By Tyler Wright
A Menzies Creek resident has been celebrated on the Queen’s Birthday honours list for her service to health administration over more than 18 years.
The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) recognises Australian citizens, and other persons, for outstanding achievement and service within their community, who are nominated by another member of the public and considered by the Council for the Order of Australia.
“I cried. There was a mixture of feeling really privileged and honoured, as well as embarrassed, undeserving and exhilarated all at once,” Donna Markham, occupational therapist by training and former adjunct associate professor said.
Working at Monash Health early in her career, Ms Markham assumed the role of Chief Allied Health Officer and has also sat as Chair and Member of various committees including the Aboriginal Health Partnership Board Sub-committee and Primary Care and Population Health Committee – all of which have allowed her to connect with various communities.
“I was a finalist for the Telstra Victorian Young Business Women’s Award in 2014 when I was 33, so that was a pretty big high for me as well,” Ms Markham said.
After having her two children, Ms Markham moved into work within the Victorian Government as the Chief Allied Health Officer for quality and safety agency Safer Care Victoria, leading in that role throughout the pandemic.
“While I was there, I was the Executive Lead for the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board, so I was heavily involved in the implementation of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria – that was a pretty incredible experience,” Ms Markham said.
“In health care, you’re often really privileged to interact with [people] at a time that they’re quite vulnerable, so it is a very privileged time and opportunity to be to be able to support someone…
With the [Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board] my role was very much at that system level, but to know that I was a part of a system that gave people the choice to end their life at a time and choosing of their own; that’s pretty amazing stuff.”
More recently the Menzies Creek local has been the executive lead for the healthcare worker wellbeing centre, which was part of the Victorian Government response to the body of health care workers during the pandemic.
“If it hadn’t been for health care workers, there is no way we would have got through this; they kept our hospitals running, they kept providing care to people; they are utterly exhausted and are doing an amazing job every day, and they just kept giving. I’m a proud to be part of that tribe,” Ms Markham said.
She has created her own business called Disequilibrium, named after the ‘sweet spot where growth occurs,’ where she coaches and supports professional women in the workplace.
“I haven’t worked clinically as an occupational therapist probably for over 10 years now, but I still use my skills every single day..
For healthcare workers in particular we quietly go about what we do and continue to soldier on – people are very aware of how important healthcare workers are, but I just think to these sorts of recognitions and acknowledgements [are] just amazing.
For someone to take the time and say ‘we think you’re deserving of this, well done’ is incredible; nothing I ever thought I would be a part of and I never imagined my name would be on a list like this
I’m really grateful for the other particularly other women who are out there supporting other women doing great things.”
