Community Advisory Committee of the Southern Health Board
Membership Profile
 |
Mr Naim Melhem is a Board member of Southern Health. Naim has extensive experience in local Government as a Councillor with the City of Springvale and City of Greater Dandenong. He served a Mayor of the City of Greater Dandenong in 1999-2000 and was re-elected to council in 2000.He has an extensive history of involvement with local community organisations including the South Eastern Arabic Association, St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Springvale Community Aid and Advice Bureau and Springvale Community Health Centre Board. |
 |
Dr Pamela Williams (Renowden) currently chairs the Community Advisory Committee and is a resident of Glen Waverley. She was formerly a Senior Lecturer in Family and Consumer issues at Deakin University. She has two children attending Monash University. Pamela is a member of the Breastcare Consumer Reference Group at Moorabbin Campus of Southern Health. Pamela participates in a number of networks representing women - principally involving women and breast cancer as well as the National Council of Women Victoria, an umbrella for a range of women's organisations. While her children were at school she participated in many school activities and has maintained contacts with local residents through this and through helping her husband run a local cub pack. She has had experience in representing consumers in a number of ways. | |
 |
Helen Owens is a health economist and has spent much of her career in the public sector. Helen has recently retired from positions as full-time Commissioner on the Productivity Commission (1993 to 2006) and part-time member of the Commonwealth Grants Commission (2004 to 2006). She has held a number of academic positions at Monash and Melbourne Universities, most recently as Associate Professor at the National Centre for Health Program Evaluation. She has also worked as health policy adviser to the Victorian Premier, casemix consultant to the Australian Hospital Association and Director at KPMG. |
 |
Sonali Wijesinghe is a resident of Endeavour Hills and a student at Monash University Clayton. Her studies in sociology, criminology and Indonesian have led her to an understanding of community service and support strategies. Sonali has a particular interest in access to the health system for young people and extending the implementation Social Model of Health in our health care system. Her involvement in the City Life Church and the University has equipped her with leadership and community engagement skills. Volunteering in the homework program with Springvale Community Health Service gives her first hand contact with some of Southern Health’s young service users. | |
 |
Ms Judy Little has been a resident of East Oakleigh for nearly 20 years. Judy currently coordinates Parent to Parent Inner East which is a support group for parents/carers of children with a disability. She has a severely disabled 20 year old son and has been an extensive consumer of the health care system in that time. She is a member of The Children’s and Young People’s Working Party of the Chronic Illness Alliance Inc, trained to volunteer for Monash/Oakleigh Community Support and Information Service and is linked to the association for Children with a Disability, The uncontrolled Epilepsy Group (Epilepsy Foundation of Vic), Very Special Kids and in the past the Respite Working Party at St Pauls College, Kew. |
 |
Mr Noble (Bill) David is a Director on the Board of Arthritis Victoria. Board representative on the Consumer Advisory Committee of Arthritis Victoria. Director on the Board of St Anthony's Coptic Orthodox Secondary College. Southern Ethnic and Advocacy Council active committee member (S.E.A.A.C.) The Clarinda, South Clayton and Westall Community Network active committee member. Road Safe Outer South East Committee member. Kingston City Council Access & Equity active committee member. Social Support Officer with Kingston City Council | |
 |
Shirley Constantine is a long term resident of the City of Greater Dandenong, with six children, thirteen grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. She is currently Vice President of Dandenong Evening VIEW Club (four times Past President), Activities Director of Sandown Probus Club (twice Past President & Program Officer) President of U3A Dandenong and tutor in Australian History and American History. She has also been a member of the Community Reference Group of the Dandenong District Division of General Practice for the past four years. Her interest in history is a product of her studies at Monash University, where she graduated with Honours in History in 1985. Undertaking a degree as a mature age student was a challenge which was thoroughly enjoyed. A special bonus was working with Professor Graeme Davison in the History Department at Monash as his Research Assistant after graduation for a period of a few years. After that, she worked in the Education Faculty at Monash as Research Assistant to Professor Millicent Poole. Her working life was truncated by a two year period of unwellness. During convalescence she was asked to form part of a working party to set up a University of the Third Age in Dandenong (U3A). This has been a major interest for the past eleven years. In 2003 she was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship for community service. As a new member of the Community Advisory Committee for Southern Health, she is still very much on a learning curve. Volunteering and community work has played an important role in her life, and she is up for a new challenge. |
 |
