WAYNE JONES,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE,
NORTHERN NSW LHD

BIOGRAPHY:
Wayne started in health over 30 years ago undertaking his generalist nursing training. For the next 10 years Wayne obtained multiple post graduate nursing qualifications in areas including Intensive Care and Cardiology and he has also obtained graduate qualification in Health Management.

Wayne then progressed into a variety of nursing management roles and eventually came up to the Northern Rivers as the Executive Officer of Lismore Base Hospital. Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Wayne has held a variety of roles in the North Coast including Manager of Planning, Director of Clinical Streams and Chief of Staff prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Northern NSW Local Health District.

LUKE ESCOMBE,
CONSUMER, PATIENT ADVOCATE, 
CREATOR, THE VEGETABLE PLOT

BIOGRAPHY:
Luke Escombe is an award-winning songwriter, musician and comedian who has turned his 25 years of living with Crohn’s disease into inspiration for his art.

Luke’s breakthrough as a writer/performer came in 2011 with his one-man show “Chronic”, which combined multiple music styles with candid stand-up comedy about his many hospital stays. It was Luke’s ticket to festivals all over Australia, and led to him becoming an ambassador for Crohn’s and Colitis Australia.

The follow-up to “Chronic” was a show called “The Vegetable Plot”, which premiered at the 2014 Sydney Fringe. After years of speaking about illness, The Vegetable Plot was Luke's way of making a fresh start - a roots music show for kids, families, and foodies with an emphasis on having fun and being healthy. It won the award for the Best Kid’s show at the festival and has since played at major events all around the country, including at the Sydney Opera House and Splendour in the Grass.

Luke has spoken for three years in a row at Parliament House in Canberra, as well as at the New Zealand National Museum in Wellington, the 2012 and 2014 National Medicines Symposiums, the 2013 Pharmacy Australia Congress, and at conferences, workshops, support groups, Medicare Locals and training seminars across the country. 2017 saw him crossing the Pacific for the first time, speaking at events in Chicago and Miami and receiving standing ovations at both. His work was recognised at the end of the year by WEGO Health, who named him as the winner of their 2017 “Hilarious Patient Leader” award.

He was once described by John Shand in the Sydney Morning Herald as a “rock-soul singer, raconteur, blistering blues guitarist, comedian and songwriter...and very good at them all”, and is most often described by himself as the Mick Jagger of inflammatory bowel disease.

DR DANIELLE DRIES,
INDIGENOUS ALLIED HEALTH AUSTRALIA BOARD DIRECTOR,
GP REGISTRAR WITH AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF RURAL AND REMOTE MEDICIN

BIOGRAPHY:
Dr Danielle Dries is a proud Kaurna woman from South Australia. Danielle currently holds a Board Director position with Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA) and is a GP registrar with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine.Danielle was the ACT Junior Doctor of the Year in 2017, was the recipient of the MDA National and Rural Doctor’s Association Australia bursary in 2016, and the IAHA Allied Health Inspiration award in 2014.

In 2015-16, Danielle was the Indigenous Health Officer for the National Rural Health Student Network (NRHSN). In this position, Danielle actively promoted Indigenous community engagement, the importance of a quality Indigenous Health curriculum, as well as more rural placements and graduate jobs in allied health, nursing and medicine.

Danielle represented NRHSN to the Senate Select Committee on Indigenous Health in 2015, and continues to develop opportunities to advocate for Indigenous health and promote health career’s to Indigenous youth. Danielle is a Close the Gap Ambassador and has mentored in the IAHA health fusion challenge and Murra Mullangari program.Danielle graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy in 2011, and a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Surgery in 2016.

ALISTAIR FERGUSON,
DIRECTOR & FOUNDER,
MARANGUKA COMMUNITY HUB

BIOGRAPHY:
Alistair Ferguson is the Executive Director of Maranguka and on the Executive Committee of Just Reinvest NSW. Alistair was the Chairperson of the Bourke Aboriginal Community Working Party for more than 10 years. Justice reinvestment is a core component of the Maranguka initiative.

Alistair’s position of Executive Director has been funded by the Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation and the Dusseldorp Skills Forum. Key to Alistair’s community development is the belief in seeing communities truly empowered and taking responsibility for their own issues and plight.

