Simone McCoy
South Toowoomba,QLD
Summary
Dynamic and collaborative healthcare leader with expertise in strategic planning, project management and digital health innovation. Proven success in leading change programs to achieve organisational goals, through effective stakeholder engagement and partnerships. Experienced in leading cross-functional teams through change, and committed to driving impactful health outcomes.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Director Planning, Analytics and Programs
Darling Downs Health
Toowoomba, QLD
07.2023 - Current
- Strategic and operational leadership of large multi-professional team delivering complex change programs, building project management capability and capacity.
- Delivered key project milestones for the New Toowoomba Hospital project, working effectively with key external partners, including Schematic Design, Detailed Design (50% and 80%), Operational Readiness and Commissioning strategies.
- Visioned and executed Go! Digital program to develop organisational digital readiness and capability.
- Provided strategic and expert advice to the HSCE and the Executive Leadership team on matters related to program management, establishing frameworks to improve project governance and risk mitigation.
- Cultivated relationships with internal and external stakeholders to enhance project engagement and outcomes.
- Managed large budget and resource allocation to optimise departmental and project performance.
- Led cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with organisational goals in project execution.
- Strategic and operational leadership of Strategy and Planning, Business Analytics and Emergency Preparedness functions (Jul 23 - Feb 24)
A/Director Dietetics & Food Services
Metro North Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2021 - 07.2023
- Several higher-duty acting periods during this timeframe, in addition to frequent proxy responsibilities as A/Director.
- Operational and professional accountabilities for large clinical and operational team, Dietetics (11 FTE) and Food Services (29 FTE).
- Led strategic planning initiatives to enhance operational efficiency across multiple departments.
- Strategic representation at hospitals, health services, and statewide committees.
- Directed cross-functional teams in the execution of quality improvement projects.
- Led establishment and evaluation of innovative services, including the Dietetics Gastrostomy Service (extended scope allied health service), co-designing with consumers.
Team Leader
Metro North Health
Brisbane, QLD
04.2022 - 07.2023
- Strategic leadership, professional and operational management, and clinical supervision for a medium-sized team of dietitians and dietetic assistants, including during the commissioning of new digitally enabled services.
- Led the implementation and evaluation of the systematised Malnutrition model of care and statewide Dietitian First Gastroenterology Virtual Clinic.
- Significant role in implementing the dietetics outpatient telehealth service to achieve organisational activity targets and exceed telehealth targets.
- Strategic representation at facility, health service and statewide digital, gastroenterology and workforce committees.
Project Manager
Metro North Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2022 - 07.2023
- Developed, implemented and evaluated the 'Dietitian First Gastroenterology Clinic - a statewide, virtual model of care, providing timely access to care closer to home'
- Successful funding of $86,534 from the Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer, partnering with WMHHS and WBHHS.
- Significant stakeholder engagement with internal and external partners, across multiple health services and external organisations.
- Development of inter-health service referral pathways, utilising digital platforms.
- Established robust project governance, identified risks and implemented strategies to mitigate potential issues.
- Partnered with consumers to co-design resources, including a website.
- Managed budgets and resources to support project objectives effectively.
- Robust evaluation of PREMs, PROMs and economic analysis.
- Established performance analysis dashboards, using real-time data metrics.
- Presentation of results at SARRAH Conference (2022), Dietitian's Australia National Conference (2023) and National Allied Health Conference (2023).
Senior Dietitian
Metro North Health
Brisbane, QLD
02.2021 - 04.2022
- Led commissioning of new Dietetics and Food Services, in a digital hospital environment.
- Led the development, implementation and evaluation of the STARS Malnutrition delegated model of care, leveraging workforce capability and digital systems to implement a systematised, interdisciplinary model of care.
- Representation on facility, health service and statewide digital, gastroenterology and clinical education committees.
- Development of business processes related clinical digital systems (CBORD, ieMR, Telehealth, Patient Flow etc).
Allied Health Clinical Educator (Commissioning)
Metro North Health
Brisbane, QLD
09.2020 - 02.2021
- Integrated Allied Health staff induction and training to support the opening of a new, digital hospital (~70 FTE).
- Significant leadership role in training needs analysis, training program development, development and delivery of interprofessional simulations and digital workflows.
- Provided expert advice to Director Allied Health and allied health discipline directors in the development of business processes and training packages to support digitally enabled workflows.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary teams to enhance patient care training initiatives.
- Prepared reports summarising training evaluation and recommendations for BAU practices.
Allied Health Workforce Development Officer
Metro South Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2020 - 09.2020
- Led the development, implementation and evaluation of an interprofessional coaching program to develop leadership capability (79 participants), working closely with internal and external stakeholders.
- Strategic representation of Allied health on committees related to digital health, workforce development and clinical education.
