Health Through Ages and Stages | 2026 Conference
Saturday, 30 May 2026
Kingscliff, NSW
Bundjalung Nation
A one-day education event bringing together primary health professionals to explore contemporary care across every stage of life.
Healthy North Coast warmly invites you to join us for an engaging and practical event dedicated to evidence-based primary care for patients across the whole lifespan.
The Health Through Ages and Stages conference focuses on the implementation of updated practice guidelines, new research, and emerging models of care for primary health care professionals.
Sessions will be streamed into interest areas, allowing participants the flexibility to tailor their learning experience by choosing from:
- Preventative Care
- Clinical Updates
- Digital Health and AI
- Practical Workshops
Explore topics from child development and infant allergy to youth substance use and adult ADHD, asthma updates and dementia care as well as practical skills like CPR and Advanced Care Planning. The conference will showcase digital tools in mental health and aged care and explore some of the ethical and professional considerations when using AI and emergent technologies to improve patient outcomes.
Join us to connect, learn, and collaborate as we explore innovative approaches to delivering high-quality primary care. Together, we as primary health care professionals can improve quality of care for our local communities.
From conception to end of life, timely and comprehensive care is essential for preserving the health and well-being of our communities.
Peppers Salt Resort & Spa, Kingscliff
Saturday May 30, 2026
8:30am (for a 9:00am start) - 5:00pm
What to expect
The Healthy North Coast Health Through the Ages and Stages Conference is a one-day education event that offers dynamic interest-based streams for primary health professionals, catering to the unique role you play in your patient’s multidisciplinary team across all stages of life.
Register now for:
- A range of issues commonly managed in a primary health context from conception to end of life
- Flexible interest specific streams including preventative care, clinical updates and digital health and AI.
- Case studies, practical workshops and interdisciplinary discussions
- Optional certified CPR Training
- Networking and connection with health professionals in your area
- 8.5 CPD hours
Who should attend
GPs, GP registrars, nurses, allied health professionals, pharmacists, aged care and community health workers.
Conference details
The optional CPR training session is delivered by Pacific Coast First Aid. Students who successfully complete this nationally recognised training will be awarded the statement of attainment for HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Session times:
- 11:00am – 12:00pm
- 12.00pm – 1.00pm
You can choose to register for the CRP training as part of your conference registration. Please note that selecting a CPR session means you won’t be able to attend the concurrent session running in the main conference program.
Please note:
- A 30min online component needs to be completed prior to the on the day training.
- On the day registrations will not be allowed.
- Each workshop has a maximum of 15 attendees.
- $80pp Standard Rate
- $40pp Student Rate
- CPR Training (optional): $30pp (limited spaces available)
The Health Through the Ages and Stages Conference is all about the journey – but the location? It’s pure destination.
Peppers Salt Resort & Spa is just 15 minutes from Gold Coast Airport and 30 minutes from Byron Bay. Relax by lagoon-style pools, stroll along Kingscliff Beach, explore Salt Village’s vibrant seaside atmosphere, or rejuvenate at The Spa at Salt. It’s the perfect setting to learn, connect, and unwind.
Why not extend your stay, or bring the family for the ultimate weekend away?
We have secured a special room rate for the event. A 10% discount code and booking instructions will be provided with your conference registration.
View the resort – Peppers Resort & Spa
The Tweed Coast is overflowing with outdoor experiences, family-friendly attractions, local food and drink offerings and action-packed adventures. Ideas for family and partner activities will be announced soon!
From Port Macquarie
Approx. 4.5-hour drive north via the Pacific Highway (A1).
Attendees may also fly into Ballina Byron Gateway Airport or Gold Coast Airport (via Sydney).
From Coffs Harbour
Approx. 3-hour direct drive north on the Pacific Highway (A1).
From Ballina
Approx. 1-hour drive north on the M1.
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport offers direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne.
From Tweed Heads
Approx. 20 minutes south on the M1.
From Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta)
Gold Coast Airport is the closest major airport, located just 20 minutes north of Kingscliff. It offers domestic and international flights, making it the most convenient option for many travellers.
