Caroline Homer

Professor Caroline Homer is Co-Program Director, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne and Emeritus Professor of Midwifery in the Faculty of Health at UTS. In the last 2 years she has collaborated on a number of studies on the impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women, partners, midwives, midwifery students and medical doctors and more recently on COVID-19 vaccination. She is a member of the Victorian Consultative Council on Maternal and Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality and co-authored the 2020 COVID-19 Communique analysing the indirect impact of COVID-19 on pregnant women. She worked closely with the Australian College of Midwives to develop new free resources for midwives on COVID-19 vaccination.

Janelle James-McAlpine

Dr Janelle James-McAlpine is a registered midwife, educator, and Women’s Health Research Capacity Building Fellow with the Tropical Australia Academic Health Centre (TAAHC). Instrumental in the coordination and development of a comprehensive and collaborative women's health research network from Mackay to Mount Isa, Janelle also complements her strong early-career research profile with project management and clinical practice experience across multiple jurisdictions in urban, regional, and remote locations. These foundations have resulted in an understanding of the challenges faced by pregnant women and practitioners in terms of continuity of health assessment and the implementation of primary health strategies and evidence-based practice. Responsible for foundational research relating to nutrition and birth outcomes in pregnant women of South-East Queensland, Janelle’s research is now underway in women of Queensland’s Far North, encompassing strategic partnerships between TAAHC, James Cook University, the Cairns and Hinterland Health Services and Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan, a Cairns landmark facility providing maternity care by mob, for mob to women from Cape York communities.

Tracy Maxted

Tracy Maxted is an experienced facilitator and executive coach. She established her consultancy, The Missing Think, in 2011, and has supported 1000s of leaders and organisations to maximise their potential, clarify their strategic direction and deliver results. Prior to starting The Missing Think, Tracy held a number of senior leadership positions in predominantly People and Culture roles in the UK for organisations experiencing high levels of growth, change and disruption. Every role involved developing great leaders at all levels of the organisation and establishing cultures of high trust, engagement and accountability. Having found herself in a leadership position accidentally at the age of 21, she is pretty proud of the number of critical errors she was able to inflict on her poor staff in those first few years. If the saying is true that mistakes result in the deepest learning, Tracy has had the greatest of teachers! Known for her pragmatic, practical and personable style, Tracy provides leaders with the tips, tools and strategies they need to bring the best out in themselves and those around them. Please see www.themissingthink.com for more information.

Helen McLachlan

Professor Helen McLachlan is Midwifery Discipline Lead at La Trobe University, Melbourne. She has researched and published extensively in a range of areas of maternity care provision including continuity of care, models of maternity care for women having an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander baby, breastfeeding, perinatal mental health, midwifery education and translating research into practice. She has recently led a major partnership project aimed at improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and is currently leading a randomised trial of caseload midwifery for women with social complexities. Professor McLachlan has received awards for the impact of her research in maternity care provision.

Res McCalman

Res is a Ballardong Noongar woman with European descent and is the third midwife in her recent Ballardong lineage. She has worked clinically in urban, regional and Aboriginal community-controlled settings. Res was born and raised in Naarm (Melbourne) and her role as a research officer on the NHMRC funded partnership project “Woman’s Journey, Baggarrook Yurrongi & Nurragh Manma Buliana” led her to undertake a PhD focusing on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (or First Nations) women, who are having a baby in Victoria. She is also involved in a range of other projects focusing on improving maternity service provision and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

Chris Lehner

Dr Chris Lehner is a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist who co-leads the obstetric portfolio at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. He is Queensland Co-Lead and Executive member of the Australian Preterm Birth Prevention Alliance (APTBPA). Chris is the Queensland Senior Medical Lead of the National Preterm Birth Prevention Program, which aims to improve health outcomes for women and babies by safely reducing preterm and early term birth.

