Everyone has the
right to die painlessly
and peacefully

A/Prof Anthony Herbert joined the PCQ Board in 2020 and has been President since 2022.

He has been Medical Director of the Paediatric Palliative Care Service at the Queensland Children’s Hospital since November 2014.  He has an interest in research related to symptom  management, communication, virtual reality and advance care planning.  He is also involved in education as project lead of the Quality of Care Collaborative of Australia (QuoCCA) for education in Paediatric Palliative Care.  He a Senior Lecturer with the University of Queensland where he teaches medical students.  He is also Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology and University of Technology Sydney for his research roles.  His prior Board experience includes National Secretary of CMDFA and Secretary of AusHEAL.

Mrs Karen Gower RN Grad Dip (Cancer Nursing) Master Nursing Science (NP)

Karen was the Clinical Nurse Manager of the Wesley Palliative Care Service from 2003 to 2013 having worked in Oncology since 1989. In 2011 she attended QUT Kelvin Grove to complete Masters in Nursing Science to become a Nurse Practitioner (NP).

In 2013 Karen joined Blue Care – Metro North Community Service, as the first community NP for Blue Care. She was fortunate to be part of a project funded through Department of Health and Ageing to ascertain if having a nurse practitioner working with the community domiciliary service would support palliative clients and their families to care for their family member at home. These clients were, generally, in the last three months of life due to a life limiting illness. Working with the client’s GP and or specialist palliative care service at their treating hospital as part of an integrated service showed a significant improvement in service provision and the position was supported to continue across Metro North once the project finished in 2015.

In 2015 Blue Care were fortunate to win a Metro North Queensland Health tender to provide community palliative care funded by Queensland Health. Family satisfaction surveys showed families felt supported to continue caring for their loved one at home and grateful to be able to fulfil their family members wish to remain at home.

In 2017, with changes to funding in Metro North, Karen joined the Metro South Palliative Care Service Queensland Health working part time delivering palliative care in the community whilst continuing to work part time with Blue Care. It has been a privilege to journey with these clients and their families enabling them to remain in their place of choice – whether that be in their own home or in hospital.

Emily works as a Senior Financial and Tax Accountant for Corporate Travel Management Australia and New Zealand, an ASX listed global travel management company. Emily has a background working in both commercial and public practice accounting roles providing accounting and tax advisory services to clients across various sizes and industries. Emily became a qualified Chartered Accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in February 2022 and completed her studies for her Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Information Technology at the Queensland University of Technology in 2018.

Emily is the General Manager External Affairs at Medibank, a health company providing private health insurance and health services, including palliative care at home, to 4 million people in Australia.

Emily has also held senior leadership roles in ASX-listed organisations National Australia Bank and AMP.

Emily has a Masters of Business specialising in Organisational Leadership and Management of Organisational Change, and a Bachelor of Journalism. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Senior Executive Fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School.