Advisory Group Membership

Dr Amanda Purcell

Amanda is a PhD graduate with clinical experience as an occupational therapist in cancer services. Amanda has worked across all areas of occupational therapy cancer care service provision however her passions include lymphoedema treatment and cancer-related fatigue interventions. Amanda is currently employed as the Advanced team leader/clinician in Lymphoedema Services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital. She has completed her PhD investigating cancer-related fatigue in a radiotherapy population.

Ms Alana Fraser

Alana graduated with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology in 2002. Ms Fraser initially worked as a locum at various Brisbane hospitals and then moved to Dalby in June 2003 where she was the sole Speech Pathologist at Dalby Hospital for 2 1/2 years. In February 2006 Alana moved back to Brisbane and worked at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital as a Speech Pathologist. In June 2008, Ms Fraser had a bit of a career change and was appointed as Cancer Care Coordinator at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. This was a first for allied health as these positions have traditionally been only held by nurses. In November 2010 she started in the Cancer Care Workforce Development Officer role which she currently holds part time, while continuing to work part time as a Cancer Care Coordinator. Ms Fraser is also studying a Masters in Health Services Management due for completion in June 2011.

Ms Janine Devey

Janine is the Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Coordinator at Royal Children's Hospital, a new position to which she was appointed in December 2010. Ms Devey's work differs from other Care Coordinators in that she works with a particular age group ie 15 - 25 years as opposed to a tumour stream. Her workload covers all tumour streams for this age group.

The Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Care Team has evolved over the past year and now consists of an Adolescent and Young Adult Social Worker, an Adolescent and Young Adult Occupational Therapist and an Adolescent and Young Adult Psychologist and well as the Cancer Care Co-ordinator role. These additional positions are currently operating in a temporary capacity with hope that they will become permanent positions in the near future.

Ms Devey has a background in Social Work having graduated in 1996, with the majority of her work being within Queensland Health. She has also travelled for a number of years and worked within various other fields across the United Kingdom. Ms Devey has a Bachelor of Social Work Degree from the University of Queensland and a Diploma of Education from Queensland University of Technology.

Dr Robyn Box

Robyn graduated from the University of Queensland in 1982 as a Physiotherapist and has worked in the area of oncology and lymphoedema for the last 25 years in public and private health care facilities in Queensland and Victoria. Having completed her Research Masters and PhD in Physiotherapy, Robyn currently works in private practice in Brisbane and is committed to evidence-based best practice to optimize individual outcomes for patients diagnosed with cancer. Her particular clinical and research interests are:

• physiotherapy rehabilitation after cancer treatment to prevent and minimize physical sequelae
• optimizing health and well-being for patients during and following cancer treatment
• assessment and early detection of secondary lymphoedema
• efficacy of treatment interventions to prevent and minimize secondary lymphoedema.

Robyn has a number of publications, presents at national and international conferences and is a reviewer for a number of journals and research grant bodies. She is actively involved in the professional development of other health professionals at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in the area of oncology and lymphoedema.

Ms Suzanne McCorkell

Suzanne is The Cancer Services Southern Workforce Development Officer. Suzanne trained as a Radiation Therapist in Brisbane between 1991-1993, and then worked for two years before going overseas. Ms McCorkell spent three years working in prestigious Oncology Hospitals, such as Addenbrookes in Cambridge and Cookridge in Leeds.

Suzanne's Radiation Therapy career spanned 12 years, and 16 Radiation Oncology Departments. The experience and knowledge gained from these departments lead to an interest in learning and development within oncology.

Ms Alex Thornton

Alex is a senior physiotherapist working in private practice at Active Rehabilitation Physiotherapy within the Mater Private Hospital. Her post graduate diploma in clinical rehabilitation focused on the holistic nature of care for the medical patient. More recently her Masters in Public Health has focused on the health promotion and service development for medical patients and particularly cancer patients.

Alex currently works as a Clinical educator and physiotherapist in cardiorespiratory, surgical and inpatient oncology patient settings. While having an interest in health promotion across the lifespan, she has a particular interest in women's health and manages a niche outpatient load of women's health and breast surgery clients.

