Consumer Advisory Council

Virginia Bendall-Harris

CAC Chair

Virginia is a long-term customer service professional and the recipient of Customer Service Manager of the Year at both state (Queensland) and national levels. The award is bestowed by the Customer Service Institute of Australia. 

Virginia is a passionate advocate for bringing the voice of the customer into business. 

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She has implemented customer surveys and feedback processes, as well as employee engagement surveys which ‘take the pulse’ of an organisation from a customer and employee perspective.

Virginia’s interest in the healthcare sector was piqued by personal impact after her mother had a severe stroke. She cared for her mother and navigated the world of aged care as a result. Additionally, her grandson was born with multiple health issues and she has supported his development and engagement with the health services provided by Townsville University Hospital.

Virginia is a graduate of Monash University with a Master’s in Business Administration. The focus of her studies was on bringing about change in large organisations.

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Samuel Savage

CAC member – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Advisory Council chair

Samuel is a proud Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander man who respects, practises, and promotes his diverse cultures to his family and broader communities throughout Australia.

Born and raised in Townsville and having cultural ties to the Townsville region as a descendant of the Birrigubba Nation, Sam respects and acknowledges his connection to country and values his father’s Torres Strait Islander connection to country on Mauar (Rennell Island) in the Torres Strait.

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Learning about family kinships, traditional healing, traditional hunting practices, traditional cooking, respecting spiritual dreaming, totems, caring for country is an important focus area for Sam that he appreciates every day.

With more than 30 years’ experience working in various government and community sectors such as education, housing, employment, natural resource management, youth justice and child protection, Sam has strived to change mindsets, attitudes, and behaviours towards First Nations peoples within systems and communities.

Sam's current role is Northern Queensland Emergency Services Regional Coordinator where he works in the Emergency Services sector with Australian Red Cross at a regional, state, and national level. Sam is the current Chairperson of the Australian Red Cross National First Nations Recovery Group and a member of the Australian Red Cross National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership Team. Sam recently has become a member of the National Taskforce for Creative Recovery, a cross-industry collaboration that brings together key influencers in disaster management, mental health, government, and the arts to forge pathways for new thinking in response to the unprecedented challenges being faced by communities.

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Patsy-Ann Fox

CAC member- Richmond Community Advisory Network representative

Patsy-Ann is a fifth generation Richmond citizen and is very proud of her family history which is steeped in the shire.

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Currently a Richmond Shire Councillor with the portfolio of Community Services, Patsy-Ann is extremely passionate about rural and remote health and the provision of high-quality care for all.  This is Patsy-Ann’s second term on Council.

She is a co-owner-operator of Fox Helicopters, with her husband David. The company has operated in northwest Queensland since 2001. They have an adult son who is also involved in aviation in the area. 

Patsy-Ann Fox is a member of a number of state and local organisations and clubs, including the Queensland Plan Ambassador Council, Queensland Government Regional Community Forums, Richmond Multi-Purpose Health Service Consumer Advisory Council, Vice President of Richmond Branch Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association, Member of Richmond State School P&C, Richmond State School Chaplaincy Committee and the Richmond Turf Club Committee.

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Julie Mathews

CAC member - Charters Towers Community Advisory Network representative

Mal McLean

CAC member - Magnetic Island Community Advisory Network representative

Completed teacher training Sydney Teachers' College before moving to Townsville. 

He taught at St. Margaret Marys', Pimlico SHS, Mt Isa SHS and Townsville SHS with periods as Head of Mathematics at the State High schools. Mal became the mathematics advisor for schools in the Northern Region and then Regional Coordinator (Mathematics) Northern Region. 

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Mal then took up positions at James Cook University in the School of Indigenous Australian Studies and the School of Education lecturing and tutoring in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. 

As a part-time student Mal gained a BSc in pure and applied mathematics and one of his proudest achievements was running mathematics camps for the region over a period of 11 years with more than 6500 students participating.

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Yvonne Sellen

CAC consumer member

Yvonne was born and raised in Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea, before her family moved to Australia in 1974 and eventually settled in Townsville. 

She has worked in the education sector for almost 30 years and is a proud mum of two daughters. 

Yvonne has a bone condition and wanted to be part of the CAC to share her experiences within the healthcare system. 

She is passionate about bringing her voice to the CAC to share ideas of how consumers can be further supported during their time at TUH.

Hannah Green

CAC consumer member

Hannah was born in Townsville and has a long family history in North Queensland.

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Growing up in an Army family, Hannah moved south as a child but returned to Townsville after high school in 2017 to study Environmental Science at James Cook University.

She is now a part-time PhD student studying soil science and climate change mitigation strategies. 

Hannah was interested in joining the CAC following over a decade of experiences in both paediatric and adult hospitals.

She is passionate about patient advocacy, especially for young people and women, and hopes to use her lived experience to shape the health care system and improve patient experiences.

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Sharon Oakley

CAC consumer member

Sharon and her family have resided in Townsville for approximately 13 years. She has worked with and has been a strong advocate for people with disabilities both in an employment and personal environment.

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Late November 2017 she was diagnosed with early breast cancer and treated at The Townsville Cancer Centre; Cancer returned as Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) in early 2022.

She became a Consumer Representative with Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA). She advocated on behalf of women and men with MBC in the Seat at the Table program and was in the MBC Lived Experience Group. She was also involved in the co-design of the BCNA Experience Project - Member Survey and the Implementation Project Team. Her attendance at the 2023 Consumer Think Tank was an opportunity to highlight the inequality of support for regional and rural women and men. She resigned in August to dedicate more time to advocate locally.

In October 2023 she was given the opportunity to speak to the Year 11 cohort of young women about breast cancer, educating them on how to be breast aware and how to examine their breasts.

Sharon is also a founding member of a new charity which will be launched in October 2024. It will assist newly diagnosed women and men with MBC Australia wide in navigating where and how to find the information they require to ensure they are fully supported.

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Shawnee Coffison

CAC consumer member

Shawnee is a legal professional currently working in state government. Shawnee has lived in the Townsville community for over 10 years after moving here to attend university. Before this, she grew up in Charters Towers. Shawnee was interested in joining the CAC following the birth of her first daughter. Through her membership on the CAC, Shawnee hopes to influence local healthcare services relating to women's health, prenatal and perinatal care.

Jason Hancock

CAC consumer member

Jason was born and raised in Townsville and is a retired QPS police officer having served the community in the Townsville District for 23 years. After surviving a major heart attack in 2022, Jason became a health consumer representative and is passionate in this role sharing his experiences with a keen focus on improving patient care within THHS.

Trish McEvey

CAC consumer member

Trish McEvey has lived in Townsville for over 30 years and been an advocate for high quality public education throughout this time.

She is a graduate of James Cook University and worked as a teacher, leader, deputy and principal across schools within the region.

Her diverse experiences as an individual and a carer within THHS have prompted a keen interest in contributing a strong voice for the ongoing improvement and alignment of health and education for all.

Damien Thompson

CAC consumer member

After many years of being a healthcare consumer, Damien has become a strong advocate for patients. He has more than 14 years of experience in the healthcare system as a Leukaemia, Graft Verse Host Disease, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Double Lung Transplant survivor. Damien is the CEO of Chimera Legacy Foundation as well as QIMR Philanthropy Committee member, Research Australia award winner, Emerging Philanthropist of the Year winner, and QIMR humanitarian award winner.