of roles within the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, including being the current deputy-chair for the Global Emergency Care Committee, and the Advancing Women in Emergency Medicine executive. She is also the recent co-editor and co-creator of the book "When Minutes Matter."

Rick Brennan is an emergency and public health physician specializing in humanitarian assistance, epidemic and pandemic preparedness, and public health emergency management. He has extensive experience in over 50 counties across five continents, most recently as Regional Emergency Director for the World Health Organization in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, based in Cairo, Egypt. Previously, he was Director of Emergency Operations and Director of Emergency Risk Management and Humanitarian Response at WHO headquarters in Geneva. He has responded to many of the largest crises of recent decades, including conflicts (e.g. Gaza, Sudan), pandemics and outbreaks (e.g. COVID-19, Ebola), and natural disasters (e.g. Asian tsunami, Pakistan floods).

Carita Davis leads Australia's international health security agenda at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, working across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen health systems and support preparedness for emerging health threats. She partners with governments, multilateral organisations and technical agencies to advance regional health security and Australia's global health priorities. Prior to joining DFAT, Carita held senior leadership roles in the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care, where she led Australia's Health Security and Emergency Management Division, overseeing national public health emergency preparedness and initiatives addressing antimicrobial resistance and One Health.

Peter was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and obtained his medical degree from Queen's University, Belfast. After spending a couple of years in Australia as a junior doctor, he completed his specialist training in the UK before finally settling in Australia in 2007. He's been the Director or Emergency Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital since 2014 and has also worked in Albany ED on the beautiful south coast of WA since 2010. He loves the collegiality and teamwork of working in EDs. He has served on numerous college committees since 2013 as well as convening the 2018 Annual Scientific meeting in Perth.

Dr Silina Motofaga is a highly respected medical professional with over 20 years of experience dedicated to improving health outcomes across the Pacific. As the Team Leader for the Clinical Services Programme at The Pacific Community (SPC), Silina works closely with SPC’s member countries to design and implement sustainable health programs that address key challenges, including maternal and child health, infectious disease control, and equitable access to quality care. Her role leads initiatives that ensure clinical services in the Pacific are aligned with global health standards while meeting the unique needs of island communities.

Matthew Earl is a registered paramedic, humanitarian health practitioner and health systems specialist with over a decade of experience working across ambulance services, emergency care systems, humanitarian contexts and conflict zones in more than 15 countries. He currently works as the Clinical Manager for ProMedical Vanuatu, helping to develop emergency ambulance and aeromedical retrieval services, whilst working to advocate for the advancement of prehospital emergency care and community outreach programmes in Vanuatu and the Pacific.

Dr Rachel Arurang is a junior doctor in the Emergency Department at Belau National Hospital, Palau, with seven years of clinical experience across public health, primary care, and emergency medicine. She is Palau's only WHO-IFRC Basic Emergency Care (BEC) Master Trainer, leading emergency care training and helping develop the country's first local BEC instructors. Dr Arurang helped establish Palau's Type 1 Mobile Emergency Medical Team (KLEMAT), supporting disaster preparedness and emergency response. Passionate about strengthening emergency care systems in Pacific Island settings, she is committed to practical, sustainable, and locally led improvements in frontline care.

I am the Nursing Clinical Team Leader in the Emergency Department at Labasa Divisional Hospital, Fiji. My experience includes emergency nursing, clinical leadership, patient safety, quality improvement, and emergency department operations. I am passionate about advancing emergency nursing through education, evidence-based practice, and leadership development. I have led initiatives in triage implementation, staff education, competency development, and process improvement. Currently pursuing a Master of Nursing, I am committed to advancing nursing practice and promoting emergency nursing as a recognized specialty in Fiji.

Dr Donna Mills is an Emergency and Retrieval Physician with a passion for postgraduate emergency medicine education and leadership across the Pacific. She has helped develop and support specialist training programs in the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu, mentoring trainees and strengthening sustainable emergency care systems through education and collaboration.