Why not arrange a group and carpool with colleagues?
Local Travel
Kingscliff and the wider Tweed region are serviced by multiple local bus routes.Taxi and rideshare options are also available.
The Health Through Ages and Stages Conference brings together primary health care professionals to explore updated practice guidelines, emerging research, and innovative models of care.
The conference runs from 8:30am to 5:00pm.
Healthy North Coast is seeking accreditation for GPs through RACGP & ACRRM for 8.5 hours.
All other professions will receive a Certificate of Attendance for their self-reporting CPD.
If you are looking for funding or support to join the Health Through Ages and Stages Conference, we recommend The Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) delivered administered in New South Wales by Rural Doctors Network (RDN).
The Health Workforce Scholarship Program (HWSP) provides scholarships and bursaries to help health professionals in rural and remote Australia retain and enhance their skills, capacity and scope of practice. The HWSP is available to medical, nursing, midwifery, allied health, dental and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals providing primary health care in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services sector, non-government organisations and private practice.
Please click here for further information.
- Round 4 – 2025/2026 applications are open between 01/04/2026 – 13/05/2026
For more information, please contact Healthy North Coast’s Education Team at education@hnc.org.au
A word from our GP Medical Educators...
Primary care health professionals play a vital role in supporting patients through every stage of life. The Health Through Ages and Stages Conference is designed to equip you with practical skills and evidence-based knowledge to deliver high-quality care - from conception to end of life. The event is designed to provide the opportunity to connect face-to-face with your colleagues and referral networks while obtaining key updates to support your practice.
Agenda
9:00am - 9:05am
Welcome from Healthy North Coast
9:05am - 9:15am
Welcome to Country
Acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Ngandowal and Minyungbal people of the Bundalung Nation, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. Pay your respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.
9:15am - 9:55am
Cross-Country Wisdom: Global Health Lessons for Australian Clinicians
9:55am - 10:35am
Carers Across the Lifespan – Identifying, Supporting and Partnering with Carers for Better Outcomes
10:35am - 11:00am
Morning Tea
11:00am - 11:50am
Preventative Care
Infant Feeding Updates: Practical Guidance for Allergy Prevention
Clinical Updates
From Guidelines to Practice: Updates for Safer Asthma Care
Digital Health & AI
Beyond the Hype: What Clinicians Should Know about AI Now
Practical Workshops
CPR Training
12:00pm - 12:50pm
Preventative Care
Fitness Beats Thinness: Nutrition and Movement for Lifelong Health
Clinical Updates
Dementia 2026: Biomarkers, Monoclonals and the Future of Brain Health
Digital Health & AI
AI Governance 101: What Every Clinician Must Understand Before Adopting AI Tools
Pratical Workshops
CPR Training
1:00pm - 1:45pm
Lunch
1:45pm - 2:35pm
Preventative Care
Beyond the Vape: Youth AOD Essentials for Allied and Primary Care
Clinical Updates
Recognise, Refer, Prevent: Practical RHD Tools for Primary Care
Digital Health & AI
Session 1:
Digital Tools Transforming Aged Care
Session 2:
Digital Tools Transforming Primary Care
Practical Workshops
Clinical Reasoning
2:45pm - 3:35pm
Preventative Care
Healthy Ageing Starts Now: Evidence-based Interventions to shift Ageing Outcomes
Clinical Updates
Adult ADHD in Primary Care: Your Questions Answered
Digital Health & AI
Session 3:
Digital Tools Transforming Mental Health
Session 4:
Digital Tools Transforming Allied Health
Practical Updates
Advanced Care Planning
3:35pm - 4:00pm
Afternoon Tea
4:00pm - 4:45pm
The Kids You Can’t Afford to Miss: Early Developmental Red Flags
4:45pm - 5:00pm
Final Reflections, Wrap Up & Close
*Times are subject to change
Will I get CPD Points for attending?
Healthy North Coast is seeking accreditation for GP’s through RACGP & ACRRM for 8.5 hours.
All other professions will receive a Certificate of Attendance for their self-reporting CPD.
