Palliative Care Victoria

PALLIATIVE CARE VICTORIA welcomes media inquiries and can provide expert commentators on a wide range of issues in palliative care across Victoria.

Media Releases & Resources

Contacts for Media Inquiries

Odette Waanders

Odette is Chief Executive Officer, Palliative Care Victoria, the peak body representing all palliative care service providers in Victoria with a major role in promoting palliative care in the community.

Odette has extensive experience in government and community organisations in Australia and NZ, covering a range of policy, advocacy, representation and service management roles.

Much of her career has focused on promoting the quality of life of older people, including peak body roles as the National Director of Age Concern NZ and the Policy Manager of Aged & Community Services Australia. She joined Palliative Care Victoria in February 2010.

Palliative Care Victoria
Level 2, 182 Victoria Parade
East Melbourne 3002
Ph:    61 03 9662 9644
Fax:   61 03 9662 9722
Mb:    0488 191 198
owaanders@pallcarevic.asn.au

Dr Brian Le

Chairperson, Palliative Care Victoria

MBBS(Hons) MPH FRACP FAChPM

Dr Brian Le is a medical practitioner, with specialist qualifications as a Palliative Care Physician and Medical Oncologist; he studied at the University of Melbourne and is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Dr Le is Department Head of Palliative Care at The Royal Melbourne Hospital, and additionally works with Melbourne Citymission Palliative Care Service holding further appointments as Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, and teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in Palliative Care, and research, both in clinical trials research and qualitative research.

Dr Le is appointed to a number of state and national advisory committees, including the Victorian Palliative Care Clinical Network, the Victorian Palliative Medicine Training Program, and the Palliative Medicine Education Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. He was elected to the board of Palliative Care Victoria in 2008, and was appointed chairperson in 2010.

Dr Le is particularly interested in equity of access to palliative care, and symptom management.

Head of Unit
Department of Palliative Care
Royal Melbourne Hospital
Grattan Street
Parkville VIC 3050
T 9662 9644

Quotations

The media is invited to use the quotes below in their stories about palliative care with attribution to Associate Professor Brian Le, Chairperson of Palliative Care Victoria.

“Palliative care is specialised health care for people living with a terminal illness.  It is not the service of ‘last resort’ rather it can be introduced from early diagnosis to support families and individuals and includes expertise in pain and symptom management.”

“Palliative care also offers practical support for individuals and their families when it’s needed most.