Our Six Strategic Directions - Healthy Workforce • Healthy Hospitals • Healthy Partnerships • Healthy Communities • Healthy Resources • Healthy Leadership
Delivering a Healthy WA
Health Networks - Collaborative health care planning for the whole community
Health Networks report to Dr Simon Towler, Executive Director, Health Policy and Clniical Reform Division

Dr Simon TowlerView Dr Simon Towler's full bio

Dr Simon Towler current holds the positions of Executive Director of Health Policy and Clinical Reform, Chief Medical Officer and Staff Specialist in Intensive Care – Royal Perth Hospital.

Dr Towler also sits on a number of committees including WA Australian Medical Association (AMA) Council; WA AMA Finance Committee; Healthway Board; National Health Medical Research Council; Australian Population Health Development Principal Committee; Chair of the Screening Subcommittee, Australian Population Health Development Principal Committee and Premier’s Physical Activity Taskforce

Network Leads

Acute Care Health Network
Dr John Van der Post  

Dr John Van der PostView Dr John Van der Post's full bio

Dr Van der Post is an Emergency Physician (FACEM), currently practicing in both the tertiary and peripheral sectors.

 
 
Aged Care Health Network
Dr Peter Goldswain Ms Gail Milner

Dr Peter Goldswain Dr Goldswain is a consultant geriatrician and director of the Rehabilitation and Orthopaedics Division at Royal Perth Hospital, and a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia.

 
 
Cancer and Palliative Care Health Network
Prof Ian Hammond Dr Scott Blackwell

Prof Ian HammondView Prof Ian Hammond's full bio

Professor Hammond is a Clinical Professor in the School of Women's and Infants' Health and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Anatomay and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia. Since 1984 Professor Hammond has been working at the WA Gynaecologic Cancer Service based at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and St John of God Hospital, Subiaco and has been Director of Gynaecology at KEMH since 2004.

 
 
Cardiovascular Health Network
Mr Stephen Bloomer  

Mr Stephen BloomerView Mr Stephen Bloomer's full bio

Stephen Bloomer is Project Manager in the Safety, Quality and Performance Unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, reviewing major clinical incidents, clinical and death audits.

 
 
WA Child and Youth Health Network
Dr Gervase Chaney A/Prof David Forbes

Dr Gervase Chaney View Dr Gervase Chaney's full bio

Dr Chaney is a general paediatrician working full-time at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. He is presently the Director of Clinical Planning and Reform, which includes the medical responsibility for the recently introduced Hospital in the Home Program. He is actively involved in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Paediatric and Child Health Division at a state and national level.

A/Prof David ForbesView A/Prof David Forbes's full bio

A/Prof Forbes is a paediatric gastroenterologist and health service administrator at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (PMH), and holds an academic appointment as Associate Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Western Australia’s School of Paediatrics and Child Health. He is currently Chair of the PMH Paediatric Medicine Clinical Care Unit.

 
Digestive Health Network
Professor John Olynyk  

Professor John OlynykView Professor John Olynyk's full bio

Professor John Olynyk is a Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist based in the University of WA School of Medicine and Pharmacology at Fremantle Hospital.

 
 
Endocrine Health Network
Dr David Hurley  

Dr David HurleyDr Hurley is an endocrinologist at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) and in private practice. Prior to taking up the position of Network Lead for the Endocrine Health Network, he served for ten years as the Director of RPH’s Division of Medical Specialities.

 
 
Falls Prevention Health Network
Dr Hannah Seymour  

View Dr Hannah Seymour's full bio

Dr Seymour is a consultant geriatrician at Royal Perth Hospital and Clinical Advisor for Falls Prevention and Management with the Department of Health WA.

 
 
Genetics Health Network
Prof Peter O’Leary  

View Prof Peter O’Leary's full bio

Prof Peter O’Leary is the Director of the Office of Population Health Genomics at the Department of Health, Western Australia. Prof O’Leary represents the Western Australian Government on the Australian Health Ministers’ Clinical, Technical and Ethical Principal Committee and the Advisory Group on Human Gene Patents and Genetic Testing. Prof O’Leary maintains an active role as Biochemist through PathWest with the antenatal screening program and the state newborn screening program.

