Kathleen McDermott

Kath played a significant, senior role in Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both operationally and in the field. She served as the Clinical Nurse Lead and then Mission Lead, supporting the establishment and operations of the AUSMAT Howard Springs International Quarantine Program from October 2020 – May 2021. As a registered nurse, with sub-specialties that include public health, peri-operative care, emergency and infectious diseases, and as an established AUSMAT member, Kath has contributed to multiple deployments for incidents of national and international significance. Having lived and worked in the Northern Territory for almost 30 years Kath joined the NCCTRC in 2008. Her experience includes roles as Research Coordinator and AUSMAT Health Information System Manager at NCCTRC, as well as serving as the AUSMAT representative on the WHO Minimum Data Set Working Group for EMTs. She has contributed to the AUSMAT field operations and is a member of various AUSMAT Technical Working Groups. Most recently, Kath was deployed to Vanuatu as Mission Lead in response to the 2024 earthquake.