Team Leader Dietitian
Metro South Health
Brisbane, QLD
12.2018 - 07.2019
Senior Workforce Officer
Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer
Brisbane, QLD
04.2018 - 12.2018
Clinical Educator
Metro South Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2018 - 12.2018
Senior Dietitian / Clinical Dietitian
Metro South Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2011 - 01.2018
Allied Health Assistant
Ramsay Health
Brisbane, QLD
01.2007 - 12.2010
Education
Certified Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA)
Australasian Institute of Digital Health
07-2025
Next Generation Leadership Program - Executive Leadership
Queensland University of Technology / Queensland Health
03-2025
Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetics) -
Queensland University of Technology
01.2010
Skills
- Strategic leadership
- Project and change management
- Digital health innovation
- Clinical expertise
- Systems thinking
- Workforce development
- Strategic planning
- Operational management
- Stakeholder engagement
Publications
- Olufson, Hannah T., Ellick, Jennifer, McCoy, Simone, Barrimore, Sally E., Knowlman, Tracy, and Young, Adrienne M. (2025). An overlooked challenge: a retrospective audit of overnutrition in hospital rehabilitation wards. Healthcare 13 (2) 188 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13020188
- Ellick, Jennifer, McCoy, Simone, Olufson, Hannah, Adams, Amanda, Banks, Merrilyn, and Young, Adrienne (2024). Harnessing delegation and technology to identify and manage malnutrition in a digital hospital: an implementation study. Nutrition & Dietetics 82 (2) 218-230. https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12913
- 'Back to Life' - Using knowledge exchange process to enhance lifestyle interventions for liver transplant recipients: A qualitative study., Hickman I, Coran D, Wallen M, Kelly J, Amandine B, Gallegos D, Jarret M, McCoy S, Campbell K, Macdonald G., Nutrition and Dietetics, 2019, 5, 13
- Changes in dietary patterns and body composition within 12 months of liver transplantation., McCoy S, Campbell K, Lassemillante A.C, Wallen M, Fawcett J, Jarrett M, Macdonald G, Hickman I., Hepatobiliary Surgery and Nutrition, 2017, 6, 1
- Food and dietary behaviours as cardiometabolic risk factors in liver transplant recipients., Lassemillante A.C, Nitis S, McCoy S, Fawcett J, Woodward A, Macdonald G, Campbell K, Hickman I., Journal of Nutrition and Intermediary Metabolism, 2017, 8
- Weight gain after liver transplant occurs early and is unrelated to emotional state and eating behaviours usually seen in obesity., McCoy S, Campbell K, Jarrett M, Fawcett J, Macdonald G., Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2014, 29, 80
- Dietitians' practices and perspectives on nutrition priorities for liver transplant recipients., E. Murray, S. McCoy, I. Hickman, K. Campbell., Nutrition and Dietetics, 2014, 71, 86-91
Representation
- Executive Strategic Programs Committee (2024 - 2025)
- Co-chair Digital Health Committee, DDH (2023 - 2025)
- New Toowoomba Hospital Project Control Group (2023 - 2025)
- FFE Strategic Guidance Group - statewide (2023 - 2025)
- Operational Commissioning Strategic Guidance Committee - statewide (2023 - 2025)
- Executive Directors Health Service Planning Forum (2023 - 2024)
- Chair, Metro North Gastroenterology Dietitians Collaborative Group (2021 - 2023)
- Chair, NEMO Gastro (2020 - 2023)
- Queensland Health Dietitians Digital Hospital Working Group (2021 - 2023)
- Dietetics and Nutrition Clinical Education Network (2018 - 2023)
- STARS Allied Health Digital Working Group (2021 - 2023)
- Leadership and Advocacy Professional Development Committee - statewide (2019 - 2022)
- Professional Development Coordinator, QLD Branch, Dietitians Australia (2013 - 2016)
- Chair, QLD Renal Dietitians Interest Group (2014 - 2015)
- Chair, NEMO Renal (2014 - 2015)
Accomplishments
- Queensland Health Excellence Awards 2025, Digitising Healthcare, Finalist
- Metro North Excellence Awards 2024, Innovation, Finalist
- Health Services Research Conference 2024, Best Poster Award
- Dietitians Australia, Outstanding Contribution Award 2023, NEMO Chair
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Director Planning, Analytics and Programs
Darling Downs Health
07.2023 - Current
Team Leader
Metro North Health
04.2022 - 07.2023
Project Manager
Metro North Health
01.2022 - 07.2023
Senior Dietitian
Metro North Health
02.2021 - 04.2022
A/Director Dietetics & Food Services
Metro North Health
01.2021 - 07.2023
Allied Health Clinical Educator (Commissioning)
Metro North Health
09.2020 - 02.2021
Allied Health Workforce Development Officer
Metro South Health
01.2020 - 09.2020
Team Leader Dietitian
Metro South Health
12.2018 - 07.2019
Senior Workforce Officer
Office of the Chief Allied Health Officer
04.2018 - 12.2018
Clinical Educator
Metro South Health
01.2018 - 12.2018
Senior Dietitian / Clinical Dietitian
Metro South Health
01.2011 - 01.2018
Allied Health Assistant
Ramsay Health
01.2007 - 12.2010
Certified Health Informatician Australasia (CHIA)
Australasian Institute of Digital Health
Next Generation Leadership Program - Executive Leadership
Queensland University of Technology / Queensland Health
Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetics) -
Queensland University of Technology