Executive Team Biographies
Carol Pollock | Hunter Watt | Kate NeedhamCarol Pollock
Chair
Professor Carol Pollock trained in renal medicine at Royal North Shore Hospital after graduating from the University of NSW in 1981. During her student years, she developed a strong interest in clinical research, completing a course in medical statistics and epidemiology and publishing 18 clinical papers prior to commencing her PhD in 1988. Her research interests in the cellular mechanisms underpinning progressive renal disease, with a focus on diabetic nephropathy, have since continued, as has her involvement in clinical research. In 1991 she was appointed as a senior lecturer at RNSH, and to the Chair of Medicine in 2000. In 2001 she was appointed as the Chairman of Research in the Northern Sydney Area Health Service, a role that with the merger of the Area Health Services in 2004 now encompasses responsibility for all research conducted within the Northern Sydney Central Coast Area Health Service (NSCCAHS).
Carol has twice received the Young Investigator Award of the ANZ Society of Nephrology (ANZSN), and in 2000 won a prestigious award for outstanding contributions to nephrological science. She has authored over 170 peer-reviewed publications, delivered numerous addresses to national medical societies and international meetings, and in September 2007 was Guest Professor at Kings College in London. She has also served as a member and Deputy Chair on many National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) panels in Cardiac, Renal and Exercise Physiology.
Carol has held numerous posts in the ANZSN, including Chair of the Scientific Programme and Education Committee, has served on the Research Committee of the College of Physicians and has examined regularly for the College. She was a Councillor on the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) for six years and served two years on the ISN's Executive Council. She is on the publications committee of the ISN with oversight of Kidney International, Nature Clinical Practice Nephrology and the Gateway website and is the Editor of ISN News. She has held committee chair positions in the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis, has been integrally involved with the organization of many scientific meetings for local and international societies, has participated in the writing of clinical guidelines for national and international societies and currently has editorial responsibilities for The Clin J Am Soc Nephrol, having previously been a subject Editor for Nephron and Nephrology.
Carol is currently Chairman of the Area Health Advisory Council for the NSCCAHS, and was appointed Chairman of the GMCT in early 2007. Additionally, she sits on several governmental committees supporting health service delivery and medical research activity, is a founding director and currently Chairman of BioMed North, a company supporting the development of intellectual property out of Area Health Services, and sits on the boards of several philanthropic organizations supporting medical research.
Hunter Watt
Chief Executive
A distinguished clinician, medical community leader, teacher and health services planner, Illawarra-based urologist Hunter Watt was appointed GMCT Chief Executive in October 2008, following the retirement of former Chief Executive Professor Peter Castaldi.
Hunter was appointed to GMCT's Governing Committee in 2007 and has practiced as an adult and paediatric urologist with the Northern Illawarra Hospitals Group for more than 25 years, having first been appointed a Visiting Medical Officer in 1982.
He was Chairman of the Division of Urology for the Illawarra Area Health Service from 1999 until 2005, Director of the Surgical/Peri-operative Stream for the South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area Health Service (SESIAHS), a member of the NSW Health Surgical Taskforce, and is a member of both the AHS Clinical Executive Committee and Area Health Advisory Council.
Hunter is a past Chairman of the Northern Illawarra Medical Staff Council, a position he held from 2004 until 2007, and a former President of the NSW Section of the Urological Society of Australasia.
Hunter was involved in medical education for many years, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. He also played a key role in planning and implementing a major reorganisation of renal transplantation services in the Illawarra region, and in improving the delivery of elective surgery services. Hunter welcomes the opportunities his appointment as GMCT Chief Executive will give him to further foster, develop and strengthen clinician engagement in the provision of public health services.
Kate Needham
Executive Director
Kate Needham completed her nursing qualifications at RNSH in 1979 and gained Intensive Care qualifications at St Vincent 's Hospital, Darlinghurst in the early 1980's. Kate has worked as an Intensive Care Clinical Nurse Specialist at Dubbo Base Hospital , the Mater Public and Private Hospitals, St Vincent's and Royal North Shore Hospitals . She has gained a diverse range of management expertise at Royal North Shore Hospital, the Mater Private Hospital and Westmead Hospital where she was appointed as the Clinical Stream Leader for Intensive Care Services for the Western Sydney Area (1998 - 2001) and Clinical Stream Director of Intensive Care Services for the Western Sydney Area Health Service (2001 - 2005).
Kate was a ministerial appointee as Nursing Co-Chair of the NSW Health Intensive Care Implementation Group which later became the Intensive Care Taskforce (2000 - 2006) with Professor Malcolm Fisher and was also a Ministerial appointee to the inaugural clinical peak body of NSW Health, the Clinical Council, from 2000 to 2004. She was closely involved as an Executive member of the GMTT and GMCT and played an integral role in 2002 as Co-Chair for the fledgling Stroke and Neurosurgical Networks with Dr Louis McGuigan. Both of these networks have developed into vibrant clinician-led Networks leading the way in providing evidence based practice for patients. Kate has been invited by Queensland and Victorian Health to advise on the provision of clinical services and has spoken at many national and international meetings.
In February 2006 Kate commenced as Executive Director of the GMCT bringing a depth of knowledge about clinical service provision in the NSW public health system. She strives for equity of access and outcome for NSW patients and endorses the involvement of clinicians and consumers in developing services.