As Deputy Chair of the Global Emergency Care Committee (GECCO) at ACEM, she is committed to building regional partnerships and supporting the next generation of emergency physicians. Outside work, Donna enjoys ocean swimming, mountain biking and travel, and believes the best healthcare solutions are built through curiosity, connection and empowering local clinicians.

Dr Amelia (Mim) Scharkie is an Emergency Physician working across South Western Sydney and Westmead Children's Hospital. She completed her medical training in Melbourne before developing a passion for global emergency care.

In 2021, she spent two years in Vanuatu as the visiting Emergency Registrar, working alongside local clinicians to provide emergency care, education, and capacity development. Since returning to Australia, she has continued to travel back to Vanuatu to support ongoing training and strengthen emergency care systems.

Outside of work, Mim enjoys running, bushwalking, travelling, and exploring the outdoors with her Labrador and husband.

Steve is an intensive care physician and infectious diseases physician at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. He is the director of The Alfred ICU, a 68-bed quaternary ICU specialising in trauma, advanced cardiac support, ECMO and burns. Steve has also worked for the World Health Organisation in the health emergencies and pandemic preparedness program. He was the chair of the ANZICS COVID-19 guideline committee and is the current Clinical Director of the Australian Living Evidence Collaboration including the COVID-19 National Clinical Evidence Taskforce. He has been the lead author of the Australian Therapeutic Guidelines Sepsis chapter for the past 8 years and is also an author of the most recent version of the Surviving Sepsis Guideline. He has completed a Masters of Public Health and a Masters of International Health Leadership. In 2022, he became a member of the College of Intensive Care Board. Steve has an amazing wife and three awesome kids, who are much better than him at everything.

Dr Su'esu'e (Su'e) Lagaaia is a Consultant Emergency Physician working across the Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre and Angliss Hospital Emergency Department.

Originally from Samoa, Dr Lagaaia completed his medical degree in Fiji before undertaking specialist training in Emergency Medicine in Launceston and Melbourne, Australia.

He is passionate about strengthening emergency and critical care services across the Pacific and has a strong interest in trauma care, clinical education, and supporting the development of sustainable healthcare systems throughout the region.

Sally Reid is the Global Emergency Care (GEC) Project Manager at the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), where for the past six years she has driven emergency care capacity development across the Indo-Pacific. With a background spanning global and public health, agriculture and community services, and post graduate qualifications in dietetics, public health and business, she brings deep expertise in advocacy, stakeholder engagement and policy implementation, underpinned by a commitment to equity and local sustainability.

Sarah is an emergency nurse with over 15 years of experience in emergency departments across Australia. Since 2018, she has focused on emergency care development in the Pacific, supporting emergency department strengthening, nursing leadership, and monitoring, evaluation and research initiatives across the region. Sarah holds master's degrees in Nursing, Global Health, Clinical Nursing (Emergency Specialisation), and is currently completing a PhD at Monash University exploring the implementation and evaluation of acute care programs in the Pacific and Timor-Leste.

Alice is a Critical Care Registered Nurse and Emergency Nurse Educator currently working at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands. After training at the Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre in Melbourne, and has recently completed a Master of Advanced Clinical Nursing (Emergency Care) at Monash University, focusing on capacity building and disaster relief management.

Alice has a strong interest in global health partnerships, clinical education, and workforce development. She is passionate about supporting healthcare workers through mentorship and training, and is committed to improving access to safe, high-quality emergency care in resource-limited settings

Christina Leahy is a global health and international development professional with a strong background in program design, stakeholder engagement and capacity-building across the Indo-Pacific. She is currently Global Programs Manager at the Alfred Emergency Academic Centre, Bayside Health, where she supports projects to strengthen emergency care access and capability in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs). She is also a Registered Nurse in neonatal care, bringing clinical insight to global health program delivery.