Recognised with an Order of Australia Medal (OAM), Mark Squirrell’s work as an International Aid Worker has seen him work under pressure in some of the world’s most tense situations. From car bombings to meeting Yasser Arafat, Mark ‘Squiz’ Squirrell OAM has experienced more than most.

After serving in the Australian Commandos and being awarded the coveted “Green Beret”, Squiz took his courage and leadership skills abroad to help others overcome adversity and turmoil.

Squiz has escorted food convoys through the Gaza Strip, negotiated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamel Eelam (Tamil Tigers) and brokered deals with Somali Clansmen to ensure the safe delivery of United Nations food aid. In doing so, Squiz continues to master the challenges of performing under pressure.

Inspired by his work with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Squiz climbed his way to the top of Mount Everest to help raise awareness of the global hunger crisis. The gruelling six week ordeal across glaciers and over exposed cliffs reveal the motivation, habits and adversity skills that facilitated his success.

He continues to be deployed on short-term assignments to emergency zones, such as the Ebola Outbreak in West Africa and 2015 Nepal Earthquake.

After a stellar career spanning decades in infectious disease research and international health at Burnet Institute, Professor Toole retired at the end of September 2021. He remains an Associate Principal Research Fellow at Burnet.

Mike spent more than 40 years in a range of international health areas; communicable disease control (including HIV), maternal and child health and nutrition, and public health in emergency settings. Working for eight years in Thailand, two years in Somalia, and ten years at the CDC in Atlanta, Mike also undertook short projects in more than 30 countries in five continents.

Mike was a founding member of Medecins sans Frontieres Australia, and was also a member of the Global Fund Technical Review Panel, the Board of the Three Diseases Fund for Burma, and the Independent Monitoring Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Dr Sulisti Holmes is the Head of Decontamination and Incident Reporting Investigation Centre at National Services Scotland. In conjunction with/or on behalf of Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate, she acts as the strategic lead for medical device safety and decontamination strategies in National Health Service (NHS) Scotland.

She manages a team of 27 staff, providing services and advice to NHS Scotland Boards and Local Authorities.

She represents NHS Scotland on UK advisory groups and committees for medical device safety and decontamination. She sits in British and European Standard Committees related to decontamination of medical devices. Sulisti has presented at several national and international conferences. She is the author/co-author of decontamination articles published in books and peer review journals.

She completed a degree in Pharmacy, PhD in Applied Microbiology, postdoctoral research projects and an Advanced Course in Sterilization Technology. She is a qualified lead auditor for ISO 9001/ISO 13485.

Alison is Programme Coordinator for sterilising technology at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology Limited. She also teaches on both the NZ Certificate in Sterilising Technology (Level 4) and NZ Diploma in Sterilising Technology (Level 5). Alison entered sterilising technology as a technician and progressed to management of reprocessing in a district health board. From there she has been involved in the delivery and growth of the sterilising technology qualifications.

Alison sees development of the personnel involved in sterilising technology as a key means of growing awareness of the profession and the people within it alongside robust standards guiding best practice. Alison is involved with the New Zealand Sterile Sciences Association as the Treasurer and is the Association’s representative on the Australian Standards committee, HE-023.

SA Health’s Communicable Disease Control Branch established an ongoing expert role to coordinate RMD reprocessing compliance across all state government health services, and to investigate and advise on reprocessing incidents and risks. As accreditation and national standards have developed over the years, a number of challenges have arisen in reprocessing at each unique reprocessing site in SA. Facility upgrades, workforce capacity and instrument tracking are common issues that require advocacy, support and coordination. Lessons learned from the floor are central to solving these.

This role also supports the Health Facility Licensing Unit in regulating private hospitals and day surgeries across the state. Here, a career in RMD reprocessing has found another calling amidst a legal framework involving investigations, inspections and research. Challenges in this space include responsibility for approving the opening of new facilities, navigating project teams and adapting policies and regulations that govern RMD reprocessing in all private facilities, from office based to cutting edge new facilities.

RMD reprocessing needs to be represented in all these areas and more. South Australia has developed a solution that provides a rewarding career opportunity as well as a voice on the importance of our work.

CSD Regional Manager Sunshine Coast Network

Started my CSD Journey in the early 1990’s in a small regional hospital in rural Victoria.

Moved to Melbourne and started at Linacre Private Hospital in 2001.

In 2013 I applied for the CSD Manager position at the Greenfield site for the Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital. I started in July 2013 and commissioned the CSD.

Over the last 10 years my staff and I developed a paperless quality system, were awarded a Private Hospitals Innovation award and a HESTA award for our Education around flexible scope cleaning.

In 2020 I was given the chance to develop a model for a Hub and Spoke Centralisation for CSD and in 2022 that project went live.

Trish has over 47 years nursing experience, working many of those within the perioperative environment holding clinical positions in both public and private healthcare facilities.

In 2006 her focus was directed specifically toward the delivery of service within the sterilising services of healthcare facilities; and engaging in professional development to gain a better understanding of the interdisciplinary skill set required to apply theory to practice.

Trish successfully undertook a degree in decontamination sciences, and remains humbled and grateful for all the mentoring, inspiration and support provided to her by the many Australian experts in this field.

Decontamination sciences remains her area of interest and passion as she continues to gain more experience and knowledge in this specialised area.

I have worked at the Rockhampton hospital Qld Health since 1998. I have been a Registered nurse since 1997. My clinical area of expertise; is largely Perioperative and reprocessing. Now it is entirely reprocessing. Positions held: Clinical Nurse Perioperative Unit, Acting Clinical Nurse CSD (Central Sterilising Department), now currently I am the Nurse Unit Manager CSD Rockhampton hospital.

Lesley Lewis is a registered nurse with dual sterilization and infection control qualification. Since 2005 Lesley has held responsibility for supporting the sterilization department at 11 public health services in Northeast Victoria. Including help lines, troubleshooting faults, assisting the development of a generic CSSD policy manual, consulting on redevelopment plans, infection control risk management during building works, and conducting external compliance audits. Lesley is a member of the Rural Infection Control Practice group (RICPRAC) and has been a coordinator of the annual RICPRAC AS/NZS4187 compliance audit project since 2007.

Darren Martin is the Central Sterilising Department Manager at Bendigo Health, Victoria, Australia. Having worked in reprocessing for over 20 years and completed many qualifications in sterilisation and infection prevention & control including a Master of Health Practice (Infection Prevention & Control), Darren is passionate about reprocessing reusable medical devices and ensuring high quality health care for patient safety. Darren is a current committee member of the Victorian and Federation Sterilizing Research and Advisory Council of Australia and the Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control Member Engagement Committee.

Current: Clinical Nurse Consultant CSD Gold Coast Health Service 1994-2019 NUM CSD Logan Hospital Life Member SRACA Qld Inc Chair HE-O23 (AS/NZS 4187) 2010 – 2015 Held positions of President of Qld SRACA and FSRACA in 1990 and 2000 Lecturer at TAFE Qld – Sterilizing Technology 1994 – 2007