Agenda
Registrations Open
Arrival Tea and Coffee
Introduction from Healthy North Coast & Welcome to Country by Uncle Victor Slockee
Acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Ngandowal and Minyungbal people of the Bundalung Nation, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. Pay your respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.
Cross-Country Wisdom: Global Health Lessons for Australian Clinicians
Session Overview: Why does system reform matter for everyday clinical practice?
This plenary brings you inside the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge & Innovation’s Pathways to Reform Exchange, distilling four days of intensive dialogue with global experts and senior Australian leaders into what matters most on the ground. It explores why system literacy and integrated care matter, and translates lessons learned, challenged and tested into practical implications for clinicians working within complex systems. A co-designed presentation, developed with senior healthcare leaders from across Australia and delivered by local students, brings these insights into focus for the North Coast, highlighting where small shifts in practice, coordination and decision-making can make a difference today. This is followed by a facilitated Q&A with faculty and participants.
Speaker: Professor Nick Goodwin
Professor Nick Goodwin is a global leader in integrated care and health system reform. He is Visiting Professor at the Centre for Research in Health System Performance at the National University of Singapore and a Senior Associate with the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC). Nick has advised governments and health systems internationally on the design and implementation of integrated care, with a focus on translating evidence into practical, system-wide change.
Speaker: Associate Professor Carmen Huckel Schneider
Associate Professor Carmen Huckel Schneider is Deputy Director of the Leeder Centre for Health Policy, Economics and Data at the University of Sydney. Her work focuses on health system performance, policy and reform, with particular expertise in translating evidence into practical improvements across complex health systems.
Speaker: Hans Erik Henriksen
Hans Erik Henriksen is Vice President at QUMEA and former CEO of Healthcare DENMARK. He brings over two decades of leadership in digital health, AI-enabled care and system transformation, with deep insight into Denmark’s shift toward value-based, data-driven healthcare and the evolving role of hospitals within integrated systems.
Speaker: Professor Soonman Kwon
Professor Soonman Kwon is a global expert in health financing and system reform, and former Dean of the School of Public Health at Seoul National University. With over 30 years’ experience, he advises the WHO on universal health coverage, long-term care financing and system resilience, with particular expertise in responding to ageing populations and redesigning care beyond hospitals.
Speaker: Dr Elana Curtis
Dr Elana Curtis is a Māori public health physician and system reform leader specialising in equity, cultural safety and Indigenous governance. She brings deep experience from Aotearoa New Zealand’s health reforms, including Te Aka Whai Ora, and a strong focus on embedding Indigenous leadership and community voice within health system design and delivery.
Speaker: Professor Paul Glasziou AO
Professor Paul Glasziou AO is an internationally recognised leader and former Director of the Institute for Evidence-Based Healthcare (2010-2024) and the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford (2003-2010). His work focuses on reducing research waste and strengthening the translation of evidence into practice, with extensive experience advising organisations such as NICE, PBAC and RACGP, and supporting clinicians to apply high-quality evidence in everyday care.
Speaker: Bronwyn Thirkell
Bronwyn Thirkell is the Coordinator of the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge & Innovation and leads Healthy North Coast’s partnership with the International Foundation for Integrated Care, delivering programs that connect global health reform with Australian practice. Her work focuses on building system literacy and enabling practical, integrated approaches to care across sectors.
Carers Across the Lifespan – Identifying, Supporting and Partnering with Carers for Better Outcomes
Session Overview:
This session explores the diverse experiences and challenges faced by carers at every stage of life, from children and young adults through to mid-life and older carers, including those supporting people nearing end-of-life. Join us to learn from carers with lived experience about the personal impact of their caring journey, and how we can best support carers in primary care settings. Discover practical ways to identify hidden carers and how to involve them in the care team to achieve improved outcomes for patients.
Speaker: Melissa Docker, Acting Executive Manager, Carers NSW
Speaker: Jenni Scott, Education Support Officer, Healthy North Coast
Jenni has experience in secondary school education, road safety awareness projects, rural health care access projects, and primary care clinician liaison and education. Her work on the HNC Healthy Carer’s Project has coincided with personal experiences supporting ageing family members through significant health challenges. Jenni has realised that even with some familiarity with the health system, the carer experience can be frustrating, frightening, isolating and all-consuming. She is eager to use her learnings to help improve carers’ access to all available supports.
