Advisory

Board Positions and Directorships

  • 2021: Sonic Health Clinical – GP advisor for National COVID vaccination rollout (appointed January 2021); Member – Pandemic Response Team.
  • 2020-2023: President, Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW).
  • 2019-2022: Medical Women’s International Association, co-Chair Scientific and Research Subcommittee.
  • 2019-2022: Medical Women’s International Association Chair, Mentoring and Leadership Special Interest Group.
  • 2019-2022: National Coordinator Australian Federation of Medical Women.
  • 2019-2021: RANZCOG – Endometriosis Online Learning Resources Steering Committee (EOLRSC).
  • 2020: RACGP Presidential Candidate see: www.magdalenasimonis.com
  • 2020: Women’s Health Victoria (WHV), Chair Policy, Projects and Tasks sub-Committee.
  • WHV Board member: 2013 – current. Champion of ‘Take a Stand: primary prevention violence against women through bystander participation’; presented this at UN CSW 2013 and contributed to program being reinstated in WHV by sourcing provisional funding through and license agreements to White Ribbon Foundation and now being delivered in State of Victoria Police and government organisations in numerous municipalities; Medical advisor and website working group for Labia Library; GP advisor to WHV policy paper number 9 on Genital Cosmetic Surgery in Women.
  • 2018: The Sustainable Primary Care Family Violence Model Advisory Committee.
  • 2017 – current: Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victorian General Practice Committee.
  • 2017 – 2019 (also, 2012-2013): President, Victorian Medical Women’s Society.
  • 2015 – current: Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) strategy and policy advisory board.
  • 2014 – current: RACGP Women in General Practice (WIGP) (Chair 2014-2016).
  • 2014 – current: RACGP National representative to Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) advisory board.
  • 2013 – current: Women’s Health Victoria, board member
  • 2009 – current: Australian Federation of Medical Women council member.
  • 2009 – 2015: Australian Greek Welfare Society (AGWS) Board Director.
  • 2009 – 2012: Victorian Medical Women’s Society, Vice President.

Appointments

Academic

  • April 12th 2021 Safer Families, Centre of Research Excellence Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne
  • Current- 2013 RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care: we create and review general practice guidelines which guide our 40,000 GPs nationally. Australia is benchmarked for having one of the highest levels of primary health care in the world
  • Current-2007 Founding Member University of Melbourne, Victorian Primary Care Practice-based Research Network (VicReN) board, a highly successful research network of over 600 general practices
  • Current-2006 Teaching, University of Melbourne, Melbourne Medical School
  • 2020-2018 GP Facilitator on the Sustainable Primary Care Family Violence Model Project, joint project University of Melbourne and Primary Health Networks
  • 2015-2021 Senior Honorary Clinical Research Fellow Melbourne Medical School, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne.
  • 2013- 2015 Senior Lecturer, Department of General Practice, teaching and examining first and third year medical students; involved in preparing examination questions for third year Doctor of Medicine students; supervision of final year Doctor of Medicine student research. Received General Practice and Primary Health Care Academic Centre Award, for Excellent Contribution to Student Research by a Primary Care Practitioner

Medical Advisor

COVID-19

  • 2021, Sonic Health Clinical – National Pandemic Preparedness team, GP advisor for National COVID vaccination rollout (appointed January 2021)
  • 2020, National COVID-19 Task Force Expert Advisory Group
    Women’s health and COVID-19 gendered impacts
  • 2020, MWIA Representative to World Health Assembly on COVID-19

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

  • National Trans-vaginal Mesh Reference Group
  • Government South Australia, Social Development Committee Senate Enquiry on Mesh Devices and TV Mesh.

Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA)/ Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA)

Somalia

  • Health Minister of Somalia, meeting re collaboration between AFMW and Somalian Medical Women to deliver community health worker training, 22nd March 2021
  • International Online Summit COVID-19& Drought Impact on Somalia, 24th April 2021

National Preventative Health Strategy

  • Chronic Disease prevention National Preventative Health Strategy, 18th April 2021

Endometriosis National Action Plan

  • 2020 and review 2021
  • Endometriosis Online eModule Steering Committee, 2019-2020

Service To RACGP

Royal Australian College of General Practitioner (RACGP) roles ongoing and previous:

