Monash Health’s South East Public Health Unit (SEPHU) is one of nine Public Health Units established across Victoria in 2020 to strengthen the public health response to COVID-19, delivering case contact tracing, outbreak management with surge capacity, community engagement, testing and vaccination.
Working with the Department of Health, SEPHU has expanded its role to undertake additional public health responsibilities, including health promotion, disease prevention and responsibility for communicable diseases and notifiable medical conditions other than COVID-19.
SEPHU is focused on leading health initiatives that improve the lives of people in the south-east. SEPHU’s catchment area covers about 1.8 million residents across 11 local government areas: Bayside, Cardinia Shire, Casey, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Monash, Port Phillip, Stonnington and Mornington Peninsula Shire.
SEPHU partners with local councils, healthcare providers, peak bodies and community groups to co-design and lead public health initiatives across the south-east suburbs of Melbourne and along the Mornington Peninsula.
SEPHU is a multidisciplinary team with expertise in public health, infection prevention, epidemiology, disease prevention, health promotion, partnerships and community engagement. Each member of the SEPHU team plays an important role in the overall program.
SEPHU is currently finalising its Public Health Strategy 2024-2029. Our public health priorities have been established through our Population Health Catchment Plan 2023-2028. Our role includes:
- Health Protection – operating across the SEPHU catchment, we are responsible for the management of notifiable medical conditions, including working with communities to ensure a quick response to outbreaks. By December 2023, this will encompass 81 notifiable conditions.
- Health Promotion – this enables individuals and groups to improve their health via education and empowerment.
- Disease Prevention – this reduces the risk of disease or injury before it occurs.
- Communication and community engagement – this builds relationships based on trust as we work collaboratively with the community and stakeholders to improve health and well-being outcomes. Focus areas include targeted engagement with priority population groups, capacity building, strategy development, health equity-related projects, and developing relationships and strategic partnerships.
- Research is a key element at SEPHU and an important component of our strategy currently being developed.
The SEPHU team
The SEPHU team is a multidisciplinary team with expertise in public health, infection prevention, epidemiology, health promotion and partnerships and community engagement. Each member of the SEPHU team plays an important role in the overall program.
Leadership team
Rhonda Stuart, Director
Professor Rhonda Stuart is an Infectious Diseases physician, Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology at Monash Health, and Director of the South East Public Health Unit. As of 2020, she has been actively involved in the COVID-19 response and is an advisor to State and National committees on COVID.
Emma Cameron, Operations Manager
Emma is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience across a variety of leadership roles in both public and private health sectors. She has experience working with the Department of Health during the initial COVID response before moving to SEPHU where she has been actively involved in the development of the unit.
- Professor Rhonda Stuart – Director
- Sharyn Donald – General Manager
- Simon Crouch – Public Health Physician
- Evelyn Wong – Public Health Physician
- Edura Jalil – Public Health Physician
- Mohana Baptista – Epidemiology
- Michelle Sliwinski – COVID Vaccination
- Catherine McGrath – Community Engagement
- Julie-Anne Coyle – Health Promotion and Partnerships
- Michelle O’Rourke – Clinical Operations
- Emma Cameron – Communicable Diseases Prevention and Control
The SEPHU catchment
SEPHU serves communities in the south eastern suburbs of Melbourne and along the peninsula.
Within the SEPHU catchment there are 11 local government areas, including Cardinia Shire, Bayside, Casey, Frankston, Glen Eira, Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Monash, Port Phillip, Stonnington and Mornington Peninsula Shire.