Speaker: Dr Andy Williams, Carer
As the carer for his 98 year old father, Dr Andy, along with his wife, have experienced the highs and lows that this brings. Andy’s background of forty years as a medical practitioner has allowed him to bring many of the learned skills into the care of his Dad. While being his carer has also taught Andy many positive lessons he had not previously learnt.
Speaker: Marie Dudgeon, Carer, Parkinson’s Disease Support Group Coordinator
Marie is originally from Bangalow where she grew up and then raised her children. Marie has been a carer in some form for most of her life; parent, child day care and full-time care for her son Glen. Marie has been a voice for her community, currently as a Parkinson’s Disease Support Group Coordinator, as well as a community health board member for the LHD.
Morning Tea - 10:35am
Preventative Care
Get up to speed with the latest infant feeding guidelines and evidence-based strategies for allergy prevention. This session covers why early introduction of allergenic foods – especially peanuts – can reduce the risk of non-IgE mediated food allergies, and highlights the benefits of a diverse diet in infancy for both allergy prevention and lifelong health. Perfect for busy clinicians, you’ll gain practical tips to support families and help every child thrive.
Clinical Updates
Stay up to date with the latest asthma care recommendations in this essential session. Learn why the 2025 Australian Asthma Handbook no longer supports SABA-only therapy in adults and adolescents, explore the key updates for managing asthma across all age groups, and gain practical tips to help your patients while also reducing the environmental impact of inhaler use. Perfect for clinicians seeking evidence-based guidance and sustainable practice, this session delivers the insights you need for safer, greener asthma care.
Digital Health & AI
Discover the essentials of artificial intelligence in healthcare at this session, designed for clinicians keen to stay ahead of the curve. We’ll demystify AI, exploring its core concepts, models, and practical uses—from AI scribes and clinical coding to medical imaging, mole mapping, wearable tech, and robotic surgery. Gain insight into the real-world impact of these tools, learn about the current limitations and risks, and get a glimpse into what’s next for AI in medicine. Join us for an engaging, practical look at how AI is already transforming patient care, and what the future holds for digital health in Australia.
Dr David Glendinning is a Principal GP and Practice Owner at Goonellabah Medical Centre, in Northern NSW. He supervisors GP Registrars and Medical Students and is a Clinical Lecturer at the University Centre of Rural Health, Lismore. He is a member of the RACGP REC for Practice Technology and Management. He is also the Chief Clinical Information Officer for Northern NSW LHD. Prior to studying Medicine, he worked as a Systems Engineer and Project Manager within the Transport sector.
David and his family relocated from Sydney to the Northern Rivers for a medical student placement 12 years ago, fell in love with the region, and decided to stay!
Practical Workshop
This CPR training session is delivered by Pacific Coast First Aid. Students who successfully complete this nationally recognised training will be awarded the statement of attainment for HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Limited numbers apply.
Pacific Coast First Aid is a locally owned, family‑run training provider offering nationally recognised First Aid, CPR, and water‑safety courses across Byron Bay and Casuarina. Known for flexible learning options and friendly, experienced trainers, they provide both community classes and workplace training on behalf of Allens Training Pty Ltd RTO 90909.
Preventative Care
Explore the long-term health benefits of boosting functional capacity through nutrition, and movement. This session highlights what you and your patients can change—focusing on key modifiable factors—and explains why building functional capacity matters more than weight alone. Join us to discover evidence-based strategies that promote lifelong health by putting function first.
Nathan O’Connor is an experienced musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapist working in private practice on the Coffs Coast. His experience spans over a decade working in private practice and professional sport, managing a wide range of conditions and clients across all ages and fitness levels. Currently working as the Clinical Services Manager at Mid North Coast Allied Health on the Coffs Coast, he is responsible for overseeing a MDT of over 30 clinicians, including physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, occupational therapists and a dietitian, fostering an interdisciplinary approach among the team to optimise client health and wellbeing across the life span.
