Now we are 10: celebrating a decade of NWMPHN

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network was one of 31 such organisations that came into being in 2015. 


Primary health networks were created by the Australian Government following a review of the pre-existing Medicare Locals. Following a tender process, NWMPHN evolved from the Inner North West Melbourne Medicare Local. 


To mark its first decade, we asked some of our longest-serving staff members about their thoughts, hopes and memories.

Christopher Carter

Chief Executive Officer

"Of course, I’ve been here since the beginning. I think it’s been a really strong success - particularly in key areas of mental health, alcohol and other drugs, child and family health, to name a few. 


A good measure of that success are programs that innovate and provide solutions for marginalised populations. Some of the excellent work done in the Muslim Youth and Families program or through The Zone are some great examples. 

I think we’ve made the most impact in the integration space, especially with our national work on the Medicare Mental Health data and insights. 



My proudest achievement is seeing a well-functioning and organised organisation that is agile and innovative. In the next 10 years I hope we become even more central in ensuring that primary care is a healthy and robust sector truly targeting disadvantaged populations."

Edil Pangilinan

Lead, Finance/Systems Projects

"I started at the organisation in January 2015 under the previous guise of the Inner North West Melbourne Medicare Local, and before the confirmation of the Melbourne Primary Care Network winning the tender to become NWMPHN. 


When I started there may have been 40 employees, and I am one of six remaining that were hired before the current PHN days.


I feel that my best contribution over the years has been to connect with our staff who have done a lot of the work for our community – as a constant and reliable support to our staff over the past 10 years allowing them to contribute to our goals and strategic objectives in a meaningful way.


I feel very comfortable in the internal culture here. It even gives me some license to meme our CEO on occasions! I look forward to continued success as we have been doing in the last 10 years and potentially doing this again in 2035!"

Kim Jacobs

Payroll Officer

"I began here in 2008 – long before the organisation became NWMPHN. The event I’ll always remember was in 2016, when NWMPHN launched a new campaign coinciding with World Immunisation Week.


The campaign was called Immunise Melbourne. It was run by us and featured real stories of everyday Victorians whose personal experiences reinforce the potentially lifesaving benefits of immunisation. 


My grandson Sonny was six months old at the time. He was featured in this campaign because he has a rare inherited immunodeficiency disorder. This prevents him from producing his own antibodies meaning he can’t fight off infection, so he relies on others to be vaccinated.



Sonny and his mum, Caitlin, my daughter, did photo shoots in the Fitzroy Gardens for the campaign. They were featured in a news conference with the then Minister for Health, Jill Hennesy, which was aired on Channel 9 news. They were also in a full-page Herald Sun story about immunisations and the anti-vaccine movement. I was not only very proud of my family but also of the people involved at NWMPHN who did an amazing job."

Julie Sucksmith

Communications Manager

"I started at NWMPHN as a result of answering an advert in The Age. Yes, it was that long ago. It was a new Medicare Local (as it was called then). With small kids I needed something local to me, and after years of working in commercial design and advertising agencies I wanted something that I could get into deeply and do some good.


So much has changed in 10 years! Thanks to NWMPHN, patients now have so many more options for mental health and primary care: in the community, and virtually, during after-hours, within residential aged care, and through specific programs for older, younger and newer residents in our region. 


A benchmark of our journey is the ability we now have to measure and evaluate these services, using this to improve care, and of course the support to providers to deliver the best quality care – and so that funded services are sustainable. 


In the next 10 years I want to see us have a seat at all the tables to advocate for equity and access, accountability and quality care."

Yvonne Bese

Program Officer, Workforce Development

"Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen NWMPHN adapt and grow to meet the needs of our community and workforce. Starting as a small team of around 60 people, the organisation has continually risen to challenges and delivered real value to general practice and primary care. I would rate its success highly, given the way it has evolved, expanded, and stayed focused on strengthening the sector.

The organisation has supported staff through some very challenging times over the last 10 years. I’m proud of the empathy and care shown on those occasions.


One standout example for me is how NWMPHN successfully managed the transition from Medicare Local to PHN. Being part of the rebranding process when I first started – on a six-month contract – showed me how adaptable and resilient the organisation was. 


It was a pivotal moment that laid the foundation for the strong reputation and identity we have today. We have had to pivot a few times over the last 10 years!



I hope NWMPHN continues to be a leader in supporting and developing the primary care workforce. The sector is always evolving, and our ability to innovate, adapt, and provide real value to practices and health professionals will remain critical."

Sonia Zahra

Project Officer, Aged Care Capability Building

"I started work here on July 13, 2015, and I’ve held six positions since.


One of my favourite examples of success was when we received some funding in 2018 to provide community protection against flu. Nearly 500 people from at-risk, vulnerable and hard-to-reach groups got the best protection against influenza in the flu season back in 2018 thanks to a series of free pop up and visiting vaccination clinics we organised.


We did pop-ups at Bunnings in Altona and Broadmeadows.
One particular client I saw there was 80 years old, and this was his first ever flu vaccination!


In the next 10 years I hope that we can continue to achieve improvements in digital health capabilities in health care organisations, especially in residential aged care where I am now working in the Aged Care Capability Team. 


We will continue to support aged care homes by assessing local health needs, commissioning services to meet them and building health workforce capacity. We want to improve connections between aged care and primary care providers to improve better health outcomes for residents."