Introducing Our Medico-Legal Advisers & Claims Managers

Ms Victoria Astill-Smith

After completing her law degree at the University of Western Australia, Victoria commenced her legal career as a defendant insurance lawyer at Phillips Fox working in their defendant insurance and professional indemnity litigation section.  Over the years, Victoria has gained extensive experience in the areas of personal injury litigation, professional indemnity and worker’s compensation working in both small and large law firms.  Victoria has represented clients at conciliations, arbitrations and in District and Supreme Court matters.

Victoria joined MDA National in July 2009 as a Claims Manager.

Ms Yvonne Baldwin

Ms Baldwin has a healthcare and legal background.  She became a Registered Nurse in 1992 and specialised in peri-operative nursing.  In 2002 graduated from UTS with a Bachelor of Laws and has specialised in medical negligence and health law, having worked as the Medico-Legal Adviser for the North West Regional Hospital in Tasmania in 2006, and more recently as an in-house Solicitor at GIO for the Treasury Managed Fund, where she acted for Area Health Services in litigated and unlitigated medical negligence claims and coronial matters, and for public hospital VMOs in medical negligence matters.

Ms Baldwin joined MDA National in October 2008, and has recently completed a Master of Health Law through the University of Sydney.

Ms Helen Baxter

Helen graduated from the University of Western Australia in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. Since commencing legal practice in 2003, she has worked in insurance litigation generally and specialised in the area of medical defence from 2005 onwards after joining Clayton Utz in Perth. Helen joined MDA National in February 2007, and is currently studying Graduate Medicine at the University of Sydney.

Dr Sara Bird

Dr Bird's background is in general practice, having worked as a GP in Sydney for over 10 years. Since 1998 she has worked with medical defence organisations as a claims manager and medico-legal adviser. She has a particular interest in clinical risk management and writes a monthly risk management article for GPs in Australian Family Physician. Dr Bird is also the author of the Medicolegal Handbook for General Practice which was published in 2006.

Her role as Manager, Medico-Legal and Advisory Services at MDA National involves assisting Members and their staff with medico-legal enquiries, complaints, investigations as well as medical negligence claims, both litigated and unlitigated.

Ms Julie Brooke-Cowden

Ms Brooke-Cowden graduated from Macquarie University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Laws. She obtained her Specialist Accreditation in Personal Injury (Defendant) Litigation in 2000 and her Master of Laws from the University of Sydney in 2005.

With more than 12 years of experience in the area of Defendant personal injury litigation in both small and large law firms, Ms Brooke-Cowden has represented clients in District and Supreme Court matters and at conciliations, mediations and arbitrations.

Ms Brooke-Cowden is a member of the Concord Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee. She joined MDA National in November 2005.

Ms Candice Danby

Since her admission in 1999 Candice has had extensive experience as a solicitor in the United Kingdom and Sydney. Candice specialised largely in the area of Family Law until returning to Perth in 2008 when she commenced work as the in house legal officer at the Office of Health Review (WA). This role included the management of complaints received from patients concerning medical practitioners employed in both the public and private sectors. Whilst Candice acted as an impartial conciliator in the resolution of these complaints she also assisted and provided support to medical practitioners and patients during this process. In addition, Candice provided information to practitioners regarding risk management strategies following on from the resolution of complaints. 

Candice joined MDA National as a claims manager in December 2009.

Dr Jane Deacon

Dr Jane Deacon graduated from the University of Western Australia in the 1980s. She has been engaged in general practice since then, both as a practice owner, and more recently as a part-time associate. She has been finance director and later vice chair of the Osborne Division of General Practice. Dr Deacon has had an ongoing interest in medical education both for medical students and general practice registrars.

Dr Deacon joined MDA National in September 2006. She provides in-house medical opinion for the non-medical claims managers, and also assists Members with medico- legal advice on an extensive range of matters.

Ms Nerissa Ferrie

Nerissa completed her post graduate studies at Curtin University in the area of Workers’ Compensation Practice and Management.

Prior to joining MDA in September 2008, Nerissa was the inaugural Manager Self Insurance at St John of God Health Care Inc, a role which she held for a period of 7 years. 