Having graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2004, Adelle is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, Accredited Sports Dietitian, and the Principal Dietitian at Body Balance Nutrition in Ballina. Her extensive travel has given her the opportunity to work across a range of countries and cultures—including the UK, Tonga and Fiji—and in diverse areas of Nutrition and Dietetics such as hospital care and community nutrition, before establishing her private practice in 2011.
As a perimenopausal mother of two teenagers, a business owner, and a support person for her partner, parents, in‑laws and 99‑year‑old grandmother, Adelle brings both first‑hand experience and clinical expertise to understanding nutritional needs across the many “ages and stages” of life.
Clinical Updates
Get up to speed with the latest in dementia care. This session clearly explains how to distinguish mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from dementia, explores the newest diagnostic tools – such as blood-based biomarkers – and unpacks cutting-edge therapeutic advances including monoclonal antibody therapies. Perfect for clinicians wanting practical insights into the future of brain health.
Peter is an experienced GP, GP Supervisor and Medical Educator. He joined Dementia Training Australia as a Medical Educator in 2022. He has worked in many primary health sectors and currently works as a GP as the lead clinician at Rekindling The Spirit Health Service in Lismore (AMS).
Digital Health and AI
Artificial intelligence offers significant opportunities in healthcare, but its adoption must be safe, ethical, and well governed. This session explores the clinical governance frameworks required to implement AI responsibly, including confidentiality, informed consent, error checking, and safeguard mechanisms. Participants will also gain an overview of key medicolegal considerations, such as medical indemnity, TGA regulation of AI products, privacy and data protection obligations, and cyber security risks.
Dr Jamie Ioane is a General Practitioner at First Light Healthcare Ballina and an RACGP Fellowship Support Program Registrar with a background spanning clinical medicine, psychiatry, and health technology. Having trained as an Advanced Psychogeriatric Registrar for seven years before moving to General Practice, he brings rare insight into mental health, ageing, and complex care. Frustrated by health IT systems that hinder rather than support clinicians, Jamie works as a Clinical UX Specialist and Health Technology Consultant helping design digital healthcare interventions and advising organisations on health IT strategy. A former board director of Ignite Aotearoa and member of the New Zealand National AI Advisory and Ethics Advisory Group (NAIAEAG), he brings a clinician-first perspective to AI governance in healthcare.
Practical Workshop
This CPR training session is delivered by Pacific Coast First Aid. Students who successfully complete this nationally recognised training will be awarded the statement of attainment for HLTAID009 Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
Limited numbers apply.
Lunch - 1:00pm
Preventative Care
From vapes to cannabis, methamphetamine to novel substances, this session will provide a valuable update about how patterns of substance use in young people continue to change. Relevant for GPs, nurses and allied health clinicians who work with young people in general clinical settings, the session will cover the essentials of how to identify and respond to substance use in young people, including resources to support clinical care and service navigation.
From chasing goannas in the remote Central Australian desert to leading Human Nature’s clinical team in the Northern Rivers, Kane’s journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to connecting with people. His early career in out-of-home care exposed him to the profound impacts of trauma and the importance of meeting young people exactly where they are.
Now an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and Clinical Lead at Human Nature, Kane provides leadership to a team of mental health professionals delivering therapeutic support to young people with complex needs. He is passionate about building trust, removing barriers to mental health care, and ensuring support is grounded in authentic relationships and young person–led practice. Through his leadership, Kane is committed to empowering young people and fostering meaningful, lasting change in their lives.
Clinical Updates
Rheumatic heart disease continues to have a significant burden on Aboriginal people in the North Coast. This session will empower GPs with practical tools to assist in the diagnosis, management and prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, and important considerations for culturally safe care and community engagement.
Dr Marion Tait is a GP working in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation sector now for more than 18 years. She is currently based in Northern NSW, working at Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation Richmond Valley. Marion has been involved with medical education, the PHN, the Lismore Sexual Assault service, and is currently co-chair of a Clinical Working party – an innovative group of Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) GPs and Directors of Departments at Lismore Base Hospital who meet monthly to problem solve current barriers to good clinical care for patients moving between the AMS and the local Health district. Developing an Acute Rheumatic Fever-Rheumatic Heart Disease Clinical pathway was their first successful project.
