What’s your connection to the west?
My paternal grandparents moved to Sunshine in the 1950s from Cyprus. My dad grew up in Sunshine and then moved to Deer Park. That’s where I grew up and spent the first 30 years of my life. I was actually even born at the Footscray Hospital, which is something I wear as a bit of a badge of honour. I went to Deer Park Primary school and Overnewton Anglican College in Keilor, so I was educated out here and my mother still lives in Deer Park.
What do you think needs improving?
I’m still as passionate about this area as I was when I was 15-16 years old and starting to form opinions on the world. It’s an area that’s been neglected for too long. The people here have so much to offer, but they’re neglected because of social economics and a number of other reasons. We need to really fight for the west and Western Health because we want to improve the lives of people living in the western suburbs.
What would you say is the biggest health issue facing the west?
Chronic disease is a huge burden on every part of the Australian community, but in the western suburbs it’s exacerbated. We’ve got one of the highest rates of diabetes in the country and one of the highest rates of kidney disease in the country.
Why are those rates higher out here?
The demographic out here has less wealth and less people who have gone to school. What that means is people can’t get the same level of education, health literacy or the same health messages as other parts of the country. You have to wonder why there are more pokies in the west, why there are more fast food outlets in the west. There’s a responsibility on the individual to make better decisions, but there’s also a responsibility on government at all levels.
So how does the boy from Deer Park become the chief medical officer at Western Health?
I’ve always had a passion for helping those that need it the most. That passion helped me overcome any disadvantages I had. But I also have a lot of patience. I wasn’t concerned about getting to a position of authority, I just wanted to get to a position where I could really make a difference and I think in this position I can make a really, really big difference.
Chief medical officer is a powerful position. What legacy do you want to leave on the west?
My job as a leader is to create and maintain culture. For me the biggest part of my role is making sure we have an environment that people feel safe to speak out and are happy to be here. I want to make this such a positive culture for staff, respect them and provide them with all the support they need.
So you’ve just started this new role and I hear things are about to get a whole lot busier.
They are! My wife, Elleny and I are expecting our first child, a baby girl, in late April.