As a member of the Timing of Birth Working Group within the Stillbirth CRE, Dr Lehner has been involved in the development of the Timing of Birth Brochure which provides information to women about the best timing of birth. Chris is Co-Chair of the Transparency, Accountability and Reporting Advisory Committee of the Queensland Normal Birth Strategy (QNBS) and holds several advisory roles within Clinical Excellence Queensland.

Lia Pa'apa'a

Lia is an artist and mama who has cultural connections to Samoa and the Luiseño nation of Southern California. Lia’s practice is interdisciplinary and explores Arts and Cultural practices that support birthing people, their babies, and families during the first 1000 days. Lia is the Co-creator of the NGAMUMU (For Mothers) project that delivers community workshops, festival installations and creative programming. Lia lives on Yidinji lands in Cairns Australia with her two young children and partner and is revitalising and reimagining ancestral practices to support her family’s and community’s health and wellbeing. She is a current Australia Council for the Arts Fellow for Community Arts & Cultural Development.

Download the full ACM National Conference 2022 Program

Program

REGISTRATION - THREE DAY ATTENDANCE (Includes Gala Dinner Ticket)

SINGLE DAY REGISTRATION

The Gala Dinner themed 'a touch of the tropics' will take place on Wednesday 14th September 7-11pm at the Cairns Convention Centre. The dinner is included in the 3 day Conference Ticket. Gala Dinner Tickets can be purchased separately at a cost of $150.00 per person.

2022 Midwifery Award recipients will be announced and 2021 and 2022 Fellow and Life Member recipients will be celebrated. You'll be entertained by Melbourne International Comedy Festival Deadly Funny Winner and midwife Janty Blair before you kick up your heels and dance to the live band.

Janty Blair

Janet Blair or Janty as she prefers is a First Nations woman. She is Butchulla, Mununjali and Woppaburra, from her mother’s side and Cobble Cobble on her father’s side.

Previously a midwife and nurse for almost 3 decades, she is currently in the middle of a Fine Arts degree(Drama) at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane.

It was in February this year after a Bumble date in Byron Bay Janty first gave comedy a crack. She wanted to see someone who looked like her and who represented her, to be on stage. A First Nations older woman! Age would not be a barrier to performing.

On Easter weekend, Janty was crowned the national winner of Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s 2022 Deadly Funny competition. Deadly Funny highlights and celebrates the best First Nations talent across Australia. Previous alumni include Steph Tisdell and Kevin Kropinyeri. Janty’s comedy comes from her love of sharing and creating stories, bringing her connection to her family, mob and community to her presence on stage.

Presently residing in Meeanjin (Brisbane) Blair gains inspiration from the comedians in her family. It’s her Tiddas at home that she takes inspiration from, who show up to support her performing in the local comedy scene. The comedians she loves and admires are all in her family, her mob and community. They are her inspiration.

We have secured conference rates with Accor for two of their local hotels. ACM Conference delegates can book rooms by contacting the reservations team directly via the contact information below. Be sure to mention you are attending the ACM conference!

Pullman Cairns International - closest 5 star hotel to the Cairns Convention Centre – a short 400 metre walk to the venue:
Graeme Wellings – 07 4050 2152 or email: [email protected]

Hilton Cairns - approximately 1km walk to the Cairns Convention Centre.  Book directly via this site:  ACM_Cairns Hilton

Novotel Cairns - approximately 1km walk to the Cairns Convention Centre:
Jenny Lai – 07 4080 1888 or email: [email protected]

The Benson Hotel- approximately a 600m walk to the Cairns Convention Centre:
Call 07 4046 0300 to book

To see what Cairns has to offer while you are in the area, please see the ACM National Conference pre and post activities here. There are a range of discounted activities available to be booked by delegates including trips to Fitzroy Island, a night out on the Spirit of Cairns, Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, or a trip the Daintree.

For sponsorship opportunities, please email [email protected] for the prospectus.

ACM National Conference is supported by

All face to face ACM events are subject to the ACM policies.

A full refund will be given up to 14 days prior to the event. An organisation may send an alternative delegate if registration has been paid in full and the registered person is unable to attend. Please click here to read our full list of terms and conditions