Darlene Cox
Executive Director
Darlene has been involved in the consumer movement since the late 1990s. She is an eminent advocate for health consumers with an excellent knowledge of the health system, both locally and nationally. Darlene has a strong, practical understanding of community engagement principles. She has been the Executive Director of Health Care Consumers’ Association Incorporated since 2008. She is a board member of the Capital Health Network and Meridian. She has a long-standing interest in improving the quality and safety of heath care and has been involved with the Australian Medical Council, Australian Commission for the Safety and Quality of Health Care, and the NPS.
Kate Gorman
Deputy Director
Manager: Consumer and Community Participation
Kate started working at HCCA in February 2015 as a Project Officer on the Consumer Representatives Program. Her interest in health, and the way we experience health care, has developed over many years as she has supported family members needing treatment and care. Kate has particular interests in consumer and carer advocacy, health infrastructure and human-centred building and system design, and health literacy. She enjoys giving training and presentations to consumers and health staff about topics related to consumer advocacy.
Geraldine Manser
Governance and Finance Officer
Geraldine joined HCCA in January 2020 as part of the Community Heath Literacy Project team. She has a Master of Nutrition and Dietetics and has experience delivering a range of community based health promotion projects. She has a strong belief in social justice and in reducing the health inequities faced by marginalised and stigmatised groups. She has spent over 15 years working in the areas of community development, community consultation and engagement, service planning, policy, and managing a range of State and Commonwealth government funded programs.
C Moore
Health Literacy Officer
C (they/them) joined HCCA in November 2021. C has a background in systemic advocacy and community engagement. They have worked at the ANU and CIT Student Associations, Women with Disabilities ACT and Carers ACT. They are passionate about equitable access to health care, particularly for LGBTQIA+ and disabled people like themself.
Ivapene Seiuli
Multicultural Liaison Officer
Ivapene is a proud Canberran of Samoan heritage, wife and mother of 3. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of International Social Development. She brings over 20 years of community development experience including working and living across cultures in the Pacific and Africa. She is passionate about inclusion and is excited to advocate for the health care needs of culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the ACT.
Darcy Whitmore
Consumer Representatives Coordinator
Darcy (she/her) lived in Canberra for 6 years after moving to study Applied Anthropology and Participatory Development at the ANU. She has since worked as a Research Analyst and Community Development Officer at a not-for-profit. At HCCA she has worked in the Health Literacy team, on infrastructure projects and is now working remotely from Melbourne as the Consumer Representatives Coordinator. She has a strong interest in community empowerment, promoting social inclusion, and human rights advocacy.
Michelle Cullen
Chronic Conditions Network Coordinator
Michelle joined HCCA in March 2023 as the Chronic Conditions Network Coordinator. Michelle has worked as a Community Development Coordinator in social housing over the past five years and has a background community engagement in remote Indigenous communities through her work for the Northern Land Council. Michelle enjoys connecting people and building relationships between stakeholders that lead to productive and empowering action. Michelle looks forward to using these skills in the health care sector.
Kathryn Briant
Manager: Policy and Advocacy
Kathryn has wide-ranging experience in the health sector including pharmaceutical policy and medication safety, having previously worked with the Federal Government and non-profit sector. Her particular interests include health care safety and quality, digital health, consumer advocacy and Quality Use of Medicines. Kathryn is a member of the International Society to Improve the Use of Medicines (ISIUM). Kathryn has been working with HCCA since 2012 and has been a consumer representative on a range of committees at ACT and National levels around medication safety, incident management and digital health. She enjoys engaging with members and other organisations on a wide range of policy issues as well as writing policy submissions that highlight consumer experiences for improving health outcomes for everyone!
Nadia Owuor
Quality Use of Medicines Project Officer
Nadia (she/her) is from Kenya/Uganda and moved to Australia in 2018 to study. She holds a Bachelor’s in International Development and a Master’s in Public Policy. Nadia joined HCCA in February 2022 and lived in Canberra for 3.5 years before relocating to Adelaide, where she now works remotely. She has a passion for social equity and policy development, particularly in improving access to healthcare and support for underrepresented populations.
Jessica Lamb
Senior Project Officer
Jessica joined HCCA in October 2019, after over a decade in the Australian Public Service. In previous roles she delivered high-profile infrastructure and land management projects. Jessica has post-graduate qualifications in public health and a background in consumer advocacy in the maternity space in both the ACT and Victoria. She is excited to be pursuing her passion for public health, working with HCCA on health literacy projects, consumer participation initiatives and now as a member of HCCA’s Policy Team. She has a particular interest in health economics and women, youth and children’s health service design, and continues to act as a consumer representative on a range of committees.
Shivana Chandra
Research Officer
Shivana joined HCCA in March 2022 as part of the Integrated Health Project. She has worked in research and policy at not-for-profit organisations and has a keen interest in including consumer input and participation in research and developing programs designed to improve services for consumers. She is excited to be working with HCCA in bringing the consumer voice into policy and practice to improve healthcare for people in the ACT.
Stephen Lawton
Policy Officer
Stephen has a background in psychology, sexual health promotion and mental health policy. Most recently he was a Research Officer with the Centre of Research Excellence in Suicide Prevention and before that tutored in social research methods at the University of Canberra. He has experience working in mental health policy in suicide prevention in both local and commonwealth governments. He holds postgraduate qualifications in psychology, science communication and social research methods.
Yelena Minasyan
Program Support Officer
Yelena is the newest member of the team and works across most parts of HCCA supporting projects and events. You will see her in person and online when you participate in HCCA activities. She will often be on the other end of our phone and admin email address. Yelena relocated to Canberra in July 2023 to focus on raising her family. With a background in Primary Health Networks, she is passionate about digital health and enhancing patient outcomes. She is keen to contribute her expertise to the team and make a meaningful impact within the ACT community.