 
 
Infections and Immunology Health Network
Dr James Flexman Dr Lewis Marshall
Dr James Flexman

Dr Flexman is a consultant clinical microbiologist at Royal Perth Hospital and PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, and is a clinical associate professor for the Department of Microbiology at the University of Western Australia.

Dr Lewis Marshall

Dr Marshall is a sexual health physician and public health physician with the Infectious Diseases Department at Fremantle Hospital.

 
Injury and Trauma Health Network
Prof. Jeff Hamdorf Clinical Prof. Fiona Wood
Prof. Jeff Hamdorf

View Prof. Jeff Hamdorf's full bio

Prof. Hamdorf holds the position of Professor of Medical Education at the University of Western Australia (UWA). Prof. Hamdorf also has a clinical attachment for the private sector and is chair of the West Australian Trauma Education Committee.

Clinical Prof. Fiona Wood

View Clinical Prof. Fiona Wood's full bio

Clinical Prof. Fiona Wood is currently Director of the Western Australian Burns Service and Chairman of the McComb Research Foundation. Clinical Prof. Wood is co-founder and a director of a skin tissue engineering company and Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board. In addition, she is a consultant Plastic Surgeon to Royal Perth and Princess Margaret Hospitals.

 
Mental Health Network
Dr Steve Patchett Dr Elizabeth Moore
Dr Steve Patchett

View Dr Steve Patchett's full bio

Dr Steve Patchett is the Executive Director for Western Australia (WA) Mental Health.

 

 
Musculoskeletal Health Network
Dr James Williamson  
Dr James Williamson

Dr Williamson is a specialist in general medicine at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and a consultant physician and rheumatologist at Joondalup Health Campus.

 

 
Neuroscience and the Senses Health Network
Prof. Bryant Stokes  
Prof. Bryant Stokes

View Prof. Bryant Stokes's full bio

Prof. Bryant Stokes is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Clinical Prof. of Surgery at the University of Western Australia. He is also a past Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health WA. Prof. Stokes is Chairman of the Western Australian Council for Safety and Quality in Health Care.

 
 
Renal Health Network
Prof Paolo Ferrari Dr Ashley Irish
Prof Paolo Ferrari

View Prof Paolo Ferrari's full bio

Prof Ferrari is Director of the Southern Metropolitan Renal Service and Clinical Director of the Medical Directorate at Fremantle Hospital. He is also a Clinical Professor with the School of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of WA. He is a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee of Kidney Health Australia and of the Scientific Programme and Education Committee of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Nephrology.

Dr Ashley Irish

View Dr Ashley Irish's full bio

Dr Irish is a nephrologist and Director of Physician Training at Royal Perth Hospital. He is also the visiting nephrologist to the Pilbara Region.

 
Respiratory Health Network
Clin Assoc Prof Peter Kendall Clinical Prof. Stephen Stick
Dr Peter Kendall

View Clin Assoc Prof Peter Kendall's full bio

Clin Assoc Prof Kendall is the Senior Staff Specialist and Head of Department, Respiratory Medicine and the Director of the Clinical Practice Unit at Fremantle Hospital. He also provides a regular visiting specialist service to WA Country Health Service in Bunbury and Narrogin. He has a small private practice in Fremantle. He is a Clinical Senior Lecturer, in Medicine at the University of Western Australia (UWA) and is also a clinical surveyor with the Australian Council on Health Care Standards.

Prof. Stephen Stick

View Clinical Prof. Stephen Stick's full bio

Clinical Prof. Stephen Stick is head of the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) Respiratory Department and is also a Clinical Professor in the School of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Western Australia.

 
Women’s and Newborns’ Health Network
Dr Janet Hornbuckle Prof Karen Simmer
Dr Janet Hornbuckle

View Dr Janet Hornbuckle's full bio

Dr Hornbuckle is a Consultant in Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (UWA) based at King Edward Memorial Hospital.

Prof Karen Simmer

View Prof Karen Simmer's full bio

Prof Simmer is Professor of Newborn Medicine and Deputy Chair of the Academic Board at the University of Western Australia. She is Medical Director of the Neonatology Clinical Care Unit at King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women and Princess Margaret Hospital for Children. Karen is Medical Director of the Human Milk Bank in Western Australia and Chair of the Paediatric Nutrition Standing Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

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