Respect is to listen and understand
Andrea Cooper
Health Consumer Advocate/Partner, Inclusive Communications Leader, clear thinker and coach
Specialty Areas
Community Service and Engagement, Cultural Diversity, Media and Communications, Other, Social Justice and Human Rights
About Me
Passionate about inclusion Andrea puts her energy into advocating for continuous improvement in patient-centred care within the health system. Her professional background also includes championing Inclusive Communications.
“We are living in challenging times where flexibility of thought, innovation and transferable skills are all critical in moving forward. Change is inevitable, it’s time to work with it and contribute to new directions.”
Andrea Represents consumers within the health sector as a lead health consumer advisor/partner This includes consulting, contributing to co-design and delivery for better health outcomes. Roles vary from committee membership and project co-design through to consumer research and input from abroad diversity perspective/definition.
Activities are a mix of volunteer and project undertakings. This includes with Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) on their Community Advisory Committee (CAC), Alfred Health (various committees and projects), Safer Care Victoria (SCV), Consumer Partner Panel for integratedliving, Soundfair and projects within the Hearing Sector. Additionally, projects now completed include participating in SCV’s Consumer Leadership Reference Group for COVID, the Consumer Health Forum’s Australian Loneliness Thought Leadership Roundtable, SCV/Monash development of the ‘Check Back’ resource, and the SCV/ Health Issue Centre (HIC) project for a Framework for Health Consumer Engagement.
Andrea also has wide ranging professional expertise in Communications and Public Relations. She uses this innovatively and created the field of Inclusive Communications. This is about developing strategies and actions to meet the communications and digital needs of people with a disability, from diverse cultures and or with low English literacy.
Familiar with governance and procedure, Andrea also provides mentoring and training for the future.
Qualifications
2023 - NSQHS Assessor Orientation Course2022 - Co-design NOW- Partnering in Action – Safer Victoria/ Department of Health
2021 - NFP Board Member Course & Certification- Pathways Australia
2017 - Health Consumer Leadership (10163NAT)
2011 - Certificate IV Small Business
2004 - Certificate IV Training and Workplace Assessment
Bachelor Arts (Media) RMIT
