Wuchopperen Health Service Chairperson Donnella Mills was appointed Deputy Chairperson of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) at the peak body’s AGM on November 2.
Mr John Singer, Chairperson of the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia, succeeds Matthew Cooke as NACCHO Chairperson. NACCHO is the peak body for the Aboriginal Community Controlled health sector and represents 143 services, and 302 health centres across the country.
Ms Mills was appointed Chairperson of Wuchopperen Health Service in 2015. Wuchopperen, which has health centres in Manoora and Edmonton, provides community controlled comprehensive primary health care, social and emotional wellbeing and family support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from the Cairns region
Ms Mills is a Torres Strait Islander woman with ancestral and family links to Masig and Nagir in the Torres Strait. She is a Cairns – based lawyer with LawRight, a Community Legal Centre which coordinates the provision of pro bono civil legal services to disadvantaged and vulnerable members of the community.
Ms Mills is the project lawyer for the Wuchopperen Health Justice Partnership through a partnership with LawRight. This innovative Health Justice Partnership is an exciting model of providing access to justice, where lawyers and health professionals collaborate to provide better health outcomes and access to justice for patients with legal issues.
Wuchopperen CEO Debra Malthouse said Ms Mills would bring a wealth of experience to her new role.
‘Ms Mills has been an outstanding Chair of Wuchopperen Health Service and will bring her experience, expertise, and vision to her role as Deputy Chair of NACCHO.’
‘She looks at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health through a socioeconomic lens, as evidenced through the Health Justice Partnership and I am confident she will bring her talent for partnerships, collaboration, and multi-disciplinary solutions – focused initiatives to this role.’
‘I would like to offer Wuchopperen’s sincere congratulations to Ms Mills, Mr Singer and thank outgoing NACCHO Chairperson Matthew Cooke and his Deputy Sandy Davies for their service to our sector.’