In 2018, Alistair was nominated for the Australia’s Local Hero Award which aims to acknowledge the extraordinary contributions individuals make in their local community. In 2015, in recognition of 20 years of work for his community in Bourke, and in particular for his leadership on the Maranguka Justice Reinvestment Project, Alistair received the Aboriginal Justice Award at the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW Justice Awards.

Alistair Ferguson is a Director at Orana Haven Rehabilitation Centre and NSW Aboriginal Housing Office Member of the Regional Aboriginal Housing Committee, as well as on the Corrective Services Aboriginal Advisory Council.

PROFESSOR NICK GOODWIN PhD,
DIRECTOR,
CENTRAL COAST RESEARCH INSTITUTE (CCRI)

BIOGRAPHY:
In July 2019, Professor Nick Goodwin was appointed as the Director of the Central Coast Research Institute (CCRI) that will be based within the Health and Wellbeing Precinct on the Gosford Hospital campus. Developed in partnership between the University of Newcastle and Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD), Nick’s position as Director of the CCRI will include a seconded role to CCLHD as the inaugural Director of Research.

As a social scientist, Nick has worked for the past 25 years in the field of health services research, management and policy including employment in both the University and Third Sector. Between 2007 and 2013, Nick was Senior Fellow at The King’s Fund in London leading its programmes on integrated care for older people with long-term conditions, telehealth and telecare, and led the Independent Inquiry into the Quality of Care in English General Practice.

In 2011 Nick co-founded the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), a not-for-profit foundation based in the Netherlands dedicated to improving the science, knowledge and adoption of integrated care in policy and practice across the world (www.integratedcarefoundation.org). Nick became its first CEO in 2013 and remains the Editor-in-Chief of its scientific periodical, the International Journal of Integrated Care (www.ijic.org). Nick continues to work as a senior associate with IFIC, including support to its collaborative centres in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

In January 2016, Nick received the Avedis Donabedian International Award for his contribution to Healthcare Excellence.

PROFESSOR KATHY EAGAR,
DIRECTOR,
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH INSTITUTE (AHSRI)

BIOGRAPHY:
Professor Kathy Eagar is Professor of Health Services Research and Director of the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) at the University of Wollongong.

AHSRI has a team of over 60 researchers and includes eight research centres. Among these are, the Centre for Health Research Illawarra Shoalhaven Population (CHRISP), and three national patient outcome centres - the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC), the Palliative Care Outcomes Collaboration (PCOC) and the electronic Persistent Pain Outcomes Collaboration (ePPOC).

She has authored over 500 papers on management, quality, outcomes, information systems and funding of the Australian and New Zealand health and community care systems.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MURRAY KILLINGSWORTH,
FOUNDING DIRECTOR,
NSW BRAIN CLOT BANK,
PRINCIPAL HOSPITAL SCIENTIST,
SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY PATHOLOGY SERVICE

BIOGRAPHY:
Murray Killingsworth is Head of the Electron Microscopy Laboratory, New South Wales Health Pathology. He is a Conjoint Associate Professor of the South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales and a Conjoint Associate Professor of the School of Medicine, Western Sydney University.

Murray obtained his PhD from the University of New South Wales, School of Medical Sciences in 1989 based on studies of ageing and degeneration of the human retina as part of the research group of renowned ophthalmologists Drs Shirley and John Sarks. His postdoctoral studies contributed to defining the role of chronic inflammation and angiogenesis in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ultimately leading to the use of anti-angiogenic treatment where previously no drug intervention was available. His research interests continue to focus on the cell biology of renal disease, retinal disease, cancer and stroke.

In 2010 Murray was awarded a Founding Fellowship of the Faculty of Science in the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. He is currently Clinical Sciences Stream Leader at the Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research. He is Co-Director of the NSW Brain Clot Bank with Dr Sonu Bhaskar (Vascular Neurology) and in 2018 was the recipient of the Lady Mary Fairfax Distinguished Researcher Award.

NIC MARCHESI,
CO-FOUNDER,
ORANGE SKY

BIOGRAPHY:
In October 2014, Nicholas Marchesi co-founded Orange Sky alongside his best mate Lucas Patchett which is a free mobile laundry service for the homeless. Together they built the first van. Nic led the initial van build and supported the early service rollouts.

Nic continues to have oversight of the Vehicle Team and the Orange Sky Fleet. He has been integral to the design and construction of the vehicles and the associated research and development. Nic has ensured the success of each vehicle model at Orange Sky.