Eileen Byers is a proud Wahlubal woman living and working on Bundjalung Country. She is a dedicated Aboriginal Health Practitioner with over 10 years experience at Bulgarr Ngaru Aboriginal Medical Service, where she is deeply committed to improving health outcomes for her community. Eileen is also a qualified Audiometrist and brings a broad skillset to her role, supporting patients across a range of health needs.More recently, she has been involved in Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) work alongside Dr Marion and Eileen’s sister Jenna, contributing to prevention, education, and care within the community. She is passionate about community-led health care and values the opportunity to work both locally and in remote communities, building strong connections and delivering culturally safe care.
Digital Health and AI
Discover how AI scribe tools are reshaping clinical workflows in general practice at this session. We’ll unpack the highlights from the recent pilot program, discuss the limitations and common pitfalls of AI scribes, and guide you on recognising features that can genuinely enhance your practice. Hear practical examples of successful AI scribe adoption and learn what makes these digital tools work effectively in real-world settings. Ideal for clinicians interested in integrating AI to streamline documentation and improve patient care.
Practical Workshop
Preventative Care
Discover practical, evidence-based ways to talk with your patients about health risk factors. This session focuses on person-centred, non-judgemental communication and proven strategies to help adults make positive lifestyle changes. Gain the tools to empower your patients and support healthier choices at every stage of life.
Having graduated in Nutrition and Dietetics in 2004, Adelle is an Accredited Practising Dietitian, Credentialed Eating Disorder Clinician, Accredited Sports Dietitian and the Principal Dietitian for Body Balance Nutrition in Ballina. As a wide traveller, Adelle has professional experience working in various countries and cultures, including the UK, Tonga and Fiji, and across various fields of Nutrition and Dietetics, including hospital and community nutrition, before establishing her private practice in 2011. ‘As a perimenopausal mother of 2 teenagers, business owner and support person for her partner, parents, inlaws and 99yr old grandmother, Adelle has first-hand experience and clinical knowledge of the nutritional needs across the “ages and stages” of life’.
Nathan O’Connor is an experienced musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapist working in private practice on the Coffs Coast. His experience spans over a decade working in private practice and professional sport, managing a wide range of conditions and clients across all ages and fitness levels. Currently working as the Clinical Services Manager at Mid North Coast Allied Health on the Coffs Coast, he is responsible for overseeing a MDT of over 30 clinicians, including physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, occupational therapists and a dietitian, fostering an interdisciplinary approach among the team to optimise client health and wellbeing across the life span.
Amanda Moss is a Registered Nurse and co-practice owner at Woodburn Health, with over 15 years’ experience in primary health care. She is a strong advocate for nurses in general practice and has supported the profession through mentoring with APNA. Amanda is passionate about improving patient care and strengthening the role of nursing in the community. In recognition of her dedication and leadership, she was awarded the 2025 Nursing Excellence Award by Healthy North Coast.
Anne has been a registered nurse for 45 years, working across several settings, specializing in the field of Psychogeriatrics / Dementia. She became the first Nurse Practitioner Psychogeriatrics in Australia in 2006.
Anne is the chair of the Dementia Inclusive Ballina Alliance, working toward making the Ballina Shire Dementia Friendly. She was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2006 for services to dementia; in 2021 the Public Service medal: for providing exceptional service to NSW Health since 1973, being regarded by nurses and health professionals, locally and nationally, as a leader, mentor and expert in dementia and delirium care.
Anne recently retired from her role at Alstonville Clinic and the Aged Care Sector. She holds life membership with the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners and serves as a professional member on the NSW Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Jo has a passion for community-led health innovation, with a strong focus on healthy ageing, social prescribing, and the social determinants of health. At Healthy North Coast, she oversees strategies to help people live well for longer by fostering connection, purpose, and early access to support.
Jo has extensive experience designing and implementing community-based solutions that deliver improved health outcomes. Her work champions partnership, co-design, and whole-of-system change — including the development of social prescribing models, community navigation, and early intervention programs tailored to older people.
