Ironbark Senior Project Officer
Leanne McCarthy
PhD Candidate, MPH
Medicine & Health
School of Population Health
Bio
Leanne McCarthy is a Wiradjuri woman. Her bloodlines run through the Central West Region of NSW. For over 25 years she has worked in a variety of health roles including NSW Health. Leanne is currently working as a Senior Project Officer with the University of New South Wales on the Ironbark Standing Strong and Tall falls prevention program for older Aboriginal people. She is currently doing a PhD on falls and hip fracture prevention for older Aboriginal people. Leanne has worked on a variety of projects with Aboriginal communities and values the power of our strength, resilience and lived experiences.
Email
Academic Achievements
- PhD Candidate, School of Population Health, University of New South Wales
- Master of Public Health, University of New South Wales 2020
- Aboriginal Population Health Traineeship 2019-2021
- Diploma of Leadership and Management 2019
- NBMLHD Leading Best Practice 2017
- Cert IV Frontline Management 2015
- Cert III Assistant in Nursing 2013
Committees/Memberships
- Yana Yarabana Aboriginal Community Organisation – Founding board member
- Nepean Community Neighbourhood Services – Board member
- Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council – external ethics reviewer
Current research
- Thesis: Culturally appropriate tools for the prevention of hip fracture in older Aboriginal people living in NSW: Results of a co-design process
- Ironbark – evaluation of barriers to implementation
- Establishing diversity and culturally competent care for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) consumers and carers in postnatal and children ward units
- Caring for patients of Islamic Faith from Diverse backgrounds: Navigating cultural barriers in Paediatric Care - $10,000 successful inclusion collaborative workforce seeding grant.
- The co-design of research priorities for Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District
Projects and experiences
- Senior Project Officer, Ironbark Standing Strong and Tall Aboriginal Falls prevention program
- Team leader for the Public Health COVID 19 response
- Support Aboriginal Health Unit and local community neighbourhood centre with pop up Covid testing clinic.
- Research lead for the Climate Resilient Health care Working Group
- Sexual Health Promotion project – Peer sexual health education for Aboriginal people in NBMLHD.
- Development of Model of Care for Mootang Tarimi bus and Implementation Plan
- STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) student mentor for the Climate Resilient Healthcare Working Group and the Sydney Science Park
- Mentor for the Koori Kids and Health Inspiration student program for NBMLHD and Western Sydney Schools
- Research and evaluation of Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM) Hepatitis C Aboriginal Health Worker training
- Development of NBMLHD Aboriginal vaccination strategy
- Population Health Research Strategy Development
- NBMLHD Sustainability Committee representative for Director Allied Health, Research and Strategic Partnerships
- Western Sydney Health Alliance Steering Committee representative for NBMLHD
- Healthy Places representative for collaboration with WSLHD & SWSLHD strategic priorities, joint consultations, research, and partnerships
- Penrith Health Action Plan strategy development with Penrith Council, NGOs and LHD
- Acute rheumatic fever/rheumatic heart disease training needs assessment for Aboriginal Health Workers in NBMLHD
- NBMLHD Immunisation Action Plan 2019-2023
- Exposure of children to passive smoking at schools in NBMLHD
- Surveillance of heat stress admissions captured during the January 2019 heatwave in NBMLHD.
- Communicable diseases investigations
- Tobacco surveillance
- Evacuation Centre assessments
- Lead testing
- Body farm inspection
- Public Health on call services