About Us

Hunter Industrial Medicine

Dr Maurice J Harden

BMed, Grad Dip OHS, MMedStat, FAFOEM,

Maurice gained his Medical Degree from the University of Newcastle and began his Occupational Medicine career in the Royal Australian Navy as the Submarine Squadron Medical Officer. During his RAN time, Maurice gained experience assessing fitness for work in specialized military environments including surface ships, occupational diving, the submarine squadron and the submarine escape training facility. He left the RAN to commence private practice with Hunter Industrial Medicine in 1998.  He has a particular interest in the principles and practice of Occupational Health Surveillance, fitness for work and the analysis and reporting of occupational health data.   Maurice is a  nominated medical adviser NMA under the Queensland Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme.  He has been appointed a NSW Regional Director of Training for the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and a Conjoint Senior Lecturer in Occupational Health at the University of Newcastle.

Dr Sandra McBurnie

MBBS, BA, MMedSci(clin epi) Grad Dip OHS, FAFOEM

Sandra began her career in fulltime occupational medicine in 1997 after earlier work in accident and emergency, general practice and cardiac assessment. Sandra has experience in a variety of occupational settings including heavy industry and office based environments in both the public and private sectors and has more recently been extensively involved in defence force recruitment.  Sandra’s focus is on providing high quality, practical advice to clients.   Sandra is a  nominated medical adviser NMA under the Queensland Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme.    Sandra is particularly interested in occupational health surveillance and research and has worked on a number of important research projects including projects with the University of Newcastle.  Sandra has also been appointed a NSW Director of Training for the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Dr Joanna Holland

MBBS, MOHS

Joanna has a degree in medicine from the University of Sydney, and a Masters in Occupational Health and Safety from Newcastle University.   Joanna is a WorkCover accredited doctor who is well versed in health standards for commercial drivers, rail workers and seafarers.  Joanna has a background in psychiatric and disability medicine which has given her an interest in workplace psychology and stress related disorders.  Joanna is a  nominated medical adviser NMA under the Queensland Coal Mine Workers Health Scheme. Joanna has published in the area of quality medical practice and she is a strong believer in preventative health care through workforce education.

Dr Philip Quoi-Phuong Tran

BMedSc, MBBS, Grad Dip OccEnvHealth (Monash)

Philip is a Belgian and Australian trained medical practitioner. He began his medical career as a General Practitioner in Brussels, Belgium in 1994 before moving to Australia in 1999.   After several years of hospital practice In Australia, Philip moved to the private sector and has been working in various occupational health settings for Australian corporate and government agencies. Philip has  experience and skills in a variety of occupational health settings including WorkCover injury management, health surveillance, fitness for duty, Seafarers assessment (AMSA, Norwegian and Danish ships), occupational and recreational dive medicals ( MOUM-RAN), mining and rail medicals, Q-fever and travel medicine for onshore and offshore deployments. Philip has special interests in transport, the health industry and general preventive medicine.

Halina Alter

RN BNurs Dip Health Sci (Nurs)

Halina completed her nursing training at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia in 1993. She has extensive experience in rural and remote nursing in the 'Top End' of Australia.  She has completed various studies in emergency and trauma nursing and occupational health surveillance.  Halina has worked for a number of years as a FIFO Occupational Health Nurse on remote mine sites in northern WA and she continues to visit coal mines in the Hunter Valley to work as site Occupational Health Nurse.  Halina is qualified to provide vaccinations at remote sites.  She is qualified to conduct site alcohol and drug testing programs.  She is qualified to conduct site hearing surveillance programs. She is also accredited as an approved Category 3 National Rail Safety Board assessor.

Leigh-anne Ruch

RN BNurs,Grad Cert ICU Nurs

Leigh-Anne completed her degree in Nursing at Griffith University, Brisbane, and went onto work in the public sector as a registered nurse. During this time she worked in the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Unit in Brisbane until moving into the Intensive Care Unit to further her studies. There, she completed a Post-Graduate Certificate in Intensive Care Nursing through the Queensland University of Technology. After relocating to the Hunter Valley area, she has shifted her nursing focus to the Occupational Health Area. Leigh-anne is qualified to conduct site alcohol and drug testing.  She is accredited as an approved Category 3 National Rail Safety Board assessor and she is actively continuing further studies in the area of Occupational Health Nursing.

Hunter Environmental Research

Peter Devey

BSc Dip OHSM MAIOH COH

Peter is a certified Occupational Hygienist with over 20 years of experience in industry, Newcastle University and the Hunter New England Area Health Service.  While teaching and research was included, most of his time has been in the provision of consultant workplace-environment assessments and measurements.  As a Conjoint Lecturer he has maintained a close relationship with the Discipline of Environmental  & Occupational Health in the University of Newcastle and is able to draw on the resources and experience of that Discipline and the University. 

About our name and logo

Hunter Industrial Medicine is named in honour of Dr. Donald Hunter (11 February 1898 - 11 December 1978).  Dr. Hunter was a British Occupational Physician, curator of the Medical School Museum, Director of the Medical Research Council's Department for Research in Industrial Medicine, founding editor of the British Journal of Industrial medicine and author of the classic text book of Occupational Medicine The Diseases of Occupations.  Serendipitously, Hunter Industrial Medicine began in the Hunter Valley in 1998, 100 years after the birth of Dr. Hunter.  

Our logo represents the interaction of health, employee, employer and environment.  The supporting base of the triangle represents our employees and employers while the apex represents the highest ‘Pinnacle’ of health that we can achieve by working and building together as a team.  This triad sits within a sphere that represents our environmental boundaries while the central statistical graph represents not only the evidence based nature of our specialist practice but also our corporate philosophy that improved health leads to greater productivity.  The colours are chosen to represent the grey of industry and the red of life giving blood.  Taken as a whole the logo tells you that we are occupational and environmental physicians, scientists and health professionals and we take our roles very seriously.