Northern Health is thanking three longstanding consumer representatives who have recently concluded their tenure on the Consumer Advisory Committee (CAC), leaving a lasting legacy of advocacy, collaboration and positive change.

For over a decade, these dedicated consumer partners have shared their lived experience to help shape services, improve patient experiences and ensure the voices of patients, families and carers remain at the centre of decision making across the organisation. Among those who have stepped down are Dalal Sleiman, Maureen Canzo and Nurcihan Ozturk, whose combined years of service have supported countless improvements across Northern Health.

Dalal joined the Consumer Advisory Committee and Cultural Responsiveness Committee with a passion for ensuring community voices are heard and reflected in healthcare planning and service delivery.

“I wanted to be the bridge between consumers and the health service, contributing to better outcomes for patients now and in the future,” she said.

Over the past decade, Dalal has witnessed significant growth across Northern Health, including expanded services, increased access to specialised care, digital health innovations and a stronger focus on culturally safe care. She believes consumers are now more involved than ever in shaping services and improving communication.

“Consumer voices now play a larger role in shaping services, improving communication and ensuring care is respectful and responsive,” she said.

For Dalal, one of the most rewarding aspects of serving on the committee was representing people who may not always feel confident speaking up for themselves and ensuring their experiences helped inform positive change. Meanwhile, Maureen brought a unique perspective as a parent and carer. During her 11 years with the Consumer Advisory Committee, she contributed to numerous working groups and projects while balancing significant caring responsibilities.

“My main objective was to advocate as a parent carer of a daughter with multiple physical disabilities,” Maureen said.

One of her proudest contributions was helping design the Northern Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Drawing on her family’s experiences, Maureen worked alongside hospital staff, architects and designers to ensure the new ICU reflected the needs of patients and their loved ones. The committee advocated for comfortable respite spaces for families, centrally located staff stations to provide reassurance and visibility, and large windows to maximise natural light and connection with the outside world.

“The sense of joy and satisfaction I felt when my daughter was admitted to the new ICU was wonderful and so satisfying when I saw all our committee suggestions come to fruition,” she said.

Maureen also played a key role in developing disability-specific discharge information after highlighting the challenges families can face when a patient is discharged without adequate notice or support arrangements in place. Reflecting on the evolution of consumer engagement, Maureen said meaningful involvement is about ensuring people feel genuinely heard and valued.

Adjunct Professor Debra Bourne, Chief Executive, thanked all consumer representatives for their commitment, dedication and valuable contributions to improving care and services across the organisation.

“Our consumer network is invaluable to us at Northern Health, bringing the consumer voice and lived experience into our decision-making to ensure our patients and community remain at the centre of all we do,” she said,

“Thank you to all of our consumers for their contributions to our committees.”