Ms Jodie Nixon

Jodie is the advanced team leader clinician for cancer services occupational therapy at Princess Alexandra Hospital. She has worked in cancer services across the continuum, but her main focus over the last 4 years has been with cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment. She has an active interest in managing claustrophobia and the stressors associated with radiation treatment through a psycho social focus. She was the recipient of the 2009 Robert Bourne Travel Grant to review the management of head and neck lymphoedema. Jodie is also a Communication Skills Trainer for Queensland Health for staff working in Cancer Care.

Ms Tanya Trevena

Tanya is a Physiotherapist and obtained a Graduate Diploma of Health Economics through the University of Queensland in 2009. Tanya also recently completed an ‘Impact Leadership' course and Diploma of Management through the Proteus Leadership Centres. For the last four years Tanya has been working in variety of roles including rolling out the Statewide Allied Health Cancer Care Training Program, working as the Director of Learning and Development with the Centre for Palliative Care Research and Education, and completing various smaller projects with the Critical Care and Clinical Support Services Directorate at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, including the initial project management of the Hyperbaric Medicine Service and a comprehensive review of the Private Practice Specialist Suite.

Tanya participates in various committees with the Cancer Council Queensland and until moving to Emerald was volunteering with the Pyjama Foundation and Palliative Care Queensland. Tanya is also an active member of the Respiratory Clinical Network, and in particular, the Lung Function Testing Working Group and was the Allied Health representative on the Inaugural End of Life Alliance, completing a comprehensive report titled ‘Economic review of costs associated with end of life care'.

Tanya has particular interests in workforce development, health economics and preventive health care enacted along the entire continuum of care

Ms Rebecca Capper

Rebeccais the senior speech pathologist working in cancer care at the Townsville Hospital. Ms Capper has been working in this role for the past 15 months and prior to this was working in the Senior ENT/Acute speech pathology role at Rockhampton hospital. Rebecca graduated from Newcastle University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology and completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Professional Education in 2010 from Griffith University.

Rebecca has been heavily involved in the cancer care redevelopment group for the last 12 months at the Townsville hospital and has been successful in applications for an allocated speech pathology clinic room in the new cancer building and an additional 1 FTE speech pathology position in oncology for 2013. She is passionate about working in oncology and has presented numerous oncology case studies and quality improvement activities at a statewide level. Rebecca is currently involved in a multidisciplinary research project “radiation dose versus toxicity versus quality of life” with medical, nursing, radiation therapists and dietetics at Townsville hospital. Rebecca is also in final stages of completing a low risk ethics application for a research project looking at “Investigation of the prevalence of acute toxicities in P16 positive oropharyngeal cancer patients undergoing high dose radiotherapy” with dietetics and radiation therapy.

Ms Capper is a guest lecturer in the speech pathology department at James Cook University in Townsville providing lectures in head and neck cancer, tracheostomy and laryngectomy to third year speech pathology students.

Rebecca's goal for membership of the Allied Health Professionals Oncology Group Advisory Committee is to provide a regional perspective in cancer care, discuss the cancer care building and service redevelopment in Townsville which will occur over the next two years, provide feedback on oncology research projects being completed at Townsville Hospital and to facilitate networking opportunities.

Ms Leonie Naumann

Ms Naumann has gained broad experience across varied clinical caseloads in major metropolitan hospitals in Brisbane and the United Kingdom since graduating from Physiotherapy. She has worked in cancer care for four years, and is the Physiotherapy Team Leader Cancer Care at Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. She was principal investigator for the study of the efficacy of intermittent exercise training for prostate cancer sufferers undergoing radiotherapy. As recipient of the DB Duncan Training Fellowship (Cancer Council Queensland) in 2009, she completed a lymphoedema certification course at the Földi Clinic and site visits at the Royal Marsden and St George's Hospitals in London. She is actively involved in the training of health professionals in lymphoedema management.

