Consumer Representatives
Consumer representatives play a valuable role in the ongoing planning and development of the Population Health Research Network (PHRN).
Their involvement in health and medical research and their insight into what matters most to consumers and the community at large make them an integral part of the PHRN team.
The PHRN is pleased to have three key Australian consumer representatives closely involved in the governance and advisory process.
Stephanie Miller has been appointed as the inaugural Consumer Representative on the PHRN Management Council, while Anne McKenzie and Stephanie Newell are active members on the PHRN Ethics, Privacy and Consumer Engagement Advisory Group.
Introducing:
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie is the current Executive Director of the Health Consumers' Alliance of South Australia (HCASA) which is the State's peak health consumer body (www.hcasa.asn.au).
She was appointed to the position of Executive Director, HCA, in April 2009. Stephanie was born and raised in country South Australia and has a Degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide. Prior to joining HCA, Stephanie lived in the UK for 15 years where she held senior executive and chief executive roles with consumer focussed not for profit and public sector organisations. While in the UK, Stephanie gained a Masters Degree in Management and Social Responsibility from Bristol University.
Stephanie is a trained IAP2 practitioner and has recently completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Dialogue, Deliberation and Public Engagement with Fielding Graduate University in the United States.
Stephanie brings with her a wealth of experience in the area of consumer and community participation and will be a valuable member of the Management Council as the PHRN moves into its next phase.
Anne McKenzie
Since 2004, Anne has worked as the Consumer Research Liaison Officer at The University of Western Australia School of Population Health and the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research. This is a position dedicated to increasing consumer and community participation in health and medical research. In 2007 Anne established the Consumer and Community Participation Advisory Council at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research and she also co-authored a book about the experiences and work done by the Institute and The UWA School of Population Health to increase participation in its research programs. The book includes case studies of good practice examples of involving consumers and the community in research.
In early 2009, Anne organised the inaugural 'Involving People in Research Symposium' held at the Telethon Institute for Child Heath Research. Attended by over 240 people, the Symposium represented a forum for participants to explore important issues and stimulated discussion about the development of future plans and directions for consumer and community participation in health and medical research. Anne has a long history of health consumer advocacy and prior to her current positions, she established the role of Parent Advocate at Princess Margaret Hospital, Perth's only tertiary children's hospital. Anne has also co-developed (in conjunction with Hayley Haines and Rachel Skoss) a comprehensive website aimed at supporting increased consumer and community participation in research. To access the 'Involving People in Research' website click here.
Anne has been an active consumer representative serving on a number of health and medical committees. Having recently served as the consumer observer to the NHMRC Council, Anne is currently the Chair and consumer representative for the Health Consumers' Council, Western Australia's peak consumer organisation. She is also a consumer representative for Consumers Health Forum of Australia on national E-health, Medicines Australia and the National Prescribing Service committees and is a member of the Working Group to Assess Research Applications in Depression and Heart Disease.
Stephanie Newell
Stephanie is a Health Consumer Advocate who has been active in the areas of health research, patient safety and quality of care for a number of years.
Stephanie is involved at state and national levels to ensure the consumer voice and experience informs and shapes all aspects of health care design and quality.
Stephanie is the past immediate and inaugural Chair of the South Australian Safety and Quality Consumer and Community Advisory Committee and the South Australia Council for Safety and Quality and is currently a Consumer Representative to a number of Commonwealth and State health committees.
Stephanie is also an active participant of the World Health Organisation's Patient Safety program - Patients for Patient Safety. In this role Stephanie developed and co-facilitated the Inaugural Australian Patients for Patient Safety 3-day Workshop held in Perth in 2009 and is currently assisting WHO Patient Safety in the research and development of the global Mother and Baby Safer Care tool.
Stephanie is nominated to the Population Health Research Network (PHRN) by the Consumers Health Forum of Australia.
