Consumer Advisory Committee

Yarrawonga Health supports people’s right to participate individually and collectively in the planning and implementation of their health care. We do this by partnering with our Consumer Advisory Committee.

The Community Advisory Committee provides an important link between Yarrawonga Health and its consumers. It offers an opportunity for information to be shared in two directions:

Consumers and community members informing Yarrawonga Health of issues and concerns, and offering or seeking solutions.
Yarrawonga Health teams and management informing consumers & community members of key operational challenges or changes, and assistance with designing services, policies & information.

The Community Advisory Committee also assists in building stronger relationships between Yarrawonga Health and the general community.

Consumer Advisory Committee External Members

Isabelle Warren | Chair

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I decided to join the Yarrawonga health Consumer Advisory Committee as I was eager to assist our local Health Service with design and delivery of policies and consumer information. I believe in the power of the consumer voice and have the drive to challenge and bring forward ideas on behalf of our community.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
I have limited experience in the health industry, however i am a business owner in Yarrawonga and I believe i can bring my knowledge from my work to assist with the development of policies and information.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope to assist with raising the profile of Yarrawonga Health, our committee and the services YH can provide while contributing to ways we can engage with our community.
How can you advocate for our community?
I can advocate for our community through my professional contacts, as I am a local business owner and have many community contacts through various activities I'm involved in.

Daniel Bolton

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I was approached about joining the Advisory Committee two years ago, and saw this as a unique opportunity to help one of the most important organisations within our Yarrawonga/Mulwala community. I could see how important the role of consumer feedback from within the community was to Yarrawonga Health and felt I could be of some assistance in supporting them in this area.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
I have little experience of the health system other than being a patient, however I have experience in the education system where there are many elements of crossover between the two sectors. I hope to bring some of these aspects to my role on the Advisory Committee.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope to work with Yarrawonga Health to provide a positive partnership and further support the youth within our community. I hope we can continue to build upon the relationship between our local schools and Yarrawonga Health as well as strengthen the communication network and information accessibility for young people in our region.
How can you advocate for our community?
I can advocate for our community through my professional relationship with primary school students, families and staff as well as other members of the community through sporting networks within our region.

Gwen Crosbie

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I was approached about joining the Advisory Committee two years ago, and saw this as a unique opportunity to help one of the most important organisations within our Yarrawonga/Mulwala community. I could see how important the role of consumer feedback from within the community was to Yarrawonga Health and felt I could be of some assistance in supporting them in this area.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
I have little experience of the health system other than being a patient, however I have experience in the education system where there are many elements of crossover between the two sectors. I hope to bring some of these aspects to my role on the Advisory Committee.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope to work with Yarrawonga Health to provide a positive partnership and further support the youth within our community. I hope we can continue to build upon the relationship between our local schools and Yarrawonga Health as well as strengthen the communication network and information accessibility for young people in our region.
How can you advocate for our community?
I can advocate for our community through my professional relationship with primary school students, families and staff as well as other members of the community through sporting networks within our region.

Libby Dowling

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I joined the Consumer Advisory Committee as I believe this committee is the one that liaises most closely with the people who use the service. It is also my way of supporting the wonderful community that we live in.
what experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
My experience with the health system is purely as a consumer. The hospital is there to provide a service to the community and as a person who has used the service and will need it again no doubt, I would like it to be the best possible
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope that through this committee we are able to support all those that are associated with our health service whether they be people who are using the service, working within the service or assisting those that need the service. Also, I hope to help people understand what services are provided and help advocate for the services that are most needed by our community.
How can you advocate for our community?
I have come to know a lot of members of our community from a wide range of areas. I hope that I am able then to represent their views in regard to our health service.

Margaret Duff

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I decided to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee as I am passionate about excellent healthcare, especially being able to access care close to home as much as possible. I also wanted to be a link between our community and our local health service.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
I have experience in the health system as a patient as I have suffered from complex health issues. I believe I can utilise my experiences and my consumer journey stories from metropolitan, regional and small health services for my role on the Consumer Advisory Committee for implementing change as well as education.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope to work with Yarrawonga Health to provide a positive experience for all consumers of the Health Service and bring a consumer voice to the table.
How can you advocate for our community?
I can advocate for our community through my past experiences in the health system and my connections within our wider community.

Robyn Elliott

Annie Irvine

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
It has been a strong belief of mine that as a member of a small town, that volunteering is integral to the strength of a community. When I was approached to consider a position on this committee I I felt the timing was right to offer my skills and energy to this organisation. I also want to expand my experiences and develop my understanding in this area.
what experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
As part of my inclusion on this board, I see myself as an additional voice for marginalized members of our community. I bring with me a wealth of personal and professional experience that I can draw on to be the voice for our community. Having grown up in this area and lived here for most of my life, I have had to draw on services at different times and I can recognize the gap between regions that needs to be filled.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I want to make a difference. I want my voice and my experiences to not be in vain. I want people to benefit and have an easier pathway to the services that our community can offer. I remember being avoided by mothers in social settings. I remember as a young mother, the feeling and the looks I received when in the supermarket with children having meltdowns. I can now use my voice to speak for these people who feel helpless. I want to create a greater awareness and shine the light on these services that will help integrate our diverse community. I hope to build capacity and community trust.
How can you advocate for our community?
As a natural people-person, I can advocate for our community at the grass-roots level. I enjoy meeting new people, learning what services are offered to our community. I will be drawing upon my own real life experiences, knowing how vital is that a voice be heard and the difference it can make for those who are experiencing hardship and feel isolated and unsupported. I am passionate about aiding others through identifying gaps in the system or areas of marginalized members of our community and ensuring they are being offered the support they require.

Renee Mccarthy

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I decided to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee as I am passionate about excellent healthcare, especially being able to access care close to home as much as possible. I also wanted to be a link between our community and our local health service.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
I have experience in the health system as a patient as I have suffered from complex health issues. I believe I can utilise my experiences and my consumer journey stories from metropolitan, regional and small health services for my role on the Consumer Advisory Committee for implementing change as well as education.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
I hope to work with Yarrawonga Health to provide a positive experience for all consumers of the Health Service and bring a consumer voice to the table.
How can you advocate for our community?
I can advocate for our community through my past experiences in the health system and my connections within our wider community.

Bruce Pigdon

Why did you decide to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee?
I decided to join the Yarrawonga Health Consumer Advisory Committee in order that i could continue to provide an impact from a community perspective that might assist in developing hospital policies that are aimed at providing the best health care in our community.
What experiences from the health system can you bring to the committee?
Having had the opportunity of serving on the Yarrawonga Health board for many years, i have the added advantage of that experience when making decisions and assist with the ongoing work of our consumer advisory committee.
What do you hope to achieve while on the committee?
My hope is through the combined efforts of the Consumer Advisory Committee members the hospital policies, plans and reputation can benefit through direct feedback from the community to Yarrawonga Health, with the goal to provide the highest quality of care to our district.
How can you advocate for our community?
I will advocate for the community through my family's business activities and wide personal social contacts will allow me to confidently present the community's needs to the Consumer Advisory Committee

For more information or to apply to become a member contact:

Jo Spence
Volunteer Co-Ordinator
Ph: (03) 5743 8198
Email: joanne.spence@yh.org.au