This webinar presents the findings of the ACCESS programme, an initiative focused on improving access to services for managing treatment related side effects, for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients and carers.
Principal Investigator Dr Alesha Thai, will outline the three phases of this work: CLEAR-ACCESS - identifying patient barriers and enablers to symptom support, ADVANCE-ACCESS - co-designing targeted interventions with CALD patients and healthcare professionals, and DELIVER-ACCESS - piloting these interventions across Victorian hospitals.
To provide a comprehensive view, the session will incorporate the lived experience of a patient from an Arabic background. This narrative will share a firsthand account of the cultural, linguistic, and systemic challenges faced when navigating symptom support during active cancer treatment. Additionally, Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC) Cher Wang will present the practical clinical realities, challenges, and insights gained from managing and supporting diverse patient populations on the ground.
This session integrates research, patient narratives, and clinical insights to provide attendees with valuable perspectives and practical ideas to help them better address the unique difficulties CALD patients face when accessing symptom support services, ultimately inspiring more inclusive and equitable cancer care.
Prof Mei Krishnasamy's career has been defined by a commitment to advancing equity of access to evidence-informed cancer care by developing the capability of nurses to develop and implement value-based health service innovation. She has an established record of collaborative co-design research focusing on the development and evaluation of approaches of care and strategies targeted at improving patient and carer experiences of living with cancer, demands of treatment and symptom profiles, linking experience of care innovation to improved patient outcomes.
Dr Thai completed her PhD at the University of Melbourne, focusing on translational research in head and neck cancer, and now leads a program of health services research aimed at improving equity and access to cancer care for culturally and linguistically diverse cancer patients. She leads several collaborative initiatives, including multi-site programs partnering with CALD patients and carers to co-design strategies that improve access to care across Victorian health services. She also works closely with community organisations, including The Water Well Project, to deliver culturally tailored cancer education resources.
She has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications spanning translational, clinical, and health services research. Dr Thai co-chairs the 2025 VICS Head and Neck Cancer Summit and serves on the Peter Mac Research Consumer Engagement Board, supporting consumer-led research governance.
Cher is a Clinical Nurse Consultant with over 15 years of experience in cancer nursing across both regional and metropolitan healthcare settings. Throughout her career, she has held a range of advanced practice roles, including Clinical Nurse Consultant in a Symptom and Urgent Review Clinic and Associate Nurse Unit Manager. These positions have provided extensive experience in cancer care, symptom management, and patient-centred service delivery.
Currently, Cher is an Oncology Clinical Nurse Consultant for the Gastrointestinal and Head and Neck tumour streams at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. She is passionate about providing culturally responsive care to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients and families. Fluent in Mandarin, Cher brings valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities of delivering culturally responsive and equitable cancer care.
Maryaan is speaks Arabic and Syriac languages. She holds a bachelor's degree in medicine and surgery and worked in Iraq as an anaesthetist before being forced to leave the country and settling in Australia 14 years ago. Besides her role at Peter Mac,she is as an ambassador for Migrant Workers Centre, a bicultural worker at cohealth and bilingual health educator at Multicultural Women Health Centre and Australian Syriac Council.
Maryaan’s passion is empowering communities to make better health decisions and improve services for CALD communities. She enjoys working across different cultures and communities to help them and improve their health outcomes.
