Our Team

State/Territory PEPA Managers

Sue Turner - ACT PEPA Manager

Sue is a Registered Nurse who is passionate about nursing and in particular the two areas of palliative care and education. For the last 3 years she has worked in clinical areas at Clare Holland House, Canberra, both in-patient and Home Based. Prior to this she has undertaken a variety of roles in both acute care and community settings. 
 
Sue is currently studying at Flinders University for her Graduate Diploma in Palliative Care.
 
ACT PEPA Website: http://www.clarehollandhouse.com.au/program-of-experience-in-a-palliative-approach.html
Email: PEPA@calvary-act.com.au
Phone: 02 6264 7338
 

Janeen Foffani - NSW PEPA Manager

Janeen comes from an administrative background and holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Service Management.   Janeen has worked in the health sector since 1990, initially with Medical Oncology and then moving into the Palliative Care sector.   Janeen has been involved both formally and informally in a diverse range of projects and events throughout her working life.  She joined PEPA NSW in December 2005.
 
Janeen is a member of the Palliative Care Association, NSW.  She is also an Executive Committee member of the Sydney Institute of Palliative Medicine (SIPM) with a particular interest in the Registrar Recruitment/training and the annual Symposium arms.
 
NSW PEPA Website: http://www.sswahs.nsw.gov.au/sswahs/pepa/
Email: pepansw@sswahs.nsw.gov.au 
Phone: 02 9515 6424
 

Cindy Paardekooper - NT PEPA Manager

Cindy is a descendant of the Kokatha Tribe of South Australia. Cindy grew in Alice Springs and began working as an Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer in Acute Medical and Child and Maternal Health at Royal Darwin Hospital where she furthered her experiences in the Palliative Care field. In 2008, Cindy joined the PEPA team as the Senior Aboriginal Health Educator in NT. Two years later and Cindy is now NT PEPA Manager.
 
NT PEPA Website: http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Palliative_Care/PEPA/index.aspx
Email: cindy.paardekooper@nt.gov.au
Phone: 08 8922 7679
 

Kym Griffin and John Haberecht - Interim QLD PEPA Managers

QLD PEPA Website: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/cpcre/pepa.asp
Email: cpcre@health.qld.gov.au
Phone: 07 3636 1449
 

Tracey Watters - SA PEPA Manager

Tracey Watters is the Executive Officer of the Palliative Care Council of South Australia. 

SA PEPA Website: http://www.pallcare.asn.au/pepa.php
Email:  pallcare@pallcare.asn.au
Phone: 08 8291 4137
 

Kate Atkinson - TAS PEPA Manager

Kate Atkinson brings with her a wealth of experience as a practice nurse and a palliative care nurse.  Her most recent position was as Project Officer for the Rural Palliative Care Project at General Practice South.   
 
TAS PEPA Website: http://www.dhhs.tas.gov.au/palliative_care/health_professionals/education/pepa_tasmania
Email:   Kate.Atkinson@dhhs.tas.gov.au
Phone: 03 6220 2432
 

Ellen Sheridan - VIC PEPA Manager

Ellen has been the Victorian PEPA Manager at the Department of Health since September 2006.  She is also involved in a number of other Victorian palliative care projects including Aboriginal palliative care.  Ellen has clinical and project management experience in both palliative care and oncology.  She has a Master of Public Policy and Management, and Bachelor degrees in social work and criminal justice.  
 
VIC PEPA Website: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/palliativecare/pepa.htm
Email: Ellen.Sheridan@health.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 9096 5296
 

Brooke Wilkinson - WA PEPA Manager

WA PEPA Website: http://www.cancerwa.asn.au/professionals/palliative-care-profs/pepa/
Email: Pepa@cancerwa.asn.au
Phone: 08 9382 9372
 

Aboriginal Project Officers

Darryl Lingwoodock – QLD PEPA Aboriginal Project Officer

With a background in nursing, Darryl has worked in both Aged Care and Disability Services.  He has also managed a number of health and arts projects for Indigenous communities around Queensland in regional, remote and urban areas.  
 
Phone: 07 3636 5251
 

Cherie Waight – VIC Aboriginal Consultant for PEPA (VACCHO)

Ms Cherie Waight, who manages the Victorian Aboriginal Palliative Care Program (VAPCP), provides expert advice to VIC PEPA regarding engaging and working with the Victorian Aboriginal community.  Ms Waight liaises with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) and promotes PEPA supervised clinical placements and workshops.  Ms Waight is employed by the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) which is Victoria’s peak body for Aboriginal health.
 
Work Phone: (03)94193350
Mobile: 0438419336
 

National PEPA Team

Prof. Patsy Yates - Project Director

Patsy is jointly appointed as Professor of Nursing with the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation at Queensland University of Technology, and Director for Queensland Health’s Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education, a statewide service that was established to enhance palliative care services in Queensland through education and research. As Director for the Centre, Patsy leads a range of programs focused on developing workforce capacity in palliative care, researching priority issues in palliative care, and strengthening the nexus between research, policy and practice.
 
Email: p.yates@qut.edu.au
Phone: 07 3138 3835
 

Natasha Myers - PEPA National Coordinator

Natasha has been appointed as PEPA National Coordinator to promote, network, liaise and manage PEPA at the national level.  Natasha is responsible for developing and maintaining supporting policy, guidelines and management documents to ensure best practice for the implementation of PEPA in all jurisdictions. 
 
Natasha brings to this position experience in Human Services, Public Health and Project Management.  With a Bachelor of Health Science (Public Health) and a Diploma of Human Services she is passionate about health and human rights.  Her industry experience includes Youth Work (Department of Families), Research Support (The Cancer Council Queensland), International Project Management (School of Public Health, QUT) and Senior Research including the writing of grant submissions (School of Public Health, QUT and the National Centre for Classification in Health, QUT).  Furthermore she has several years of experience coordinating and facilitating community groups for young women and families.
 
Email: natasha.myers@qut.edu.au or pepa@qut.edu.au
Phone: 07 3138 6121
 

Dr Mick Adams – Indigenous National Coordinator

Dr Mick Adams has made a sustained and outstanding contribution to the advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health over the course of his 30 year career. Mick’s public service career, which began in 1977, was mostly spent in the Northern Territory, in liaison, training, policy and senior management roles. From 1997 to 1999, Mick was General Manager of Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Services in Brisbane before moving to Nhulunbuy as General Manager of Miwati Health Aboriginal Corporation. He returned to Brisbane in 2001 to take up his appointment as CEO of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council. Between 2007 and 2009 Mick was Chair of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).   He has kept Indigenous health on the national and international agenda as a member of peak Australian research bodies including the NHMRC A&TSI Health Advisory Committee, the NHMRC Research Committee and numerous other national and international forums including the National Standards Assessment Program (NSAP) Reference Group. He is also board member for Diabetes Australia Queensland and the Minister’s National Male Health Reference Group. In 2009 Mick was involved in the Close the Gap campaign urging governments and Indigenous Australians to work in partnership to achieve their aims. He has received several study awards including the Deadly Award for Outstanding Achievement and Contribution in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and the Faculty of Health 2010 Outstanding Alumni Award Winner and Chancellor’s Outstanding Alumnus Award Winner.  Mick holds several tertiary qualifications including two bachelor degrees and a Master of Applied Science. He gained his PhD in Indigenous male sexual and reproductive health from QUT.
 
Mobile: 0409646952
Work phone: 07 3138 5807
 

Linda Devilee

Linda Devilee was appointed on a fractional basis as a Contract Manager in mid-2009.  Linda brings to the appointment tertiary qualifications and experience in both financial and health project management.