Obstetric Critical Care Symposium 2026
Obstetric Critical Care Symposium 2026
Set in the vibrant river city of Brisbane, this dynamic two-day conference will bring together leaders, innovators, and frontline clinicians to explore one of the most rapidly evolving and challenging areas in modern healthcare: obstetric critical care.
Hosted in collaboration with Mater Mothers' Hospital - the largest maternity centre in Australia - this event sits at the heart of excellence in maternal care. Against this backdrop, participants will engage with the growing recognition that the care of critically ill pregnant and postpartum women represents a unique intersection of physiology, urgency, and compassion.
Obstetric critical care is an emerging field that demands more than expertise in a single discipline. It requires true multidisciplinary collaboration, bringing together specialists in intensive care, obstetrics, obstetric medicine, anaesthetics, emergency medicine, and pre-hospital retrieval medicine, alongside midwifery and a broad spectrum of allied health professionals. It is further enriched by input from medical and surgical sub-specialties, all contributing to the complex tapestry of care required for these patients.
This conference will showcase how these diverse teams can work not just in parallel, but in synchrony—sharing insights, refining systems, and building a model of care that is greater than the sum of its parts. Through keynote sessions, case-based discussions, and collaborative forums, attendees will explore what team excellence truly looks like in this high-stakes environment.
Yet at its core, this conference is grounded in a simple, powerful truth: amidst the complexity, technology, and urgency of critical care, we must never lose sight of the individuals at the centre of it all—the mother and her child. Their journey, often marked by uncertainty and vulnerability, calls for not only clinical excellence, but deep humanity.
Join us in Brisbane for two inspiring days of learning, connection, and shared purpose—where disciplines converge, ideas ignite, and the future of obstetric critical care takes shape.
In-person attendees will have access to the recording links for one month after the symposium
Location
Friday 11th and Saturday 12th September
Brisbane City Hall, King George Square, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Ticket Pricing (by Discipline)
Two days
Medical - $600
Nursing / Allied Health / All Other - $500
Student - $300
One day - $300
Virtual Option: Live and Recorded - $400
Program
Click below to see the detailed program
Program
- 8:00 am - 5:30 pm
8:00 – 8:30 Registration & Arrival 8:30 – 8:45 Welcome & Opening Remarks 8:45 – 9:30 Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation in the Obstetric Patient - Dr. Stephen Lapinsky 9:30 – 10:15 RADIANT: Consumer Co-designed National Best Practice Principles for the Elimination of Weight Stigma in Maternity Care - Professor Leonie Callaway 10:15 – 10:30 Morning Tea Break Morning Breakaway Sessions Stream A 10:30 – 11:15 Microtraumas in Critical Care - Megan Dale 11:15 – 12:00 Baby/Mother Interface - Caitlyn Lynagh / Dr. Asher Dixon Stream B 10:30 – 11:15 Pulmonary Embolism / Mechanical Clot Retrieval - Dr. David Mackintosh 11:15 – 12:00 Interventional Radiology in Pregnancy - Dr. Arani Halder 12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break Afternoon Breakaway Sessions Stream A - Haemorrhage in Pregnancy 1:00 – 1:45 Post-partum Haemorrhage - Dr. Sarah Maguire 1:45 – 2:30 Pre-Hospital Obstetric/Antepartum Haemorrhage - Dr. Claire Bertenshaw Stream B 1:00 – 1:45 Occupational Therapy in clinical care - Ms. Esther Van Raalte 1:45 – 2:30 Obstetric Midwifery Group Practice - Ms. Naomi Homel / Ms. Abby Murphy Stream C - The Bleeding Clotting Tightrope 1:00 – 1:45 When the Clot Thickens: Obstetric Haematology in Critical Care - Dr. Caroline Wilson 1:45 – 2:30 Placenta Accreta Spectrum MDTs - Dr. Emma Patterson / Dr. Alyce Burgess 2:30 – 2:45 Afternoon Break Main Conference Plenary Sessions (All Attendees) 2:45 – 3:30 Trauma in Pregnancy - A/Prof Frances Williamson MBBS(Hons) FACEM CCPU PGDipClinUS MScTrauma; Professor Rebecca Kimble MBBS, FRANZCOG, MHLM, AFRACMA, Ms Cara Cox Clinical Nurse/ Midwife Consultant 3:30 – 4:30 Consumer Representative Experience 4:30 – 4:45 Day Close & Announcements
Sponsored by
CPD
The following Colleges have approved the Obstetric Critical Care Symposium 2026 as a CPD activity.
College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) - approved for 20 hours Educational Activities
Australian College of Emergency Medicine (AECM) - approved for 17 ACEM CPD hours
More will be added as they are confirmed.
ANZCA does not issue blanket approval CPD for events—members can claim their attendance under “learning session”.