Ms Norma Seip retired from the tertiary education sector earlier this year and has immersed herself into voluntary work, particularly relating to people with disabilities. Norma is a member of the City of Greater Dandenong Disability Reference Group (representing parents and carers). She also represents the City of Greater Dandenong at the Municipal Association of Victoria’s Civic Participation Project and is involved in many voluntary activities in her local community as well as being a member of many special interest groups. This year also sees the completion of Norma’s studies to become a Civil Celebrant. Apart from being a committed community member, her special interest in disability awareness stems from her role as a parent of a disabled child; as a carer to an elderly relative and also being physically disabled herself. Norma says “I am active in carer support, advocacy and representation roles and I have a strong personal interest in issues for young people with care responsibilities and those from a non-English speaking background”. Norma’s ability to overcome obstacles through her belief that it is only our perception that limits us has been both inspirational and motivational for those who have been associated with her, personally and professionally. “I believe everyone has a story worth telling and that by my being able to tell some of those wonderful stores, I may be able to make a difference to some very special lives”. | |
 |
Mr Ron Maroun is a resident of Dandenong North and has lived in the area since 1980. He grew up and finished his schooling in Dandenong. He is father of three young children who were all born at Southern Health hospitals. Ron is actively involved in a range of volunteer work, as he enjoys helping others and making a difference to someone else’s life. He is a member of the city of Greater Dandenong Customer Research Panel, Principal of Shalimar Park Pre-School (Dandenong North), a committee member of Marionite Catholic Church, he is actively involved with the St Gerald’s primary school committee and a volunteer to the senior citizens within his church community. |
 |
Ms Judy Robertson is a Lecturer at Monash University and lives in the Dandenong Ranges. She has represented various community groups in a number of forums over the years, wanting to ensure families and their communities have a strong voice in the health care system. She believes the Community Advisory Committee offers an ideal opportunity to integrate consumer and community views at all levels of operations, planning and policy development. Judy is an active class representative and committee member at the school attended by her two young children in Berwick. Her husband is a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic servicing the south eastern area. | |
 |
Kathleen McAleer I am a 58 year old mother of six, and grandmother of four married to Danny McAleer since 1973. We migrated to Australia from the UK in 1973. I have lived and worked in the south east region since 1983 and have held my current position , Access and Equity Officer at the City of Casey since 1993. My main health interests are in women's health and ensuring access to services for people with language and other barriers. |
 |
Ms Pauline Hopkins is a resident of Beaconsfield where she lives with her partner and five year old daughter. She currently works in Berwick in the office of the local state member of Parliament, where she assists people in communities across the outer south east and eastern areas of Melbourne. After completing university studies in psychology, and later English, she worked in a number of diverse roles in both the university sector and in local government. She is involved in a number of community groups including the Beaconsfield Neighbourhood Centre (she is the current president), Beaconsfield Progress Association, and the Berwick Sub-Branch of the RSL. She is also a member of Amnesty International. She is keenly interested in health issues, especially mental health, child and adolescent health, and alternative therapies. | |
 |
Sally-Ann Nadj has been a resident of Narre Warren for the past 12 years, she has two young children and has worked extensively in the field of disability and children’s development. Sally was the manager of an early childhood intervention centre for 5 years and more recently worked with the Starlight Children’s Foundation. Sally has maintained her professional ties with the disability sector via her involvement with groups such as Autism Victoria and the Association for Children with a Disability. Sally has strong ties with the community and has been actively involved in a number of community based initiatives such as the City of Casey “Best Start” program, and was a founding School Council Member of Marnebek School in Cranbourne. Currently, Sally is on sabbatical from paid employment and is continuing her professional development by studying Community Development fulltime at Chisholm Institute. |
 |
Brian Oates is a resident
of Endeavour Hills in the city of Casey. He served as Mayor of Casey during
2003-2004 and chaired the Community Liaison group which was appointed to
provide community input in the development of the Casey Hospital. Brain
continues to be highly active in several areas of the community. He is a coopted member on the Board of the South East Migrant Resource Centre as well as being the Chairperson of the John Pandazopoulos Community Hall in Doveton where eleven different ethnic groups ethnic specific senior citizens activities. He has been involved in innovative health promotion activities for local youth. As a Father of a young boy he has recently been interested in Maternal and Health services and the local environment. He is involved in the “Friends of Ememering Creek” and “Federation Food Garden Group” |
|
 |
Penelope Oorloff is a
mother of 2 children and 6 lovely grandchildren aged from 1 to 10 years.
She has been a member of The Country Women’s Association (CWA) and the
Lions Ladies Auxiliary for more than 2yrs. During this time she has
spent many happy rewarding hours helping in the local hospitals, aged
care hostels, special schools and many other needy causes. Penny’s family have experienced the many valuable services of Southern Health, which is the reason she applied to be a member of the Community Advisory Committee. Being on the Committee enables her to bring information about all the services to her local community and take back their concerns and commendations to the Board. Penny has recently joined the McCulloch House Ladies Auxiliary to help with fundraising for this very worthy facility. |
|||
|
Home |
Terms of reference |
Community Participation Plan |
Strategies for Consumer & Community
Participation |
| Feedback |
Other Resources
|
For further detail about the Community Advisory Committee,
or community and consumer participation email:
Linda.Pandita@southernhealth.org.au
