Involvement.
Empowering.
Learning. Great.
Stimulating.
It's giving a non textbook answer.
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Sunshine Coast Health are currently seeking new Consumer Representatives.
Dr Gemma Turato – Executive Director Allied Health
Hi, my name is Doctor Gemma Turato, and I'm the Executive Director of Allied Health and Executive Lead for partnering with consumers. This means that I support our leaders from an executive level to ensure that we are enabling effective partnerships between the health service and consumers.
Breanna – Consumer Representative
How did you become a Consumer Representative?
So I'm Breanna Medcalfe, and I live with a C1, C2, incomplete spinal cord lesion from birth, which means I've had a lot of contact with the hospital system throughout my whole life. And I first got into consumer rep work when I transitioned from paediatric to adult health services, because we had a lot of challenges during that time, and it just meant that I was able to use those challenges, and I was really excited to be able to create positive change, kind of sharing those challenges and...
Merran – Consumer Representative
What’s been a highlight for you?
I think because I was a nurse for so long in many different roles, like in education, clinical nursing, research – I've got a lot of knowledge of a lot of things, and I think the highlight is being able to give back and to feel that I'm making a difference. It gives me purpose in life. It keeps my brain active. And I've met lovely people, have made lots of friends through being a volunteer.
Carol – Consumer Representative
What drives you to continue to be a Consumer Representative?
Because it's fun. And again, the same, you know, with the learning. But it's getting together with a group of people and hearing their experiences. The other consumers, when we meet up, it's really great. And it's good to know that when we're on committees, we are included and we are listened to.
Lisa Wright – Assistant Director Nursing Safety Quality and Improvement
Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm the Assistant Director of Nursing for Safety Quality and Improvement at Sunshine Coast Health, and I oversee the accreditation program for the health service. It's really well recognised that consumer participation in health services improves safety and quality. And we here at Sunshine Coast Health, we have great consumer representatives that participate at all levels of our health service.
Sue – Consumer Representative
Advice to someone thinking of getting involved?
I think it's a great opportunity. I've met some amazing women and men here. I think it's actually a privilege to sit at the table with these with people like, you know, like Gemma and even Doctor Gillies and all the other heads and feeling really respected that you've got a right to be there.
Glenn – Consumer Representative
Advice to someone thinking of getting involved?
You don't have to take on a duty of secretary or something like that. You can just be a consumer and give your ideas on, what's happening around the place and, what they can do better.
Sue – Consumer Representative
As a consumer, your voice matters and how some of these people rely on the experiences that you bring to the table because you've been there and you've got that connection and you can speak their language.
Graham Reeks - Principal Engagement Officer
So we have quite a range of different consumer representatives, people who’ve used, any number of different services. The sorts of things that we get them involved in include, committees. So we have a number of standards that we're required to do as a hospital and health service. We have consumers who attend those committees and give their perspective on things, but we also do things more, broad across the whole of the hospital. So we have things like a patient publications group where consumers help us make sure that the information that we give to, the people that use our services, is really well understood. And so we're always looking for more consumer representatives. Really you know, the best thing we can do is have people that represent our community. So we always want more people. And as everyone knows, the Sunshine Coast is growing. It's becoming more and more diverse. We want to do the same thing. So if there are people out there who are potentially interested in health care or have had experiences that they want to tell us about or, help improve, we always want to try and work with them.
Sue – Consumer Representative
And now that I'm well, and, actually being able to share my story and my lived experience, and showing the clinicians and the staff who do a fabulous job what it means to look through the lens of a consumer, as someone who's been in that bed.
Apply now to become a Consumer Representative.
Email – sc-enagement@health.qld.gov.au or search Consumer Representative on our website.
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