Speakers
Stephen E. Lapinsky MB BCh, MSc, FRCPC
Stephen Lapinsky is a Pulmonary and Critical Care physician at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto and Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. He trained in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine in Johannesburg, and since 1994 he has been at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto. He was Director of the Intensive Care Unit from 2004 to 2020. His clinical and research interests are in critical illness and pulmonary diseases in the pregnant patient. He has published more than 60 research papers, reviews, editorials and book chapters in this field. He is past President of the North American Society for Obstetric Medicine (NASOM), and co-Editor-in-Chief for the journal Obstetric Medicine.
Claire Bertenshaw BN, MBBS (Hons), CCPU, FACEM
Claire Bertenshaw is an Emergency Medicine Specialist. She is currently the Acting Medical Director at the Queensland Ambulance Service. She is also a Consultant at the Emergency and Trauma Centre at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Her current interests include point of care ultrasound, recognition of the deteriorating patient, and the clinical assessment of risk.
A/Prof Frances Williamson
A/Prof Frances Williamson is an emergency physician working across the trauma spectrum, from roadside pre-hospital, in tertiary emergency department, and trauma inpatient care as the Deputy Director of the Trauma Service at RBWH. She holds leadership roles with the Trauma Network for ACEM, RACS, Queensland Trauma Clinical Network and Jamieson Trauma Institutes, tasked with trauma education delivery, engagement and policy development. Her Queensland Trauma Education program has been recognised for its impact across Queensland with subscribers from more than 20 countries. Her research outputs have shaped trauma service delivery across Queensland, in addition to her work with ANZCOR and ILCOR, changing trauma care internationally.
Megan Dale
Megan Dale is a Lecturer in Nursing and Midwifery at James Cook University and an experienced intensive care clinician, educator, and researcher. Her career has encompassed clinical practice, leadership, workforce development, and preparing future health professionals for the realities of contemporary healthcare. Megan is currently undertaking a PhD exploring the emerging concept of micro-trauma and its implications for workforce wellbeing. Passionate about clinician wellbeing and professional resilience, she is committed to translating research into practical strategies that support sustainable healthcare careers. Through her clinical, teaching, and research work, Megan seeks to strengthen healthcare professions, foster collaborative practice, and improve outcomes for clinicians, patients, and communities
Dr Caroline Wilson
Dr Caroline Wilson is an Obstetric Physician and Clinical Haematologist at The Mater Hospital in Brisbane. Accordingly, she has a keen interest in Obstetric Haematology during all phases of pregnancy including preconception, antenatal and post-natal care. She has a further sub-specialty interest in haemoglobinopathies both in the obstetric and non-obstetric setting. As the chair of the multi-disciplinary team managing complex pregnancies, she is passionate about coordinating high-risk obstetric care to facilitate optimal outcomes.
Professor Leonie Callaway
Professor Leonie Callaway is a General and Obstetric Physician, who holds roles as Director of Research within Women’s and Newborn Services at RBWH and Co-Chair of the Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council. Her area of clinical and research expertise relates to pregnancy medicine and life course medicine – which includes preconception care, and an understanding of the developmental origins of adult health and disease. She has interests in obesity, metabolism, diabetes, hypertension, adverse childhood experiences and weight-based stigma and discrimination. She has been awarded Metro North Researcher of the Year in 2024, and the Women’s Health Australasia Medal of Distinction in 2022.
Dr Akshay Hungenahally
Dr Akshay Hungenahally is a consultant anaesthetist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He holds subspecialty fellowships in liver transplant, cardiac and thoracic anaesthesia. His clinical portfolio also includes the provision of medical perfusion for cardiopulmonary bypass and ECMO. Akshay serves as the clinical lead for echocardiography within the department of anaesthesia and as the lead for the intraoperative echocardiography subcommittee of ESANZ.
Esther van Raalte and Sara Vogelsberger
Esther is the clinical leader for psychosocial occupational therapy services at the Mater Hospital Brisbane and specialises in maternal and young adult mental health; with a special interest in neuroaffirming practice. Sara is part of the perinatal team supporting trauma informed care across the perinatal period and has a special interest in working with women experiencing functional neurological disorder. Both Esther and Sara are acceptance commitment therapy trained. The psychosocial occupational therapy team at the Mater support women through their perinatal period through advocacy, developing sensory communication tools and birth plans, codesign of patient care preferences and trauma informed interventions. Esther is a mother of five kids and enjoys getting out in nature to recharge. Sara is a mum to three kids and they love connecting through music.
Professor Rebecca Kimble MBBS, FRANZCOG, MHLM, AFRACMA
Professor Rebecca Kimble is a pre-eminent Specialist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s and Queensland Children’s Hospitals. She is the Clinical lead for the Queensland Statewide Paediatric and Adolescent Gynaecology Services and Professor, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. A leader in women’s and girls’ health and systems level clinical quality improvement, she is the founder and Director of Queensland Clinical Guidelines and has played a key role in shaping maternity and neonatal care and Women and Girls’ health across Queensland. Her clinical and research interests focus on obstetrics and paediatric and adolescent gynaecology. She is also an independent Health Advisor for the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs on Women’s health and Maternity.
