Victoria has some of the best cancer outcomes in the world and is recognised as having a leading cancer system. However, benefits from our world class system are not experienced equally by all Victorians, and that gap is widening.
Where you live, your income, your cultural background, and how the system sees you all impact the care you receive and your chances of survival. This event will spotlight the importance of equity in outcomes of cancer, why it matters, what it looks like in practice, and how we can work together to address it.
Join us for a special keynote address and presentations from projects that are taking real steps to assess or address inequities in cancer services and outcomes. Together, we’ll explore how we can shift from awareness to action.
This event will bring together leaders, educators, researchers, health workers, and the community to prioritise health equity in cancer care.
To strengthen collective capability across the cancer sector workforce in Victoria to assess and address inequities in cancer care, by deepening awareness, understanding and building momentum for action.
Palliative care is a relatively new area of clinical care, with enormous scope for research, education and clinical research studies. The discipline is a high priority in building Victoria’s clinical trial workforce capability, with high-level support from the community and a large group of patients who may benefit from participation in clinical trials.
The goal of palliative care is to ensure people receive pain and symptom control, information and the support they need and deserve in the face of advanced and serious illness. Professor Philip is a palliative care clinician, researcher and educator with an interest in improving ways supportive and palliative care are delivered, ensuring care is underpinned by high quality evidence and that it is delivered by well trained professionals and carers.
Professor Jennifer Philip’s research works to improve patient access to timely, high quality palliative care. Her leadership and direction across the alliance enables research growth and innovation to ensure evidence-based care practices are implemented.
Jacinta Elston is an Aboriginal leader in the Australian cancer community with global experience related to Indigenous affairs in public health, higher education, research and policy development.
Jacinta was the inaugural Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous) at Monash University from 2018-2022, and prior to that she held a significant role for more than two decades at James Cook University where when she left in early 2018, she was Professor and Associate Dean of Indigenous Health in the Division of Tropical Health and Medicine. Jacinta is passionate about mentoring emerging Indigenous leaders and strengthening corporate Australia’s capacity to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to bring change to critical issues facing First Nations communities.
She is grounded in her commitment to life in regional Australia where she has significantly served on boards of health and legal Indigenous community-controlled organisations. Her first role at James Cook University nearly 35 years ago was focused on Aboriginal women’s experience in Cancer. She was the inaugural Aboriginal person appointed to Cancer Australia’s Advisory Council (2012-2015), and from its establishment in 2016 she Chaired Cancer Australia’s Leadership Group on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Control for 6 years. She has now been a survivor of Cancer for more than two decades and is currently serving on the board of the Breast Cancer Network of Australia as the Deputy Chair. Since 2022, Jacinta has been a consultant to Cancer Australia to help strengthen Indigenous cancer control across the country.
Distinguished Professor Yin Paradies is a Wakaya man and Chair in Race Relations at Deakin University where he conducts research on racism, anti-racism, cultural safety, Indigenous knowledges and decolonisation. He has authored over 270 publications (cited over 24,500 times), been awarded grants worth $65 million and is an invited reviewer for more than 130 journals.
Dr Ashfaq Chauhan (PhD, MIHM, MHM, BPhysio, FKGIPS) is an early career researcher, registered physiotherapist, and migrant from an LGBTQI+ background whose work centres on advancing equity in patient safety and healthcare quality for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. His research uses mixed-method and co-design approaches, engaging directly with consumers to uncover and address systemic disparities in health outcomes. Dr Chauhan collaborates with national and statewide health systems, agencies, and community representatives to implement innovative, consumer-informed solutions. His contributions have been recognised with over 10 national and international awards, reflecting the impact of his work in equity focused health services research.
Sally brings more than 15 years’ leadership experience in gender equality and health organisations as an executive, non-executive director and volunteer. Most recently, Sally was a Director in the Office for Women in the Victorian Government.
She has also held leadership roles with the Commonwealth Government, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and The Women’s Foundation Hong Kong. Sally has implemented major government programs and strategies, facilitated multi-sector partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and led philanthropic and business development strategies.
Sally brings expertise in gender and health policy, strategy, inclusion and intersectionality, stakeholder partnerships and business development.
In her role as CEO, Sally is a member of the Victorian Government Women’s Health Advisory Council, the Victorian Cancer Advisory Committee and the Mental Health Ministerial Advisory Committee.
She has been an active volunteer with St John Ambulance since a young age and is currently a non-executive director of Lifeline Direct.
Marissa is a proud Kamilaroi/Gomeroi woman, with extensive experience in aged care, allied health/social work, Aboriginal health and public health prevention and promotion. Marissa’s experience covers a diverse range of settings, within community, hospitals and the prison system, spanning across acute care, palliative care/end of life, complexed trauma and mental health. Marissa is dedicated to empowering and advocating for Aboriginal communities and is passionate about supporting Mob to achieve better health outcomes and reduce the inequities still facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Marissa’s recent work focusses upon improving outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with cancer through implementing ad evaluating Victoria’s first Aboriginal Cancer Coordinator, extensive health and resource audits and developing statewide resources. Marissa is currently leading the rollout of Aboriginal Cancer Coordinators in Victoria at the VACCHO and overseeing the development of the Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Coordinator Model of Care and Framework.
Shannon is a proud Wiradjuri woman with over 25 years’ experience in nursing, leadership, and project management across the health and community sectors. She began her career in clinical nursing and has since held senior roles leading national initiatives and building strong partnerships with health professionals, government agencies, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations.
She is recognised for her ability to drive culturally safe, best-practice care through collaboration and strategic leadership. Shannon is currently Strategic Project Manager at VACCHO, leading the implementation of the Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Journey Strategy to build a culturally safe, responsive, and self-determining cancer care system. She oversees projects in community engagement, workforce capability, and cancer clinical trials, and is finalising the rollout of the Victorian Aboriginal Cancer Coordinator Model of Care and Framework.
Alongside this role, Shannon is a Board Member at Holstep Health (previously Banyule Community Health). She is deeply committed to equity in cancer care and ensuring everyone has access to high-quality, inclusive, and culturally safe healthcare.
Professor Sanchia Aranda AM is regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent experts in cancer control. With more than four decades’ experience as a clinician, researcher, educator and administrator, she has served as CEO of Cancer Council Australia, President of the Union for International Cancer Control and President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care.
Professor Aranda is the inaugural Board Chair for the City Cancer Challenge Foundation and served on the Advisory Council for Cancer Australia for eight years until 2015. She also holds a part-time appointment as a Professor of Health Services Research at The University of Melbourne and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and she has been widely published in Australian and international health literature.
As Chair of the VCCC Alliance, Professor Aranda works with the Board to set the vision, strategy and direction of the organisation; with oversight of the performance and delivery of key policy priorities and ensure the ongoing financial viability of the organisation.
Professor Aranda is particularly passionate about achieving greater equity in cancer care and outcomes across Australia, especially for First Nations Australians and those who have a lower socio-economic background, live in regional or remote areas or have a cancer type with typically poor survival.
Full list of speakers available in the program.