In addition to claims, Nerissa’s management responsibilities included operational budgets, strategic advice, policies and procedures, actuarial analysis, reporting, and regulatory and legislative compliance.

Ms Nicole Golding

Nicole commenced with MDA National in 2006 providing assistance to Claims Managers and the Claims Administration Manager in Perth.  In 2009, Nicole moved into the role of Claims Handler, assisting in Claims and Advisory Services by providing assistance to Members as well as Claims Managers in general case management.  Nicole has an Advanced Diploma in Business (Legal Practice) and is in her third year of her Bachelor of Law.

Dr Helen Havryk

Dr Havryk joined MDA National in February 2007. She spent a number of years in clinical medicine prior to completing her legal studies. She has worked as a lawyer at Blake Dawson Waldron solely in medical litigation for 5 years and as a claims manager dealing mainly with litigated matters, for a medical defence organisation.

Dr Havryk's role as a Medico-Legal Claims Manager at MDA National encompasses assisting Members and their staff with general medico-legal enquiries, Medical Board and Health Care Complaints Commission complaints, Medicare investigations as well as personal injury claims, both litigated and unlitigated.

Ms Deborah Jackson

Ms Jackson has a diverse background in the health industry. She was a Registered Nurse in Intensive Care, Accident and Emergency and a graduate in Psychiatric Nursing.

She has extensive experience in medical negligence litigation in all jurisdictions acting for doctors, physiotherapists and other allied healthcare professionals in civil and coronial hearings.

Ms Jackson has also represented nursing homes, private and public hospitals in civil and coronial hearings, as well as drafting policies for many private Healthcare Institutions. She joined MDA National in 2003.

In addition to providing medico-legal advice, assistance with Medical Board, Medicare Investigations, Coronial Inquiries and claims management to all MDA National Members, Ms Jackson regularly speaks at seminars and conferences to doctors of various disciplines advising them of developments in medical negligence in their respective state and area of practice.

Ms Kerrie Lalich

Since admission as a solicitor in NSW in 1996, Kerrie has worked in several Sydney legal firms in the areas of personal injury and insurance litigation. In 2001, Kerrie made the transition from legal practice to AMP/ GIO Insurance Ltd in the areas of public liability and personal injury catastrophic claims. In 2004, Kerrie moved to management of the Major Claims (Personal Injury) unit of GIO General Ltd (part of Suncorp Metway Ltd).
 
In 2008, Kerrie joined the professional indemnity claims team at QBE Insurance Ltd. Her portfolio consisted of management of large quantum professional indemnity, director’s & officer’s and medical malpractice schemes. She also maintained an Acting National Manager role of the Professional Indemnity claims team.
 
Kerrie joined MDAN in February 2010. Her background provides the necessary skill to lead, enthuse and direct the Claims and Advisory Services team located in Sydney and Perth. Kerrie oversees claims and advisory functions and the relevant team of people to achieve the major corporate goals and strategic outcomes for MDA National.

Ms Puja Menon

Ms Philippa Nash

Ms Nash started her career in the medical field as an Occupational Therapist, working predominantly in Industrial Rehabilitation and Acute Rehabilitation (Catastrophically injured patients) in Australia and the US.

MS Nash studied law at UWA and commenced work with Talbot & Oliver in their Insurance Litigation section in 1991. Although her main practice was personal injury claim defence (Professional Indemnity, Workers Comp and Public Liability) she also handled some large personal injury claims for Plaintiffs. Ms Nash also worked for Parker & Parker/Freehills, Srdarov Richards Burton and Phillips Fox before joining MDA National in October 2002. 

Dr Benvinda Xabregas

Dr Xabregas VR GP joined MDA National in February 2010. After graduating from the University of New South Wales in 1981, she worked as a solo General Practitioner in Sydney for nearly 16 years. Dr Xabregas has an interest in Acupuncture and completed the New South Wales Medical Acupuncture Course in 1987.

Subsequent to general practice Dr Xabregas worked as a Cardiothoracic Surgical Assistant for 5 years in Queensland whilst completing her Masters (Clinical) of Family Medicine by correspondence through Monash University.

Dr Xabregas has recently completed her Juris Doctor degree at UTS Sydney.