Previously, Jo was Head of Be Someone For Someone at Feros Care, a national initiative addressing loneliness and isolation through reconnection and social prescribing programs. Under her leadership, the program contributed to shaping national and global policy conversations on social prescribing and community wellbeing.
Jo is driven by the belief that health is more than clinical care — it’s about connection, dignity, and ensuring every person has the opportunity to age well and to connect to community and country.
Clinical Updates
With the rate of adults prescribed stimulant medication for ADHD in Australia soaring, GPs are increasingly being asked to support patients with ongoing medication monitoring and management. This interactive session will provide a valuable opportunity for primary care clinicians to have your questions about ADHD diagnosis and management answered by our local experts. We will address common issues in clinical practice including side effect management, sleep issues and the recent legislative changes for stimulant prescribing.
Dr Hugh Morgan is a Consultant Psychiatrist with 20+ years’ expertise in ADHD across the lifespan and complex comorbidities. Co-director of Mindcare Centre (Mullumbimby) and consultant at Rekindling the Spirit Aboriginal Medical Service, supporting First Nations mental health. Casual Academic at the University of Sydney Rural Clinical School (Northern Rivers), teaching medical students, registrars, GPs, and allied health professionals nationally. Currently Chair of the NSW Psychotropic Subcommittee. A recognised public voice on ADHD, engaging across television, radio, and print to promote evidence-based understanding and reduce stigma.
Heidi is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice with an interest in neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, OCD) and trauma. After 25 years of practicing in Sydney Heidi moved to rural Northern NSW where she works at a general practice in Mullumbimby. Heidi has an interest in helping people embrace their neurodiversity, and adapt their environment and skill set to better support their nervous system. Heidi also enjoys helping people navigate trauma and life stressors using EMDR and other psychotherapeutic approaches.
Digital Health & AI
This session provides a practical overview of the growing range of digital health tools, apps, and services available to support mental health care. Participants will explore the limitations and pitfalls of these tools, including issues around confidentiality, privacy, follow‑up, and duty of care. Through real‑world examples, the session will also discuss how digital health tools can be safely and effectively incorporated into clinical workflows. A useful and timely session for clinicians looking to navigate and integrate digital solutions in mental health practice.
David Edwards is a Worimi man who grew up in Turrbal/Jagera country and now lives in the Bundjalung lands of northern NSW. David works under the national e-Mental Health in Practice from University of Sydney’s University Centre for Rural Health (UCRH) in Lismore NSW as Director of the WellMob website program that provides a digital library of Aboriginal and Torres Strait specific wellbeing resources. David has a science and Indigenous health promotion background and brings over 30 years of experience in working with community on looking after country, culture and community health and employment. David has contributed to the Dept of Health, Aging and Communities National Digital Mental Health Advisory Group (2022-24) and also represents on other national mental health and wellbeing Indigenous governance groups including Emerging Minds, Beyond Blue, and Australian Eating Disorders Research Translation Group (Inside Out).
Heidi Sturk is the Director of eMHPrac (e-Mental Health in Practice) at Queensland University of Technology. Heidi oversees the development, delivery and evaluation of training and support on digital mental health to health practitioners nationwide. She holds a Master of Organisational Psychology and has worked in applied mental health research and workforce training for the last 30 years. Heidi has an in-depth knowledge of the Australian digital mental health sector and serves on several national advisory groups. She champions the safe and evidence-based integration of technology for mental health treatment, support and connection.
Aaron is a proud Coffs Coast local and the Managing Principal of Mid North Coast Allied Health, leading a network of nine multidisciplinary clinics delivering high quality care across the region. As a Regional Partner with Healthia, one of Australia’s largest allied health networks, he brings strong leadership and strategic insight to the sector. A sought after speaker and co author of Exploding the Middle Age Myth!, Aaron combines clinical expertise with a passion for innovation. He shares practical, real world perspectives on integrating AI and digital tools in allied health, exploring what’s working, what’s emerging, and how technology is reshaping patient care.
