St John WA celebrates Women in Ambulance honourees

The Council of Ambulance Authorities (CAA) announced its 2024 Women in Ambulance Award winners, and six team members at St John WA are among the honourees.

The winning WA women were Lauren D’Arcy, Nicki Foster, Pamela Toyne, Belinda Marsh, Katy Aviles and Karen Stewart.

The CAA Women in Ambulance Awards highlight hardworking and exceptional women in ambulance services across Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. The CAA created the award in 2020 and works to inspire and empower women to pursue ambulance careers and leadership opportunities.

Lauren D’Arcy

Lauren is a tireless advocate and compassionate leader at SJWA. She started as an Event Health Officer in 2012, working her way up to Ambulance Paramedic and paramedicine lecturer at Curtin University. Lauren recently led SJWA’s deaf and heard-of-hearing awareness project as she worked to introduce communication and interpretive service platforms into all clinical areas. Thanks to Lauren, many ambulance staff are now formally trained in sign language.

Nicki Foster

Nicki got her start in the UK Ambulance Service, eventually bringing her knowledge to SJWA more than 12 years ago. She’s been an Ambulance Paramedic, College of Pre-Hospital Care Educator, Hospital Liaison Manager, and Area Manager. Through all her roles, Nicki has consistently advocated for extending paramedicine and helping women achieve leadership positions. She’s also a yearly lead for the RAC WA State Road Safe Conference, engaging with stakeholders and leading with humour and caring.

Pamela Toyne

Pam has long been a key member of the SJWA Event Health Services staff. In fact, she was the first paid staff member in what was then called Volunteer First Aid Services. She’s seen the department evolve over the years, and throughout the changes, Pam and her team have ensured that EHS staff are supported through timely rostering, meticulous record keeping and other efforts.

Belinda Marsh

Belinda started volunteering at the Wundowie Subcentre in 2015 and has become a vital member of the team. She’s held many roles, including Emergency Medical Technician, Volunteer Support Officer, Community Engagement Officer, and member of the Volunteer Advocacy Team for the Wheatbelt. Bel is a constant source of compassion and kindness, and for new volunteers, she’s a mentor who ensures they get the best experience out of volunteering. Prior to receiving the Women in Ambulance Award, Bel received a Commandery Commendation and membership to the Order of St John.

Katy Aviles

Katy is an Area Manager who is approachable, knowledgeable, and driven to put her staff first. She’s worked in many roles at St John WA, and the on-road staff respect and trust her as part of the team. Katy’s exceptional planning skills are frequently on display as she manages the roster, ensuring that crews work as close to home as possible and with colleagues they prefer. She’s known for being a “mum” to the staff, even putting her own plans on hold to be present for team members who need support.

Karen Stewart

Karen began her career in the UK, graduating as the youngest female paramedic in Scotland in 1997. She spent 19 years in the Scottish Ambulance Service before emigrating to Australia in 2012 where she joined SJWA as a paramedic before becoming Clinical Governance Operations Manager, leading to her role now as the acting head of department for Country Ambulance Operations. Karen got her master’s degree in health management from Murdoch University in 2021, and she’s an Associate Fellow with the College of Health Service Management. Karen has been a strong leader at SJWA for more than a decade, driving a variety of initiatives including the current effort for the organisation to receive Menopause Friendly Accreditation.

The full list of award recipients can be viewed on the CAA website.