About Us

The Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance (PAHA) is a partnership which began on 23rd June 2019 when the CEO’s and Directors of the three ACCHS came together and formed PAHA Working Group which became officially PAHA in March 2021.

The Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance (PAHA) is a partnership between the three Aboriginal Community Health Services (ACCHS’s) based in the Pilbara region of WA, namely, Mawarnkarra Health Service; Wirraka Maya Health Service; and Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (Member ACCHS’s ). The priority for PAHA and its Member ACCHS’s is to improve the health outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People; Families; and Communities, in the Pilbara region. PAHA is the Gateway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health in East and West Pilbara.

Vision

OUR VISION IS TO STRENGTHEN OUR MEMBER SERVICES

Mission

OUR MISSION IS THAT PAHA IS RECOGNISED AND RESPECTED AS THE STRONG, UNITED ADVOCATE FOR ACHIEVING BETTER HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER PEOPLES IN THE PILBARA BY:

ROBUST OPERATIONS – Building systems and processes that build on opportunities for growth
CAPACITY BUILDING – Supporting member organisations enhance service delivery
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS & ADVOCACY – Partnerships that serve our members & stakeholders
HEALTH PROMOTION – Effective health promotion programs that improve health outcomes
RESEARCH & DATA FOCUS – Effective use of data to optimise service delivery

Our Values

CULTURE- We adhere to our cultural responsibilities, norms, protocols and are led by the traditional owners in the areas we operate
ACCOUNTABILITY- We will uphold our objectives, and do what we say we will do to our funders, our community and do our best with the resources at our disposal
INTEGRITY- We are trustworthy and honest in our representation and conduct
RESPECT- We value our relationships with each other, our community and stakeholders
TRANSPARENCY- We uphold our constitution and governance processes

PAHA BOARD

This Alliance began in June 2019 with the three CEO’s and their Directors coming together with the goal of forming a representative body for the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Services.

Selina Stewart

PAHA Chair

My name is Selina Stewart and I come from the Binikurra people. I was born in Carnarvon and have lived in the Pilbara for most of my life. I am a member of the YMAC Board and Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.

Phyllis Simmons

PAHA Vice Chair

Phyllis has been a Director of MHS since 2011 , and has diligently carried out the actions of the Board and represented Mawarnkarra at meetings with external stakeholders. Phyllis is a Yamatji Aboriginal woman who has spent the majority of her adult life in the Pilbara.

NORA COOKE

My name is Nora Cooke. I was born and raised in Port Hedland and I am from the Ngarla and Nyamal people. I am a Board Member of YMAC and Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation and I am a language teacher.

I teach my father’s language Ngarla. I still do traditional hunting and cooking.

RICHARD ANSEY

Richard Ansey has been MHS Chairperson for the past 4 years, and has taken a strong interest in the health and wellbeing of the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander community. Richard has lived in the Pilbara since the age of 10 years and originates from Mer Island in the Torres Strait. Richard proudly calls the Pilbara home; and is married with three children.

MELVIN FARMER

Bio to be supplied

CAROL WILLIAMS

Bio and photo to be supplied

JOLLEEN HICKS

Jolleen Hicks is a proud Ngarluma Aboriginal woman who grew up in Roebourne, and is passionate about Closing the Health Gaps for our local Aboriginal Community. Jolleen joined the Board in February 2013, and is a strong advocate for Aboriginal organisations being empowered to becoming self-sustainable.

ROWENA KITTY-BROWN

My name is Rowena Brown and I was born in Port Hedland. I am a Board Member of Wirraka Maya Health Service Aboriginal Corporation.

Anthea Farmer

Bio to be supplied

PAHA TEAM

Chris Pickett

Chief Executive Officer

Chris has worked in the not-for-profit primary health care sector for over 20 years with 15 of these in the Pilbara as CEO of the Pilbara Division of General Practice, Pilbara Health Network, Kimberley Pilbara Medicare Local, Regional Adviser for Rural Health West and most recently as CEO of the Pilbara Aboriginal Health Alliance – a position he describes as the most rewarding of his career.

Jodie Burgess

Secretariat

Originally hailing from Ballarat, Victoria I now happily call Newman and the Pilbara my home. Having worked pre-dominantly in real estate prior to taking on the Secretariat role 3 years ago provided me with the skills to interact with people from all walks of life and ensure confidentiality. I feel privileged to work with such an amazing Board and team at PAHA.

Winsome Henry

Executive Operations Manager

Winsome Henry AFCHSM is a non-Indigenous primary health care service manager with extensive experience in rural and remote settings, including services co-designed with Aboriginal communities. Winnie has a steadfast commitment to human rights, social justice and health equity. She is highly regarded for service improvements and developing partnerships for common goals.

Member CEO’s

June Councillor

WMHSAC CEO

I am Banjyma, with family ties across the Pilbara region. I am the CEO at Wirraka Maya Health Service. My passion is working in health with the aim to make a difference. I enjoy working and studying, but also love spending time with my family, especially my two adorable grandsons.

Robbie Chibawe

PAMS CEO

Robby Chibawe is Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service, serving the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population in Newman and the four remote communities of Jigalong, Parnngurr, Punmu and Kunawarritji. His leadership style includes a commitment to teamwork and collaboration, and a passionate belief that identifying and working towards a common purpose that can create positive change in the community. In 2021, he was awarded Leader of the Year in the Not-for-Profit Sector by the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) for his role in delivering enhanced outcomes for the community.

Robby is a community leader who strongly believes in addressing the social determinants of Health (Upstream) in promoting better health Outcomes for the First Nations people of East Pilbara. Coming from the Medical background, Robby has completed a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Australian Institute of Business. A strong believer in community work.

Joan Hicks

MHS CEO