ISLHD Consumer and Community Advisory Council

 Advisory Council members

Ashlee Williams-Barnes

As a proud Wodi Wodi, Wandi Wandian, Dharawal woman of the Yuin Nation, I bring a wealth of relevant experience and skills to the role of an Advisory Council member.

My background includes serving as the Graduate School of Medicine Indigenous Student Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator at the University of Wollongong, and working as a Primary School teacher.

I currently serve as the secretary of the Dharawal Aboriginal Corporation Community Association, elected by our community members. Additionally, I have been an active consumer member with Cancer Australia, contributing to the National Implementation Framework for the Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer. I have also been a guest speaker at the Australia and New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) conference, and a selected member of  ANZGOG.

I am motivated to share my time and skills with ISLHD to advocate for my community from an Aboriginal perspective, aiming to create a better future for my children and people. As an Advisory Council member, I hope to be active, support ISLHD in any way I can, connect members to key and respected Aboriginal community members, and contribute to better health outcomes. I feel incredibly honoured to be considered for this role, which plays a crucial part in making a difference.

Jo Spicer

I am an author and speaker with over 35 years’ experience in writing, marketing, research and training. My lived experience, including two cancer diagnoses and treatment, inspired me to author books and create BrightButterfly.com.au, an online space with tools to support all consumers and carers. 

A former Ambassador for the Cancer Council Australia’s Relay for Life and the Leukemia Foundation’s Angels at Work campaign, I care deeply about strengthening the information and communication around recovery from trauma.

My personal journey was the spark that led to me contributing time and energy to ISLHD over the past five years. I look forward to continuing this work as an Advisory Council member, with the hope of improving the healthcare experience for all members of our community. 

Artin Hedayat Seresht

I am a University of Wollongong (UOW) student in the nutrition and dietetics degree program. I have a leadership position within my program, giving me a fresh, overarching perspective from a student standpoint. I am also very happy to represent the younger generation on the Advisory Council.

My struggles with my health during my childhood have motivated me to not only pursue a career in health, but to also make a meaningful difference within my Farsi Australian community.

I hope to make a difference in the level of education, as well as care given to those not able to speak up for themselves, and I believe my role as an ISLHD Advisory Council member will allow me to pursue these goals.

Nicholas Smith

As an Advisory Council member, I’m excited to leverage my unique mix of life and IT skills to provide input on the healthcare system and services in the community. I will also draw on my lived experience as carer for my mum with Alzheimer’s Dementia.

My motivation to share my time and skills with ISLHD stems from my personal journey as a primary carer for my mum. This experience has had a profound impact on my life and ignited a deep drive to contribute to the community and healthcare system.

Prior to taking a career break to care for my mum in March 2023 I worked as a Chartered Structural Engineer with 7+ years of industry experience. I also recently graduated from the University of Technology Sydney with a Bachelor of Computing Science majoring in Data Analytics and AI.

My hope this council will enable me to be a catalyst for positive change in the lives of carers, their loved ones and wider community. I am committed to bringing my passion, empathy, and enthusiasm to the Advisory Council, ensuring that the voices of carers are heard at every level of decision-making.

Jason Ballerini

I’m a qualified social worker and have been working in the disability and aged care industry for 20 years. I bring a lot of knowledge of how these sectors intertwine with our health system. I am also a person living with a disability for close to 28 years, so have lived experience of being a recipient of healthcare services.

I am passionate about improving the quality of life for everybody, in particular people with disabilities and the aged, so I am motivated to  be able to share my expertise and experience, so we can change or enhance current systems.

I hope for growth within myself by being involved with other like-minded individuals, but with very different experiences and backgrounds to me, that will shape and challenge my thinking and allow me to grow as a person. Then I hope as a group we can have robust discussions and provide meaningful feedback, so that our local health district can better meet the needs of consumers.

Michelle Dillon

I was born and bred in the Shoalhaven and have lived here all of my life.

I have worked for Illawarra Area Health as an enrolled nurse for about 20 years at Shoalhaven Hospital. 

I then worked at Southern Cross Community Housing as a specialist in Homelessness, where my role was to assess and find temporary accommodation, when needed.  I also referred people to services that may be able to assist them. 

Both these roles put me in contact with the general public, and I have seen both the best and worst in people. I feel that this has enabled me to have a broad picture of what is happening within society.  I have formed many professional contacts that may be of use sometime in the future. 

Since retiring I have found that I needed something to keep me busy and this role seemed perfect for me. I will be able to use my skills that I have learnt in my working life.

I like helping people and hope that I can continue to help people and make a positive change in their lives.

Gayle Sweaney

During my career in the Australian health sector, I have held senior roles in government, regulatory, and not-for-profit organisations. I am passionate about improving healthcare and have served on multiple committees and boards. I was recognized by the University of Canberra as an Adjunct Professional Associate for my work on complex care and developing a graduate diploma.

I have also held senior management roles with aged care providers, lectured on health and patient care, and advised government committees on ageing and disability. I have a strong understanding of chronic illness and have led projects to enhance the lives of those affected. I am committed to advancing healthcare through technology and have been involved in e-health initiatives. Notably, I led a Closing the Gap project in the ACT, building on my experience working with Indigenous communities in Moree, NSW.

I am committed to advancing healthcare through technology and have been involved in e-health initiatives

Currently, I serve as a consumer representative on several committees, including the Consumer Advisory Committee for the Shoalhaven Hub and the Milton Hospital Infection Control Committee. I am also developing a training module on health literacy and plain language for consumers and staff.