Ms Naumann's goal for participation on the Allied Health Professionals Advisory Group is to promote the professional development and support of allied health professionals in cancer care and resultant improved care for people with cancer across Queensland by utilising skills & attributes employed in her current role:

• Mentoring colleagues in metropolitan & regional centres
• Supporting and guiding service development activities
• Facilitating equitable access to quality professional development opportunities
• Sharing my passion for learning and professional growth
• Disseminating information in a timely manner while working cohesively within teams

Ms Kelly Foote

Kelly is a Senior Oncology Physiotherapist, Cancer Services Princess Alexandra Hospital is a lymphoedema trained physiotherapist with over 6 years experience working exclusively in cancer care both in Australia and the United Kingdom. Working at a large tertiary referral hospital, she has gained experience caring for patients across the cancer care continuum including inpatient oncology wards, chemotherapy day care and radiation oncology outpatients. In 2005, Kelly was involved in establishing a new physiotherapy radiation oncology outpatient service at the Mater site and later advocated for, planned and developed a dedicated physiotherapy oncology outpatient service at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Since 2008, Kelly has been the physiotherapy representative on the Cancer Services Southern, Learning and Development Reference Group. Her primary role on this advisory group is to advocate for training and professional development opportunities for physiotherapists working in cancer care across the Southern Zone. Ms Foote is an Oncology Communication Skills Trainer. Kelly currently provides clinical supervision and mentoring to three HP4 Physiotherapy staff members working in cancer services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

Kelly is committed to ongoing professional development and has attended international and national oncology conferences. She has been an invited speaker at statewide meetings and workshops, most recently at the Cancer Council Queensland Oncology Nurses Group & Allied Health Professional Oncology Group Conference and the University of Queensland/ Princess Alexandra Hospital Hypopharngeal Symposium. She has a keen interest in clinical research and has been involved in studies looking at exercise for cancer patients, cancer related fatigue and oncology related lymphoedema.

Kelly's goal for participation on the Advisory Group is to promote the provision of high quality, evidence based cancer care in Queensland. Kelly believes that this is best achieved through the development of specialist professional networks across facilities, sectors and health disciplines and through the ongoing support and promotion of oncology specific professional development opportunities for allied health and nursing professionals.

Ms Elizabeth Pinkham

Elizabeth is a physiotherapist at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and works as part of a team that provides allied health oncology support at a state-wide level for various specialties. Her experience at this level of specialisation has assisted colleagues from Queensland Hospitals both metropolitan and rural with clinical advice. Elizabeth recently facilitated an AHPEP placement at Princess Alexandra Hospital for the new Cairns Radiation Oncology physiotherapist, who wanted to understand how best practice in oncology can be implemented routinely. Elizabeth is committed to oncology and has come to understand just how many patients with cancer are treated outside of the specialist centres, and therefore the potential benefits from cancer awareness and educational development in the generalist specialties.

Elizabeth is also the hospital consultant physiotherapist for Adolescent and Young Adult patients, and attends fortnightly multidisciplinary team meetings to discuss the specific needs of these patients. She liaises with the treating ward physiotherapists to develop a suitable approach that maximises the benefit of our intervention through sound clinical judgement and focussed persuasion, motivation or negotiation. Interventions in this area may be complex and span different disciplines, including the leisure therapists and occupational therapists.

As the Principle Investigator of a recently-opened research project and the manager of the $20,000 grant it brings, Elizabeth utilizes academic and managerial skills that will enhance her participation on the Allied Health Professionals Oncology Group Advisory Committee. During the inception of the study protocol, Elizabeth developed a number of new partnerships with a range of allied health professional networks.

As a graduate physiotherapist Elizabeth experienced how a well-organised and progressive educational process can diminish the stresses and strains associated with working in both a large, hectic, busy and stretched metropolitan department and also the sense of isolation and lack of support that can be felt by a sole rural practitioner. As a senior physiotherapist, she has concentrated on oncology as a chosen area of personal interest and believes that oncology is a challenging and ever-evolving area that relies on allied health professionals in many ways. Elizabeth believes that there are many niche areas of expertise and a well-coordinated educational program has clear benefits for all involved and ultimately, their patients.

Dr Irina Leonida

Irina is the Senior Dentist Ipswich Hospital Dental Clinic West Moreton Health Service District and provides the dentistry needs of patients with head and neck cancer. Irina is a member of the Clinical Education Queensland Cancer Head and Neck and Mouth Special Interest Group and the Head and Neck Cancer Peer Support Group. As the Senior Dentist, Irina attends the Ipswich Hospital Head and Neck Cancer Patient Clinic involved with the treatment of patients suffering from head and neck cancer.

Irina's goal for participation on the Allied Health Professionals Oncology Group Advisory Committee is to further enhance her knowledge from other allied health professionals and also to provide knowledge to other allied health professionals from an oral health perspective with the intent of improving patient outcomes.