  • 2021: Safer Families MARAM and Information Sharing Advisory Group RACGP.
  • 2021: ongoing regular NewsGP updates on COVID-19 for GPs.
  • National Covid-19 Taskforce Expert Advisory Committee, Women’s Health and GP.
  • 2020, Expert Advisor to the September 21st, Parliament of South Australia, Social Development Committee inquiry regarding surgical implantation of medical mesh in South Australia.
  • 2020: RACGP White Book (Domestic and Family Violence) Expert Advisory Group, clinical expert.
  • 2020: Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan (10 Year Plan) reform. RACGP Endorsed representative for the LGBTQI+ Roundtable – part of government’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan project.
  • 2020: RACGP Endorsed representative expert working group which convenes to provide advice to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) on matters relating to breast implant devices (TRIM).
  • 2019: RANZCOG Endometriosis Online Learning Resources Steering Committee (EOLRSC), in line with the Government’s National Action Plan on Endometriosis (2018).
  • 2018: RACGP endorsed representative on The Sustainable Primary Care Family Violence Model Advisory Committee, which includes with The University of Melbourne and Victorian Primary Health Networks.
  • 2017: Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare, National Health Reform reference group member, providing expert advice from primary care perspective to the Transvaginal Mesh reference group. 
  • 2017: RACGP endorsed representative to the National Framework for Gynaecological Cancer Control, March 2017.
  • 2016: RACGP endorsed representative to liaise with Department of Health and Human Services Victoria on improving access to reproductive health services.
  • 2016: RACGP endorsed representative to Australian Senate enquiry on the National Cancer Screening Register Bill 2016 and National Cancer Screening Register, public hearing 29th September.
  • 2015 – current: RACGP representative to Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) strategy and policy advisory board.
  • 2015: Authored the RACGP Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery resource for general practitioners and other health professionals, launched July 31st2015. A world first and received worldwide media attention for its relevance to primary care and women’s health.
  • 2015- current: RACGP endorsed representative to Breast Cancer Network Australia, policy and strategy group.
  • 2014- current: Expert Committee Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Quality Care.
  • 2014-2011: Expert Committee Royal Australian College of General Practitioners E-Health.
  • 2014- current: RACGP Women in General Practice co-chair.
  • 2014-current: RACGP elected representative to Victorian Assisted Reproduction Treatment Authority. Hosts annual GP update on fertility related issues for the primary care practitioner via webinar during Your Fertility national awareness week.
  • 2011-2013: Electronic Medication Profile working group collaborating with National Electronic Health Transition Authority (NeHTA).
  • 2010- current: RACGP examiner.
  • 2011- 2015: RACGP National Standing Committee Electronic Health.
  • 2011- 2015: NeHTA (National Electronic Health Transition Authority) GP liaison.

Service To Medicine Outside Of RACGP

Australian Federation of Medical Women (AFMW) President AFMW 2020-2023

Strategic Plan: 23rd November 2020

Patron: Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley AO PSM, appointed as AFMW

Working Groups Launched

1. AFMW Medical Women in Health Technology (MedWiTH) Special Interest Group

  • Digital principles of practice – kicked off Medical Women in Health technology establishing contacts and designing programs and partnerships to promote medical women in the growing Health Technology sector.
  • Facilitate the skills development of our membership in optimizing use of daily communication tools.

2. Climate Health Action Group (CHAG)

  • Doctors for The Environment Australia (DEA) Memorandum of Understanding, April 2021. Successfully developed relationship and achieved a level of mutual partnership in shared goals.
  • Better Futures Australia, Health Working Group. Signed Declaration and partnered in advocacy.
  • Climate and Health Alliance, AFMW joined 2021.
  • AFMW Resolution on Climate Change Health Emergency – authored position statement which was ratified, 2020.
  • Authored AFMW submission to MWIA on Climate Change Health Emergency (2019) for ratification at International Triennial meeting in 2022.
  • AFMW presentations on Climate change.
  • AFMW and DEA joint letter to President of RACGP Dr Karen Price.
  • National Health Strategy Framework submission 18th April 2021, incorporated the gender lens and the climate health emergency statement as a focus on disease prevention, advocacy to maintain telehealth and incorporate climate impacts on health in health literacy promotion.
  • Signed Better Futures Australia open letter to Prime Minister 28th April 2021.
  • Signed Better Futures Declaration.
  • Climate Champions Portal – showcasing our work.
  • Attended the Western Pacific Region Consultation on Climate and Health, 11th May 2021.
  • Better Futures Forum August 17-19.

3. Reconciliation Action Process (RAP)

  • Actioned and coordinated the AFMW Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), AFMW Working Group established 2020.
  • Reconciliation Australia AFMW submission 2021, for ongoing 3 yearly review.
  • Uluru Statement from the Heart, AFMW 2021.
  • Engagement Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA).
  • RAP Bursary, program established and launched 2021: 3 inaugural bursaries awarded to Indigenous medical students/women with sponsorship of bursary program secured for 5 years.

4. AFMW Technology and Communications, working group established

  • Overseeing website review and maintenance.
  • Established the successful weekly E-Bulletin for communication and engagement.
  • Open Forums: regular interactive webinars open to members and non-members of AFMW.
  • Social media policy and governance.

5. United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW)

  • Coordinated and hosted the 1st ever AFMW Parallel session at the (UN CSW65) 20th March 2021.
  • COVID-19 Changed Everything – Women Doctors as Gender Equity Advocates.
  • Invited 16 doctors in training and med.student AFMW members to present AFMW Parallel session.
  • Established platform, planning and program templates for ongoing AFMW CSW participation.

6. Public Speaking Appointments

As listed.