Executive Team - Mackay Hospital and Health Services

Our Executive Team includes the Health Service Chief Executive and a group of eight Executive Directors who are each responsible for a key area of our service.

Susan Gannon | Chief Executive

Susan commenced as Mackay Hospital and Health Service’s Chief Executive in June 2023.

She was previously Chief Executive Hospitals at Tasmanian Health Services for three years and the Executive Director Operations for three years. Prior to this she was the State-wide Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery.

Susan has been on the Board of Directors for Women’s Health Care Australia since 2014 and has worked in policy, quality and education in both the public and private sector.

Her previous roles include several senior management positions, including medicine, emergency, cancer, surgical and women’s and children’s services.

Dr Charles Pain| Chief Medical Officer

Charles is a Fellow of the UK Faculty of Public Health, a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management, and a Fellow of the International Society for Quality in Health Care, and an Associate Professor at the Flinders University College of Medicine and Public Health.

He has had a 39-year career in medicine in which he has worked in four public health systems (Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Qatar) as a clinician, public health physician, medical administrator, director of clinical governance, and health systems improvement program director.

He has a strong interest in health systems improvement. In his role as a director with the New South Wales Clinical Excellence Commission, Charles led patient safety and quality programs, such as the Between the Flags Program, which was the largest and most comprehensive patient safety program of its kind and has been associated with a reduction of 42% in unexpected cardiac arrests in NSW hospitals.

His most recent role before moving to Queensland was as the Acting Chief Health Officer for the Northern Territory.

Ms Sharon Walsh | Chief Operating Officer

Sharon started her career in healthcare nursing in South Africa. A desire to travel saw her living and working in the UK for a number of years before making her way to Australia. She has broad experience that includes operational management, project management, and clinical governance.

Sharon’s passion lies in ensuring the delivery of safe and high-quality care to every patient. While her career has predominantly been in quaternary healthcare, Sharon also has experience with regional healthcare, having sat on the board of a regional health service in Victoria.

Ms Terry Johnson | Executive Director Public Health and Rural Services

Terry has extensive executive management and leadership experience within Queensland Health across a diverse range of service settings including large tertiary facilities, community services, mental health, aged care and rural health services.

Her health career began in her hometown of Brisbane where she spent many years within the former Prince Charles and Royal Brisbane Hospital Districts. Terry accepted a secondment to Central Queensland in early 2000, where she developed a passion for rural health, and has been working in rural settings ever since.

Her study interests initially laid in the science field with Terry undertaking a degree of Bachelor of Applied Science.

However, she subsequently undertook a Bachelor of Laws through Queensland University of Technology, graduating with First Class Honours in 2002. Terry also holds a Practitioner’s Certificate in Mediation and Conciliation through the Institute of Arbitrators and Mediators.

Dr David Farlow | Executive Director Research & Innovation and Associate Professor/Clinical Dean

David first arrived in the Mackay HHS in 1984 with a passion for rural and remote medicine. He was a rural generalist for 25 years with credentialing in procedural Obstetrics, Anaesthetics and Surgery and Executive Officer Whitsunday Health Service.

David then moved to the role of Executive Director Clinical Services for MHHS from 2007-2015. He reduced direct patient care over the last 6 years and now has no “hands on” clinical practice. After taking a 12 month sabbatical in New Zealand with his family in 2015, he moved into a joint role between MHHS [Research/Innovation/Medical Workforce] and James Cook University [Clinical Dean Mackay School].

In addition to his medical qualifications, David recently became a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is the editor and co-author of a self-published children’s first aid book “Freya the First Aider”.

His expertise and experience includes undertaking a range of investigations, Service reviews and consultancies for QH. His community achievements include an Australia Day Shire Award in 2008 for his outstanding contribution to the community and a Queensland Health Leadership in Health Services Award in 2007.

In addition to his executive, clinical and community work, David is foremost a family man who enjoys fishing and golfing.

Mr Martin Heads | Interim Executive Director Corporate Services

Martin is the interim CFO while Mackay recruits permanently to this role. Martin provides significant experience to this role. Martin has over 20 years of experience in the health sector having worked at all levels of the health system including within hospitals, health services and at departmental levels. Specifically, to this role, Martin is a former CFO for Metro North Hospital and Health Service and acted as CFO for Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service for the duration of 2021.

Martin has a collaborative approach with a strong focus on supporting our clinical services. He has an interest in activity based funding models and optimising health service funding, providing analysis to support informed decision making and working, with the team, to ensure we are safely maximising the available clinical care with the available resources.

Martin is a Chartered Accountant and holds degrees in Laws and Business. Martin volunteers his time as a member of the Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF)’s Finance Committee.

Mr Simon Costello | Executive Director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Simon is a Goori (Aboriginal man) from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) and is a Traditional Owner from the Quandamooka Nation, which takes in the Moreton Bay area of south-east Queensland.

Simon grew up in Slade Point from the age of seven. He completed his primary and secondary schooling and a Diploma of Education at Mackay before moving to Cairns with his family in 2001 to pursue a career in health. Prior to coming back to Mackay, Simon held the Manager Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health with Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Services and an Executive Board of Directors in the Treasurer role for Wuchopperen Health Service.

For the past 20 years he has worked in Queensland Health and State Government Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing across 16 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Local Government Areas throughout Queensland. Simon has completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Management and a Masters in Public Health. He is looking forward to leading the development and implementation of a Health Equity Strategy in partnership with First Nations peoples and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health organisations.

Ms Karen Wade | Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery

Karen is an experienced healthcare professional who has worked in leadership and executive roles for more than 35 years.

During this time providing strong leadership and management in an environment of change, roles include: Acting Executive Officer, Executive Director of Nursing and Executive Director of Service Development for the Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Qld Group and District Director of Nursing and Executive Director of Quality and Safety Queensland Health CQHHS, Northern Regional Services Manager for Bolton Clarke, Executive General Manager Encore Care (Aged Care).

Ms Janet Geisler | Executive Director Strategy, Governance and Engagement

Janet has held senior and executive roles within public sector management, with extensive experience in leading strategy development and execution in complex environments with a proven record of adding value through the public health and community sectors.

She has worked across both the public and private sectors and is committed to driving strategies to enhance organisational performance, engagement and governance. Janet has extensive experience in partnering across government, industry, community with a strong commitment to improve the delivery of health and social care services for regional, rural and remote communities.