Practical Workshop
Afternoon Tea 3:35pm
The Kids You Can’t Afford to Miss: Early Developmental Red Flags
Session Overview:
Global developmental delay often presents as accumulating concerns, not a single red flag. Early intervention should focus on function and participation, not labels alone. Families need clear communication, coordination and reassurance. Multidisciplinary primary care, supported by regional programs like Healthy North Coast, is central to improving outcomes.
Speaker: Dr Ulrike Schmidt, Paediatrician, Coastal Child Health
Uli has been a paediatrician in Northern NSW for over 15 years. She studied at Humboldt University zu Berlin and worked there and in London. She worked and studied in Argentina and Senegal. Early in her career she worked in intensive care and retrieval Paediatrics. In 2003 she came to Australia. Uli trained as a respiratory and sleep fellow at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead. She is a member of Australian Society of Immunology and Allergy, The European Association of Allergy and Immunology, and The Australian Society of Developmental Paediatrics. She teaches and supports junior staff and medical students.
Speaker: Dr Marion Tait, General Practitioner, Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation
Dr Marion Tait is a GP working in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation sector now for more than 18 years. She is currently based in Northern NSW, working at Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation Richmond Valley. Marion has been involved with medical education, the PHN, the Lismore Sexual Assault service, and is currently co-chair of a Clinical Working party – an innovative group of Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) GPs and Directors of Departments at Lismore Base Hospital who meet monthly to problem solve current barriers to good clinical care for patients moving between the AMS and the local Health district. Developing an Acute Rheumatic Fever-Rheumatic Heart Disease Clinical pathway was their first successful project.
Speaker: Dr Sarah Mollard, General Practitioner, HealthPathways Clinical Editor Lead and Medical Educator, Healthy North Coast
Speaker: Caroline Henning, Speech Pathologist (Child and Family), Community and Allied Health, Northern NSW Local Health District
Caroline has worked within NNSWLHD’s Tweed-Byron Child and Family Allied Health team for the past 13 years. She is based at Byron Central Hospital and Pottsville HealthOne, but also works at Murwillumbah Community Health and Tweed Valley Hospital from time to time. Caroline works in the multidisciplinary KidScreen developmental screening clinic with her OT and physio colleagues. She also works closely with the public health paediatricians, paediatric dieticians, and social workers to provide child focused, family centred care. As well as her work in public health, Caroline sees private NDIS-funded clients one day a week.
Speaker: Sara Gloede, Child, Youth and Family Clinical Network – Strategy and Coordination Lead
Sara Gloede is the Child, Youth and Family Clinical Network – Strategy and Coordination Lead at Northern NSW Local Health District. She has extensive experience in health system reform, clinical networks, health promotion, and international development. Sara holds a Master of Public Health and a Master of Applied Anthropology and Community Development, and enjoys translating policy into integrated, evidence based service delivery through collaboration, evaluation and strategic partnership.
Speaker: Kristy Harris, Director & Occupational Therapist, Empowered Kids
Kristy Harris is a paediatric Occupational Therapist and Director of Empowered Kids, a Tweed Heads–based practice supporting children and families across Northern NSW and the Southern Gold Coast. With over a decade of clinical experience, she leads a team of occupational therapists delivering strengths-based, evidence-informed services for children with developmental differences. Kristy has a strong focus on early identification and collaborative practice, working in partnership with families, schools and early childhood professionals to support children within their everyday environments. She is committed to advancing integrated, team-based approaches that promote meaningful and sustainable outcomes for children and their support networks.
Final Reflections, Wrap Up & Close
Nibbles and Networking
Final Reflections, Wrap up & Close
*Times are subject to change
Will I get CPD Points for attending?
Healthy North Coast is seeking accreditation for GPs through RACGP & ACRRM for 8.5 hours.
All other professions will receive a Certificate of Attendance for their self-reporting CPD.
Register for the Health Through Ages and Stages 2026 Conference!
The Health Through Ages and Stages 2026 conference, delivered by Healthy North Coast, has been developed in collaboration with a valued group of sponsors whose support plays a vital role in making this event possible. We are grateful for their commitment to strengthening primary health care education and supporting professionals across the North Coast region.