Cara Cox
Cara Cox is a Clinical Nurse and Midwife Consultant with Queensland Clinical Guidelines. Having spent the majority of her clinical career working in birth suite, she brings both frontline experience and a strong understanding of evidence-based practice to her work. Over the past 10 years with Queensland Clinical Guidelines, Cara has contributed to the development of clinical resources used across the state and is passionate about translating evidence into practical, accessible guidance that supports better health outcomes for women and babies.
Dr Robert Knoeckel MBBS, FACEM, Clinical Toxicologist, Grad Cert Aeromed Retr.
Dr Robert Knoeckel is a Senior Emergency Physician at Mater Public Hospital Brisbane, where he works full-time in the Adult Emergency Department. He is also a Clinical Toxicologist with the Queensland Poisons Information Centre (QPIC). Rob has an extensive background in retrieval, military and austere medicine through his service with the Royal Australian Navy, including roles as a retrievalist, resuscitation team lead and Director of Clinical Services on humanitarian and disaster-response operations. His clinical interests include toxicology, resuscitation, retrieval and the management of critically unwell patients in complex environments.
Piéra Blackthorn - Consumer
Piéra Blackthorn is a multi-award winning writer, actor and filmmaker based in Brisbane. When she isn’t telling queer female-led stories, she can be found daydreaming about getting a full nights sleep, alongside nap schedules, snacks and school runs.
Dr Stephen Luke
Stephen is the Clinical Director of Intensive Care Services in Mackay. He is a passionate advocate for the importance of specialist practice in regional areas and will be discussing the implications for obstetric critical care in regional areas.
Dr Deborah Gilmour
Dr Deborah Gilmour (she/her) is a neonatologist at the Mater Mothers’ Hospital Neonatal Critical Care Unit, where she is the clinical co-lead for the Cardiac and Surgical Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She also works as a neonatal retrieval coordinator and educator at NeoRESQ, and is a member of the Clinical Ethics Consultation Service at the Centre for Children’s Health Ethics and Law (CCHEL) at Children’s Health Queensland. Her clinical and research interests include perinatal and infant palliative care and clinical ethics. Deborah is passionate about ensuring babies and their families have access to excellent end of life care, and she is an advocate for integrated palliative care. Deb is proud to be a foundation member and a current co-chair of PAN-PC, a unique multi-professional and multi-organisational group which supports perinatal and infant palliative care and education across diverse hospital and community contexts.
Dr Jill Parkes-Smith
Dr. Jill Parkes-Smith is an Infectious Diseases and Obstetric Medicine Physician holding clinical appointments at Mater Mothers’ Hospital South Brisbane and Ipswich Hospital. She specialises in managing complex infections during pregnancy to optimise maternal and neonatal health outcomes, with specific clinical interests in the management of HIV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), syphilis, and other infectious complications of pregnancy. Outside of her medical practice, she enjoys playing soccer, dancing salsa, and spending time with her husband, three children, dog, goats, and chickens.
Dr Nai An Lai
Nai An is an intensivist and the Director of Intensive Care Services at Mater Health.
Naomi Homel
Naomi is an endorsed midwife living and working in Brisbane. Naomi is a clinical caseload midwife and has worked in the Midwifery Group practice at the Mater Mothers since her postgraduate year. Naomi was drawn to a career in midwifery by her own birth experiences being cared for by a caseload midwife and this passion for continuity of midwifery care has only grown as her career has developed. Naomi won a University Medal from the University of Newcastle in 2025 for her Honours thesis exploring the mechanisms that support the positive outcomes of planned homebirth. Naomi is an advocate for primary midwifery care and she is excited to bring continuity of midwifery care to women with complex medical conditions. Naomi is also a mother of two teenage boys and a kelpie and when not working can mostly be found ocean swimming or weightlifting.
Abby Murphy
Abby Murphy is a clinical midwife working within the OMGP model at Mater Mothers’ Hospital providing continuity of midwifery care to women that live with medical complexities. Abby brings a strong foundation in complex maternity care and experience working within multidisciplinary teams to optimise maternal and neonatal outcomes. Abby is a strong advocate for woman-centred holistic care prioritising informed decision-making and multidisciplinary collaboration. Abby holds a dual Bachelor of Midwifery and Nursing, and a Graduate Certificate in Primary Maternity Care. She is currently completing a Master of Public Health and a Master of Healthcare Leadership and Management with aspirations to undertake research exploring the benefits and sustainability of Midwifery Group Practice models caring for women with complex medical needs.
Caitlin Lynagh
I’m Caitlin and I’ve worked at the Mater Adults Intensive Care Unit for just over 15years since I was a graduate nurse in January 2011. The first 7 or so as a registered nurse and the last 8 as a Clinical nurse. I have my graduate certificate in critical care nursing and as you may have figured I have a special interest in obstetric critical care.
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