Our Team
Kristine Battye
Director and Senior Consultant
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health, JCU
Adjunct Associate Professor, Charles Sturt University
B Sc (Hons), PhD, MBA, GAICD
Dr Kristine Battye is the Managing Director of KBC Australia, a public policy consulting firm specialising in policy analysis, program evaluation and strategic advice to governments and non-government organisations. As an applied researcher, Kristine understands research methodology, tailoring it to the real world requirements of program evaluation, needs assessments, service and program modelling and re-design. Kristine is focused on producing deliverables that are “do-able” and sustainable, and is known for producing high quality outcomes.
Kristine’s skills include: qualitative and quantitative research design, information synthesis and analysis; critical and creative thinking to develop innovative models and solutions; ability to produce high quality and comprehensive reports and publications; effective presentation and small group facilitation; strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage with, and form relationships across tiers of government, and at community level.
Kristine has extensive experience across the health landscape and has designed and led in excess of 150 projects at the national, state-wide, regional and local level since the establishment of the consulting firm in 2001. In addition to a comprehensive portfolio of program evaluations and review, Kristine has undertaken a range of projects to develop new rural and remote services and programs as well as rural workforce development strategies.
Catherine Sefton
Senior Consultant
DPH MPH, BA(Hons)
Dr Sefton has a background in public sector management, academia, local government and the community sector. Since 2009 she has worked as a consultant with KBC undertaking a wide range of evaluations, reviews and planning projects. She has developed a deep understanding of and commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of rural communities.
Dr Sefton brings to the KBC team a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Australian health system as well as the working of both State and Federal government and the public sector. She has extensive experience in the development and implementation of public policy in the Australian Government, Department of Health as well as local government and the community sector. Previous government roles include involvement in the management of a range of federal health programs in NSW including Divisions of General Practice, PHCRED, UDRHs and programs funded through the Officer of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.
Dr Sefton has managed the implementation of a range of government programs across the health and aged care sectors and has a thorough understanding of the requirements of government in relation to tenders and grants.
Dr Sefton has highly developed skills in negotiation, problem solving and facilitation and has experience in working with people and organisations from a broad range of backgrounds and sectors.
Sally Butler
Data Analyst
Bachelor of Nursing, MBiostats (in progress)
Sally is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience working within the Australian health care system. Since joining KBC in 2015 she has participated in a number of evaluations, statistical modelling and health needs assessments.
Sally has well developed research skills and experience in linear regression modelling, survival analysis, survey design and analysis, manipulation and analysis of large datasets, design of randomized clinical trials and epidemiology
Amy Gormly
Business Manager
B.Bus (Management)
Amy has extensive experience in the service industry, medical device regulation, manufacturing quality systems and healthcare supply chain. Amy has practical working knowledge of healthcare tenders and contract management in the public and private sector.
Amy is skilled in all areas of business and able to coordinate all aspects of business management at a day to day level whilst also maintaining a focus on strategic direction and medium to longer term business planning.
Associates
Professor Janie Smith
Janie Dade Smith is a rural woman, an award-winning author, academic, consultant and project manager. She has worked extensively as a health educationalist in national curriculum development, program accreditation, educational resource development, policy development, program evaluation, organisational review, Indigenous health, and research across all health disciplines – medicine, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Dr Hugh Burke
Dr Burke’s expertise is in the management of and delivery of population health programs, epidemiology and primary health care services, particularly in the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector and the rural and remote setting. As a medical practitioner, Dr Burke has a deep understanding of health service provision in both the public health system and general practice, enhanced by his additional qualifications in public health and comprehensive population health based skills. Dr Burke brings a combination of technical and strategic skills and extensive organisational leadership experience to his consulting. His work is characterised by its depth, realism and commitment to clinical and population health quality
Dr Louise Roufeil
Louise brings a high level current knowledge of the primary mental health sector and related policy initiatives in Australia; familiarity with the PHN sector; high level understanding of the Australian health and community care system; qualitative and quantitative research design, information synthesis and analysis; critical thinking to develop innovative models and solutions; ability to produce high quality and comprehensive reports. Louise’s understanding of the Australian primary mental health sector has developed over 25 years from her initial practice as a mental health clinician in regional Australia and been developed through various service management, consultancy, policy and research roles at the state and national level.
Dr Joseph (Mark) Thomas
Joseph Thomas is an applied economist focusing on issues of health, education and the environment.Joseph has experience in mixed methods research design and qualitative synthesis and has undertaken participatory observation in a number of Indigenous Australian community settings. Joseph’s key quantitative skills include applied econometrics using matching estimators for the estimation of treatment effects (and relevant post-estimation diagnostic procedures), generalised linear models, principal component and factor analysis, and non-parametric techniques
Dr Shannon Springer
Shannon is an Aboriginal and Australian South Sea Islander from Mackay. He is a GP and a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and is currently the Vice President of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association. Shannon has held academic teaching appointments at Bond University and Griffith University. Shannon has been involved in the multiple national committees around rural, remote and Indigenous health including the National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
Professor Isabelle Skinner
Professor Isabelle Skinner (nee Ellis) is a Co-founder and Managing Director of Decision Support Analytics Pty Ltd. As a consultant she has conducted a broad range of evaluations to address complex health and social problems such as the evaluation of the Bushfire Ready Neighbourhood program for Tasmania Fire Services; health service development such as the Northern Territory Telehealth Service Development for Royal Darwin Hospital and Key performance Indicator Development for Diabetes Services for the Western Australian Department of Health and Diabetes WA; as well as independent evaluations of academic programs, and processes such as the Evaluation of the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program in partnership with KBC. Professor Skinner is an expert in case study methodologies and action research.
Professor Skinner is an experienced leader and manager in the health and higher education sectors in Australia and Internationally having recently held the role of CEO for the International Council of Nurses. She has worked across the University and Vocational Education sectors in a range of leadership roles including Head of School for Nursing and Midwifery for University of Tasmania, Director of the Office of Learning and Teaching for Charles Darwin University and Associate Dean Research and Research Training for the Faculty of Engineering, Health Science and the Environment and on the Board of Governors for the Pilbara TAFE. She has expertise in rural remote and Indigenous health and holds an Adjunct Professorial appointment with James Cook University Centre for Rural and Remote Health and the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery. She is a Fellow of CRANAplus, the professional association for remote health professionals in Australia and has served on the Board and as President
Rachel Wilkins
Rachel works as a Registered Nurse in tertiary and regional hospitals within NSW. In addition to her clinical experience, Rachel has worked with non-government and international agencies including the Clinton Foundation and the World Health Organization to implement local and national public health programs of work. She has also performed a number of reviews for community organisations and larger agencies. Rachel’s skills include the manipulation and analysis of large data sets, program documentation and data analysis, literature searching and reporting, survey development and analysis.