Previously as Executive Director, Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Damian led the delivery of Gold Coast Health’s two-year journey to become a fully digital hospital and was pivotal in driving continuous improvement in health service delivery and quality.

Damian is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management and Adjunct Professor School of Business Strategy and Innovation, Griffith University. Damian is also a Board Director of the Gold Coast Primary Health Network and is a member of the Boards of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health and the Australian E-Health Research Centre, a joint venture between the Queensland Government and CSIRO.

Bernadette Thomson (RN, RM MEd) is the  Nursing Director of Education at Princess Alexandra Hospital and Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Metro South Health Queensland and Clinical Associate Professor at Queensland University Technology.  Bernadette has experience in the VET and Tertiary sector and has been working at MSH since 2008 and in her current role since 2011.  She has a background in paediatrics, NICU and gynaecology nursing.  Bernadette is committed to building the capability of staff through the development and implementation of innovative education models.  Her other interest area is building the profile of Interprofessional Collaborative Practice across the HHS.  Bernadette is the current chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Directors Education Forum, a state wide group working to meet the education needs of nurses and midwives across Queensland Health.

Whilst the Pandemic has significantly impacted the work of nursing and midwifery educators,  Bernadette sees that we now have the opportunity to build on the innovation and creativity which has emerged over the past 3 years.