DRIVERS 2024 Committees
Steering Committee
| Dr Rosanna Powell, Co-chair Dr Rosanna Powell grew up in central Victoria and is passionate about health equity and building a sustainable rural health workforce. In her former life she has done varied work from bike mechanics to malaria epidemiology. She has worked throughout Geelong, Bendigo and Echuca and is currently an unaccredited obstetrics and gynaecology registrar. Outside of work you might see her cycling around town on her bike. |
| Dr Jess Wynn, Co-chair Jess is a urology registrar based in Bendigo. Originally from Melbourne, she completed medical school in regional and rural Victoria and she hasn’t left! She has worked previously in Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool and loves the new experiences each town has to offer. She is passionate about providing healthcare to these communities and once she completes training, she hopes to continue looking after patients in regional and rural Victoria. Outside medicine, she is on the constant quest to find good brunch (old Melbournian habits die hard!) or can be found exploring the town and saying hello to every dog on the way. |
| Dr Sally Barker Dr Sally Barker is a PGY2 and current surgical resident at Bendigo Health. Having grown up in coastal NSW and attending medical school at Deakin University on the Victorian Surf Coast, Sally has traded in beaches for rolling hills and wouldn’t have it any other way. Throughout her training, Sally has spent a lot of time in regional and rural VIC and NSW, as well as overseas, fostering a strong drive to improve access to healthcare and overall health outcomes for those living outside of metropolitan areas. Sally is currently undertaking further study in medical education. |
| Dr Akhil Sahni Akhil Sahni is a junior doctor at Mildura Base Public Hospital. This is his first year on the DRIVERS committee and he is excited to bring his passion for rural health to the conference. Akhil grew up in Dubai and Singapore and first came to Mildura four years ago as a medical student - and has stayed ever since. Akhil loves the people and the hospital and is keen on helping other doctors get in and stay in rural areas. Akhil has an interest in paediatrics and outside of work, teaches third and fourth year Monash medical students, does triathlons and is currently training for a 100 kilometre run! |
| Dr Emma Adams Emma is an Unaccredited Obstetric and Gynaecology Registrar at Bendigo Health where she has worked since 2021. At work, she is passionate about providing every patient with the best standard of care and helping them overcome the barriers rural and regional patients can face to access this. She is aware of the importance of ongoing research and education, particularly in Rural and Remote Medicine. She loves calling Bendigo home with her partner and fur-baby Charlotte the Groodle. She is an avid traveller (within Australia and overseas) and loves experiencing different cultures through good conversation and food, with her most recent adventure to Zimbabwe, Africa. |
| Dr Mary Henry Mary is a current Intern at Bendigo Health. Having grown up in a small town in rural Victoria, Mary is passionate about providing healthcare to regional and rural communities, and she hopes to pursue a career in rural paediatrics in the future. In her spare time, Mary enjoys running and swimming. |
 | Dr Jessica Paynter Dr Jessica Paynter is currently an unaccredited surgical registrar and aspiring rural surgeon. She grew up in the Loddon Mallee region and is committed to rural and regional medicine. She was part of the inaugural DRIVERS conference and looks forward to being on the committee again. Jess studied medicine as part of the Monash University Extended Rural Cohort, completing all her clinical placements in Mildura, Swan Hill and Bendigo. She is committed to improving the health and health literacy of people from the bush. Jess is an avid runner and triathlete and has a love for gardening. |
Dr Jenny Shi Jenny Shi is an intern at Bendigo Health with a strong interest in sustainable healthcare. She hopes to one day integrates her medical training with environmental practices, lead initiatives to reduce hospital carbon footprint and promote eco-friendly patient care across rural and regional communities. She enjoys drawing and long-boarding in her spare time. | |
Dr Adriana Marulli Adriana is a HMO at Bendigo Health currently completing a year in Critical Care Medicine. She is passionate about providing excellent healthcare, regardless of location or circumstances. Adriana has recently moved back to Victoria after being in Western Australia for many years and hopes to continue to work in regional and remote medicine for years to come. Adriana is currently completing further study in medical education. |
Scientific Committee
| Dr Jason Cox, Co-chair Dr Jason Cox is a PGY 3 at Bendigo Health. He grew up in the small north-east Victorian town of Yackandandah and attended Monash University on the Dean’s Rural List. He is an Associate Lecturer at the Monash School of Rural Health. Jason has a passion for rural general surgery and an interest in the interface between general surgery and other specialties such as critical care and women’s health. In his spare time, Jason enjoys producing electronic music and spending time with his cat; Squeeky. |
| Dr Jasmine Elliott, Co-chair Dr Jasmine Elliott (she/her) is a Psychiatry Registrar at Bendigo Health, after completing placement and Internship in the Loddon Mallee. Having grown up in rural Northern Territory and Queensland, Jas is passionate about equalising mental health access between postcodes, particularly in the area of youth mental health. She is a member of the Loddon Mallee Mental Health and Wellbeing Interim Body and has been involved in research advocacy with the CRE for Driving Investment into Adolescent Health. In her spare time, Jas enjoys a hike, a farmers market and playing with her kittens, Honey and Bee. |
| Dr Vellyna Sumarno, Workshop Lead Dr Vellyna Sumarno is currently a psychiatry registrar at Bendigo Health. She initially had an interest in becoming a regional general practitioner and therefore started her career in Bendigo as an intern. She transitioned into GP training, before realising her core passion for mental health and commenced specialty training in psychiatry. Since moving to Bendigo, Dr Vellyna has gained a wide variety of experiences and accessed many unique opportunities that have come from the hospital and local community. She has an interest in research and is excited to work on an event that spotlights research in rural medicine. |
 | Associate Professor Janelle Brennan Associate Professor Janelle Brennan is a Urologist who has lived and worked in the Bendigo region for the last ten years. She is currently the Head of Urology at Bendigo Health, Principal Investigator on two local clinical trials and holds several professional appointments, including USANZ representative on the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Rural Health Equity Advisory and Reference Group. As Director of the North West Victoria Regional Training Hub, Janelle leads a team focused on improving training opportunities for junior doctors in the Loddon Mallee region. When not working, Janelle tries to play golf, enjoy good food and wine, tinker with Lego and watch her beloved Richmond Tigers with her dog, Dusty. |