Kate Bowles

After a career in higher education at the University of Wollongong, I now work with Compassion Revolution, a small organisation which focuses on supporting good workplaces in health.

As a consumer advocate in Wollongong, I have five years experience designing storytelling projects and contributing to committee work in ISLHD and statewide. My focus is on how people who need healthcare services make sense of their experience, especially when talking things over with friends and family.

ISLHD has supported me and my family members through a range of healthcare experiences, from maternity and mental health, to cancer care and gender affirming healthcare. This has taught me that I am passionate about advocating for non-judgmental healthcare for everyone, regardless of why they need help, and safe, supportive workplaces for all staff.

Jacqueline Forst

I believe lack of equality and opportunity directly impacts how we consume health services and how health services are delivered. In the face of enormous social changes and increasing inequality, we need to create new forms of governance that focus on patient needs, and need new, innovative ways to respond.

The Advisory Council will make ISLHD stronger. We need to invest in time to innovate, create new clinical governance, and advocate for funding practices that allow for time to think, plan, extract and analyse data, and use input from patients and clinical teams to improve service delivery and health outcomes.

My personal journey of caring for immediate family members with acute and chronic illness has been a privilege and a challenge. I would like to play my part to contribute and suggest improvements, to advocate and help weave diversity into the design and delivery of health services in my region.

I am a member of several local, state, and national community advocacy groups, and I have had various jobs that have shaped and informed who I am. I hope to bring these experiences to the table.

Lee-Ani Hewson

I have four years of consumer engagement and volunteer experience with ISLHD, including being a member of the Southern Illawarra Hospital Group Consumer Advisory Committee, Southern Illawarra Hospital Group Communicating for Safety Committee, and as a Palliative Care Volunteer and Bereavement Support Officer.

I have extensive experience, knowledge and skills assisting with the development, coordination and maintenance of policies and documentation within regulatory frameworks. 

I am an Indigenous Maori woman and, because of my cultural background, invest my time and effort into advocating for improved health services and outcomes for all of our diverse communities living in our beautiful and sacred area of the Illawarra. My particular interest is Aboriginal health care and how traditional Aboriginal medical treatment can be used in the healing of the patient care journey.

I would like to add my voice of support and progress into the integration of the Council’s ideas, and into ISLHD’s service, delivery and quality improvement efforts, to enhance and strengthen patient-centred care for the benefit of all our communities.

Aunty Jean Turner

I worked with Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District for 32 years in a number of roles, including Aboriginal Health Worker, Hospital Liaison Officer and as a member of the Aboriginal Chronic Care Unit (ACCU). The ACCU developed the Aunty Jean’s Good Health Program with the aim to involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in managing chronic health conditions. There are now over 15 Aunty Jean’s programs across NSW.

I have an Associate Diploma in Social Welfare and Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Welfare and Community Development. I have worked with the George Institute in an advisory capacity to develop, implement and evaluate research papers and the ‘Iron Bark’ and ‘Standing Tall Standing Strong’ programs across NSW, WA and SA.

I have given lectures about the Aunty Jean’s Good Health Program to first year medical students at the University of Wollongong, and presented at many conferences.

In 2016, I won the Chief Executive’s award at the ISLHD Staff and Volunteer Recognition (SAVR) awards and was a finalist in the 2017 Premier’s Awards.

Claire Murphy

I am currently the President of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Gender Alliance (ISGA), working towards better health and services for Trans and Gender Diverse people within the region. I also have over 30 years of Senior Management experience, including working with Wingecarribee Shire Council, State Rail, and Veoila.

I have a proven track record of juggling competing priorities and helping to create change. I bring with me analytical skills in grant writing, ministerial responses, business strategies, tender processes and policy development. My passion is Community and bringing other trans and gender diverse folk together. I am involved in many social community groups to help promote safe spaces for trans people.

Thit Tieu

I am the retired Operations Manager of NSW Adult Migrant English Service. My career spanned over 30 years working within the Department of Education, managing and delivering the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) to newly arrived immigrants and refugees.

After my life-changing experience with cancer, I founded Sisters’ Cancer Support Group Inc. (SCSG), the Illawarra based not-for-profit charity organisation that supports women and carers from multicultural communities.

I share my lived experience and knowledge of Multicultural communities’ needs in a range of consumer engagement committees, panels and cancer research projects. I am a member of the Cancer Institute NSW Community and Consumer Advisor Panel and the NSW Primary Health Care Cancer Advisory Group. I have also contributed to the development of the 2022 -2027 NSW Cancer Plan as the member of the NSW Cancer Plan Governance Committee.

I aim to continue my advocacy role for multicultural communities as an ISLHD Consumer and Community Advisory Council member.

I was a recipient of the NSW Health  2022 Consumer / Community Representative of the Year, the Wollongong City Council 2023 Senior Citizen of the Year, the 2024 Keira Local Woman of the Year, and was recognised in the Wollongong Community Service Leadership in Small Community Organisation Awards.

Kylie Wright

I am the ISLHD Director of Clinical Governance, Patient Safety and Quality, and the staff ex-officio member on the Advisory Council.

In my role as Director of Clinical Governance, Patient Safety and Quality, I provide leadership and direction on all aspects of clinical governance systems to maintain and improve patient safety and clinical quality of health care services and functions across the District.

I am passionate about patient engagement, delivering person-centred health care and striving towards improving the links between effective consumer partnerships, positive experiences for patients and staff, the delivery of high-quality health care and improved safety.

I am looking forward to promoting the Advisory Council across our District, and to supporting the members to influence our health service, and to working with them to develop shared goals.

I am honoured to be the inaugural staff ex-officio member on the Advisory Council.