Nic is an avid problem solver and drives continuous improvement across all areas of Orange Sky, adopting the mentality that everything has the capacity to be improved. Nic pioneered the integration of technology into Orange Sky’s operations and helped lead the development of the Orange Sky Portal and App - pieces of technology built in-house.

Nic previously worked as a camera operator and editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and for the Seven Network. In these roles, he developed a passion for sharing people’s stories as a way of getting people to better relate to and connect with one another. As a result of Nic’s influence, storytelling is central to Orange Sky’s culture and is the cornerstone of the organisation’s brand and creative content.

Nic has been a Board Member since the organisation was founded and has played a critical role in the strategic direction of Orange Sky. He fosters a culture of affirmation and hard work. The framework underpinning the internal culture at Orange Sky mirrors many of the attributes and characteristics he lives by.             

LUCAS PATCHETT,
CO-FOUNDER,
ORANGE SKY

BIOGRAPHY:
In October 2014, Lucas Patchett co-founded Orange Sky alongside his best mate Nic Marchesi. Together, they built the first van. Lucas led the initial rollout of services and oversaw the transition of service delivery from Nic and himself to a broader volunteer base.

Lucas currently oversees the Brand and Communications team as well as the Fundraising and Partnerships team. The significant growth of Orange Sky has been aided by his analytical skills and business acumen.

Lucas is studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) and a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Queensland.

He has been foundational to the development of Orange Sky’s strategic goals and the associated individualised and organisational KPIs. He has driven research and development across the organisation and has been integral to the establishment of Social Impact Washing, a new service offering.

Lucas has been a Board Member since the organisation was founded, Chairperson since the second year of operation, and has played a critical role in the strategic direction of Orange Sky. He helped shape the internal culture of Orange Sky by establishing the Orange Sky Person framework. Lucas is genuine and relatable. He is a true leader who sets the example of how an Orange Sky Person should act every day.

MANY NOLAN,
STAND-UP COMEDIAN AND HUMOUR THERAPIST

BIOGRAPHY:
Mandy Nolan is a funny woman. A stand up comedian for 28 years, audiences adore Mandy. Around Byron Bay where she lives, Mandy-jokes are as much a part of the vernacular as any surf speak. Her humour is sharp, honest, sometimes self-depreciating, somewhat outrageous, but never cruel or pretentious. Frequently irreverent, it speaks to a diverse audience with no set demographic, no gender, race or religion, occupation or tribe. Author of four books, one half of a national touring show Women Like Us, Mandy is also a regular writer for Mamamia, The Byron Echo and most recently hosted The Split, an 8 part podcast for Mamamia.

For nearly two decades Nolan has taught the gentle art of stand up comedy to over 1500 aspirants, with successful proteges Hannah Gadsby, Ellen Briggs and Paul McMahon all featuring on the national, and international circuit. Nolan believes comedy has strong therapeutic value and has delivered several programs to Kids, People with Lived Experience of Mental Health, Grandparent Carers and seniors, who all found themselves on stage delivering 5 minutes of comedy, smashing stereotypes and reframing limiting social views.

Nolan’s most important work however is the unique Stand Up for Dementia, the Humour Therapy she created for people with dementia that was developed with the assistance of Commonwealth funding. Most recently Nolan was featured on SBS’s Insight for her innovative approach to working with people with dementia.

MADDY BRADDON
RESEARCH ASSISTANT, UNIVERSITY CENTRE FOR RURAL HEALTH, MEMBER OF RESILIENCE LISMORE, LISMORE HELPING HANDS

BIOGRAPHY:
Maddy Braddon is a budding change maker with a focus on climate justice and building community resilience. She is passionate about regional communities, having spent much of her life moving between small towns in rural NSW. Her approach to change-making stems from a growing understanding that we share common experiences and skills that unite us in the face of adversity.

Since graduating from an Environmental Science degree at SCU in 2017, Maddy has been building her work around this approach. She was part of Lismore Helping Hands (now Resilient Lismore), a grassroots community-led recovery effort after the 2017 flood which was largely successful because of the established Gasfield Free Northern Rivers network. She's also worked at Lock The Gate to help on campaigns to transition away from fossil fuels, and currently works at the University Centre for Rural Health on a flood mental health and wellbeing research project.

Maddy will MC this panel discussion, drawing on her own experiences and knowledge of this topic.