NSW Primary Health Care Cancer Framework Launch

Dr Norman Swan – Master of Ceremonies 

Norman hosts Radio National’s Health Report and since the COVID-19 pandemic, co-hosted Coronacast, a daily podcast on the coronavirus. Norman is also a reporter and commentator on the ABC’s 7.30, Midday, News Breakfast and Four Corners and a guest host on Radio National’s Breakfast. He is a past winner of the Gold Walkley. He created Invisible Enemies, on pandemics and civilisation for Channel 4 UK and broadcast in 27 countries. Norman was awarded the medal of the Australian Academy of Science and has an honorary MD from the University of Sydney. He is also the recipient of the Australian Skeptics Journalism Award 2020. Norman trained in Medicine and Paediatrics in Aberdeen, London and Sydney before joining the ABC.

Professor David Currow

Professor David Currow FAHMS is Chief Cancer Officer, New South Wales and the Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Institute, NSW, the state’s cancer control agency. The agency is responsible for prevention, screening, improved cancer services, and funding of research infrastructure. Before this, David was the foundation Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Australia, the Australian Government’s cancer control agency.

David is a previous president of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia and was the 2015 recipient of the Tom Reeve National Award for Outstanding Contribution to Cancer Care from the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia.

David has published more than 640 peer-reviewed articles, editorials and books. He is senior associate editor of Journal of Palliative Medicine and Editor of the 5th and 6th editions of the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine. David is a former president of Palliative Care Australia and the  Clinical Oncological Society of Australia. 

Professor Jon Emery

Professor Jon Emery is the Herman Professor of Primary Care Cancer Research at the University of Melbourne, and the Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre Primary Care Research and Education Lead. He is also Director of the Cancer Australia Primary Care Collaborative Cancer Clinical Trials Group (PC4), and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge. Jon’s research program applies principles of implementation science and focuses on the role of primary care across the cancer continuum including prevention, early diagnosis and survivorship, aiming to improve the integration of health services. He leads a parallel program of cancer research between Melbourne and Cambridge on cancer screening, risk assessment and early diagnosis, and sits on several national and international advisory committees related to cancer early detection and survivorship, and cancer research.

Dr Lawrence Tan

Lawrence is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of General Practice, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University. He also practices as a GP in a culturally-diverse part of Southwest Sydney. Prior to this he spent a number of years working in primary care and training GP registrars in Bolivia. More recently he has been involved lecturing about primary care in China, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. His research interests are in cultural diversity in primary care.

Dianne Kitcher, Chief Executive Officer
Coordinare – South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network

Dianne led the establishment of a start up company - COORDINARE Ltd in 2015, which was successful in its bid to become the South Eastern NSW Primary Health Network.

Dianne brings over 30 years of leadership knowledge and strategic capability to the primary care sector and the region. Her experience is predominantly in the health and education sectors including health services management and research, health promotion and education as well as medical research.

Prior to commencing as CEO of COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN, Dianne was CEO of Grand Pacific Health Ltd trading as the Illawarra-Shoalhaven Medicare Local; she was previously Chief Operating Officer at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, CEO of the Central West Community College (a large rural employment and training provider), Director of Programs and Services at Family Planning NSW and Director of the Cumberland Health and Research Centre at Sydney University.

Dianne holds a Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Sydney, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Wollongong, post graduate qualifications in accounting/finance and a Diploma from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dianne has a passion for building strong not for profit organisations and is committed to making a difference through collaboration and partnerships, focusing people on getting the right things done. Her professional interests are in the areas of strategic thinking and planning; execution of strategy and driving change in complex operating environments.