Executive team

Dr Emma McCahon was appointed Health Service Chief Executive in April 2022. Emma has an extensive history in senior executive leadership and management in large health services.

She has a strong clinical background and started her career as a paediatrician.

Before joining us, Emma was Executive Director, Medical Services at Western Sydney Local Health District. They had about 190,000 people presenting to emergency yearly and employed 11000 staff. Emma was the professional lead for all medical staff.

She was also responsible for clinical education and for $70 million in revenue for clinical trials.

During her time at Western Sydney, her roles included Acting Executive Director Operations, Acting Chief Executive, and Pandemic Operations Centre Controller.

Emma was also previously Director of Clinical Operations for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network. This included the Children’s Hospital at Westmead and several statewide health services.

She managed a budget of $740 million and 5000 staff, including nursing, allied health, medical, and clinical support staff.

Emma has an Executive MBA, a Certificate in Advanced Quality Improvement and is a qualified executive coach.

Ms Nicole Trost is responsible for leading financial management and compliance, corporate services and asset management.

Nicole joined the health service in 2019 as Director of Finance. She has over 20 years' experience providing strategic business, accounting and taxation advice within various industries.

Nicole is skilled at managing and delivering operational results. She is passionate about continual business improvement and development.

Nicole is a chartered accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Finance.

Professor Pooshan Navathe is the professional lead for all medical staff in CQ Health. His role focuses on safety, quality, and system integrity.

His special interests include:

• safety and governance
• educating and mentoring health professionals
• implementing change
• enabling colleagues to attain professional excellence in their practice.

Before joining us, Pooshan specialised in occupational and aviation medicine, leading teams in New Zealand and Australia.

Pooshan has been a teacher for the past 30 years and holds academic positions in universities and professional medical colleges. He continues to research and has many publications to his credit.

Adjunct Professor Sue Foyle’s experience as a nurse and midwife spans more than 30 years.

She has extensive experience in midwifery, including management and leadership in maternity services and clinical governance. She also has expertise in intensive care and emergency nursing.

Sue is passionate about ensuring there are systems in place to maintain and improve the reliability, safety and quality of our healthcare services.

She is well respected as both a national and international speaker on safety and quality in health care.

Sue is a previous recipient of our Clinical Excellence Award.

She also received the Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Award from the Association of Queensland Nursing and Midwifery Leaders in 2019.

Sue is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Pauline McGrath has a history of strong leadership, with 12 years of international executive and senior management experience across health systems in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Before joining us, Pauline was Chief Operating Officer at Counties Manukau Health in Auckland, New Zealand.

Pauline dedicates her career to providing safe, quality healthcare services.

Pauline has an MBA in Healthcare Management.

Ms Donna Cruickshank started with CQ Health in June 2022 as our first Executive Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Wellbeing.

Donna's responsible for delivering on the health and wellbeing needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Central Queensland. She actively works with our families, communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health partners.

Before joining us, Donna held leadership and executive positions in NSW Health. She gained broad knowledge in Aboriginal health and workforce.

Her work in Aboriginal employment and cultural education has won NSW Public Sector Awards.

Donna holds a double masters in Health Service Management and Planning.

Ms Shareen McMillan leads a team of 48 who work on key workforce projects, functions and activities including:

• strategic planning for workforce, cultural and organisational change, and organisational development including embedding values and staff recognition programs
• occupational health, safety and wellbeing
• recruitment and attraction
• business assurance and establishment management
• employee and industrial relations
• capability and leadership development programs.

Shareen has also worked in various government agencies, gaining extensive experience in:

• organisational and cultural change and development
• corporate services management and reporting
• training and development
• workplace health and safety
• employee and stakeholder engagement.

She has a degree in Communications, Japanese Language and Tourism, receiving high distinctions and a Japanese language award. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Business Administration and Management.

Ms Kerrie-Anne Frakes has more than 20 years’ experience in developing, implementing and evaluating innovative models of care and workforce redesign. These have delivered transformational service changes and improved health outcomes.

She has held an executive leadership role in CQ Health for the past 10 years.

Kerrie-Anne was the first public podiatrist in the Central Queensland region, having arrived in 1999 on a Queensland Health Rural Scholarship Graduate for Podiatry.

She has since held strategic leadership roles as well as operational leadership roles including:

• Executive Director for the Rockhampton Business Unit - including Rockhampton Hospital, Mental Health, Offender Health, Capricorn Coast Hospital and Mt Morgan
• Director of Clinical Support services
• Executive Director of Strategy, Transformation and Allied Health.

She has won state and national awards for innovative models of care and has an extensive publication history in chronic disease management and service delivery evaluation. She holds Masters qualifications in Health Administration.

She's passionate about regional and rural community capacity with a focus on workforce sustainability and care for patients closer to home.