Our Guest Speakers

Dr Phillip Lee was the first speaker of the night.

He explained the need for the work of the Foundation and why it is so important.

Philip was a general practitioner in Western Sydney for 23 years and also a visiting palliative care specialist at St Joseph's Hospital Auburn and Westmead Hospitals from 1995 to 2002.

In 2002, he was appointed as a full time palliative care staff specialist and director of palliative care at Westmead and Blacktown Mt Druitt Hospitals.

In May 2007 Philip moved to Berry on the NSW South Coast as senior staff specialist for the Shoalhaven covering community and inpatient consultations from Berry to Ulladulla. In August 2008 he returned to Westmead Hospital as Palliative Medicine senior staff specialist.

Kim told us a story of a young mother, who couldn't afford a $23 bus fare, which brought home to many the stark reality of a less than perfect society. It is not that people are not willing to help but more often that they simply are not aware that such cases exist. We can make a difference!

Kim holds a Masters degree in Social Work. She has a long career in oncology, and since 1994 she has been working at Westmead Hospital in gynaecological cancer.

Kim is a member of several committees and working parties, advocating improved psychosocial support services for people with cancer and their families, and developing resources for clinicians and consumers. She believes that psychosocial care should be an integral component of comprehensive cancer care for all people with cancer and their caregivers.

Since 2001, Kim has been involved in several multidisciplinary research projects, including investigating the effectiveness of cancer support groups, the needs of cancer caregivers, the training and support needs of cancer support group leaders, the perceptions of women with recurrent ovarian cancer, and sexuality for patients and partners following treatment for cancer.

Her research interests have led to several publications in international journals, and last year she wrote two chapters in an Australian publication, Psychosocial Care of Cancer Patients.