Deborah Carroll

Deborah Carroll - Chief Executive

Deborah has worked in the public health sector for almost 40 years and has held leadership roles across a number of health facilities throughout Queensland.

She has undertaken significant postgraduate studies, including a Masters of Health Administration and Information Systems, and a Graduate Certificate in Health Service Planning.

Deborah completed her general nurse training in 1981 at Mackay Base Hospital, where she was acknowledged both for outstanding theoretical knowledge and nursing care.

She later gained a Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) with Distinction from Central Queensland University in 1995, a Graduate Diploma in Emergency Nursing and endorsement as a Rural and Isolated Practice registered nurse.

Deborah held several senior positions in north and central Queensland health services, in which she oversaw the introduction of new models of care and the successful completion of several large capital works projects. As Nursing Director with oversight of the Clinical Improvement Unit in Rockhampton, she established the first Clinical Governance, Risk and Quality Unit in regional Queensland.

Deborah joined WBHHS in 2006 as Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery Services. She was appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2014, a role that was renamed Executive Director of Acute Hospital and Community Services in 2018.

Deborah acted in the role of WBHHS Chief Executive from October 2019 until her permanent appointment in May 2020. During her time with WBHHS, she has overseen the construction of significant new infrastructure, the introduction of several new services and models of care, and improvements in access, elective surgery, endoscopy and specialist outpatient wait times.

In 2008, Deborah was awarded a Queensland Health Australia Day Award for exceptional leadership and restoring community confidence, and again in 2014 for her exceptional leadership during the 2013 floods. In 2018, she was part of the team recognised at the WBHHS Excellence Awards for the highly successful Procurement Optimisation Project, and in 2020 she has played a leading role in the organisation’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Deborah is committed to a values-based leadership approach, focused on providing the best possible care for our communities.