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Renee is a proud Yorta Yorta and Taungurung woman born and raised on Wadawurrung country and is the Aboriginal Health Programs Manager at University Hospital Geelong- Barwon Health. Renee was previously employed at the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative Health Service where she worked for 17 years, with the last four of those as the Health Services Manager. Renee’s previous roles have included Team Leader and Aboriginal Health Worker and Practitioner, having completed formal qualifications in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and Management. Renee became a registered Aboriginal Health Practitioner when the profession was first nationally regulated through Ahpra in 2012.
Renee’s family have a rich and long-standing history with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative and the local Aboriginal community. Her parents are both founding members and still maintain active involvement and participation. Renee attributes her strong sense of culture and values to her parents, who have always supported her in her journey.
Renee has been a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia since its inception in 2011 and was appointed Chair in December 2017, and appointed Chair for a further 3 year term in 2021.
Renee’s vision for the profession it to have all Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners across Australia recognised for their work and unique skills and to be acknowledged for the work that they do within their communities. All Australians should learn that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners build trust and understanding in the communities they serve and can practise in very diverse roles, both clinical and non-clinical in every health setting. They are central to providing culturally safe health services, which strengthen health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
Bruce is currently a consultant to a Canberra based government law firm. His practice is primarily in the fields of corporate governance, probity and public law.
What experience do you bring to the Board?
Bruce has more than twenty years‘ experience as both a board member and lawyer in the field of nursing and midwifery regulation. He is a former lecturer on the Institute of Company Directors Certificate course, and has served on a number of national and state professional and regulatory boards as member, chair, and head of governance and finance committees. He has served in the Northern Territory and has lengthy government experience in the field of consumer protection.
What is your vision for the ATSIHP profession?
I would like to see ATSIHP health professionals recognised and accepted by the wider health practice profession as an embedded and important front line element of the provision of health services to Aboriginal people – in both remote and urban communities.
I currently work at the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia where I have been employed for nearly 3 years as the Ear Health Coordinator, before that I was at SA Health, as the Ear Health Coordinator for the Under 8, s Aboriginal Child Health Screening Program for 6 years.
I am a proud Aboriginal woman from the stolen generation. I am an Aboriginal Health Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, going through the curriculum of Aboriginal Health worker to Aboriginal Health Practitioner and working in the field for 18 years within Community controlled Aboriginal Health Services and Government Aboriginal Health Services, I have a good understanding of the skill base needed to become an Aboriginal Health Practitioner and the requirement to maintain a good profession.
That we have qualified, competent, confident, and registered Aboriginal Health Practitioners who will help our communities understand their health issues, needs and provide education, advocacy and culturally appropriate services so that we can have better health outcomes, which means better lifestyles and longer healthy lives for our community.
In the spirit of respect and reconciliation I acknowledge my Bardi, Jabirr Jabirr and English ancestors and thank the Larrakia people and their ancestors for keeping me safe on country.
I am currently employed by NT Health as the Chief Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner.
I initially gained registration as an Aboriginal Health Worker with the NT Aboriginal Health Worker Board in December 1994 and hold current registration with the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia.
My career in health began in 1982, with the greater part of my work being conducted in rural and remote Aboriginal Communities throughout the Northern Territory; including oral health, education & training, leadership & management, research, and a generalist practicing Aboriginal Health Worker and Practitioner.
My personal experiences, diverse work history and additional studies reveals a passion and commitment to building healthy families and communities through community capacity building to exceed closing the gap.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner profession, as a unique profession founded by traditional values and complimented by modern medicine; are leaders in Indigenous Primary Health Care Practice through providing culturally safe and respectful health care; and meeting National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
I am a proud Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi woman from the Pilbara, Western Australia, with connections to the Kimberly and South Australian regions also. I am currently employed as a Senior Native Title Specialist working in the mining and resource industry. My career objective is to pursue a position combining my diverse skills as a qualified legal practitioner, experiences in education and mentoring, my cultural competency and pride as an Aboriginal woman, and my desire to reduce disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
What experience do you bring to the board?
I am a committed, motivated and driven team member with a proven diverse skillset that is transparent. I am dedicated to promoting programs and services that contribute to improving education, employment, health, community development and the sustainability of my culture and community. My demonstrated legal expertise, strong practical experience and cultural competency enables me to positively contribute to the development of community, organisations, clients and associated stakeholders in a leadership and advisory role.
Community ownership of decision making for health has long been recognised as key to addressing the social determinants of health that underlie health disparities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners have proven effective in empowering communities and improving culturally appropriate health services. My vision is to ‘give back’ to my community by identifying the need for ‘closing the gap’ in health disparities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, this includes drawing attention to the systemic and institutional barriers that exist in denying innovative employment and engagement opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in health. I want to show my ongoing support and resect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and continue to empower them as we work towards ‘closing the gap’.
I am working as Manager, Aboriginal Health Programs, Department of Health and Wellbeing, SA Health.
I am a proud Aboriginal woman whose family is the product of the Assimilation Policies of the early 1900s, from the west coast of South Australia.
I am passionate about our community by developing policy and projects across Aboriginal Health, including workforce initiatives and strategies.
I bring a holistic workforce perspective to the board, from training to employment across many health professionals. Having worked within the public health system for many years, I add value by understanding public policies and cross government initiatives. I have been an advocate for the Aboriginal Health worker/Practitioner role for many years, including project managing the development of clinical governance and credentialing standards across SA Health.
I am keen for the role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner to lead health outcomes for our community, within all areas of Health service. To have all AWHs across Australia recognised for their importance alongside other Health Professional as part of a multidisciplinary care, as the cultural knowledge is an important factor in the Health outcomes.
Christopher is a father of five and is a Yorta Yorta man from his country Cummeroogunja (aka Cummeragunja) Aboriginal Reserve located on the banks of the famous Murray River, inland southern NSW/northern VIC with an Irish and French heritage. He is a robust advocate for cultural and social determinants for First Nations Peoples holist health and is the National, NSW & ACT leader for the National QAAMS Program – Quality Assurance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Services and has been affiliated with QAAMS for 14 strong years. He is the President for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Council with the Health Professional Councils Authority NSW holding appointment for 3-years, holds the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Portfolio for the clinical council for the SENSW PHN, is a Full Member of the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners, and is an Associate Member and registered mentor for Indigenous Allied Health Australia; and member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group with Ahpra and the National Scheme.
Christopher has been a registered Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner since 2015 advancing from Aboriginal Health Worker since 2005, progressing to Health Services Team Manager and Chair in the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) sector. He has extensive experience in the ACCHS sector and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and social determinants of health bringing his expertise and knowledge skillset to numerous forums, further supporting his appointment as a member of the Executives Aboriginal Chronic Care Network with the Agency for Clinical Innovation NSW.
Christopher is a direct descendant of his third-great grandfather William Cooper – A Gentle Warrior and world-renowned Yorta Yorta man, Australian Aboriginal political activist and community leader; the first to lead a national movement recognised by the Australian Government. William advocated for human rights; petitioned King George V (1934-1937) for better living conditions and equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; protested against the persecution of the Jewish people under the Nazi regime in Germany and Austria (1937-1938); Founding Father of the ‘Day of Mourning’ & Protest (26th January 1938) and the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee – NAIDOC, And a founding member of the first Aboriginal Corporation The Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (1924) and The Aborigines Advancement League (1957), Melbourne VIC.
What experience do you bring to the Board? I have operated and performed in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander holistic health with over 25-years’ experience and further worked in the health domains; leadership, management, governance, cultural awareness and education, and training.
What is your vision for the ATSIHP profession? I envisage that one day, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner profession will be acknowledged and respected equally amongst its other 15 health professions that make up the Australian healthcare system; providing opportunity for upscaling scope of practice and performance through mainstream general practice provision helping not only the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, but all communities of Australia!
Danielle is a proud Wulli Wulli woman, raised and still living on Wulli Wulli country. Currently working as Assistant Practice Manager / Aboriginal Health Practitioner for Theodore Medical Centre in Central QLD.
Danielle is very involved and passionate about community and community projects.
Danielle is also involved in providing Cultural Education and Awareness to Medical Students who are in their orientation week with University QLD as well as being the Cultural Advisor for Health Workforce QLD’s RAP working group committee.
Passionate about all aspects of Aboriginal Health Danielle envisions that all Aboriginal Health Practitioners are supported, qualified, competent and have a range of various training opportunities so that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients’ health needs are met.