Meet the Team
We are proud to have a passionate and resilient team. Just as with the parts of the body, no member of our team is considered more or less valuable than another. All our staff are carefully hand-selected to not just do their job well (which they do, over and above) but to harmonise with our collegiate clinic culture that has been built over the years. Teamwork, excellent communication and a positive growth mindset are both valued and essential to the health and happiness of our patients and our close-knit clinic community.
Front of house
We are blessed with highly competent and experienced practice staff. They provide valued assistance with helping patients coordinate appointments and investigations, as well as on-the-ground work to keep the clinic running smoothly. As the ‘gate-keepers’ for appointments, they are well-equipped to both triage your medical concerns and protect our doctors and nurses from being overworked.
-
Sandy has been a receptionist at the clinic since 2010 and she is particularly superb with numbers, ensuring that our work is recognised administratively and contributing to the clinic cogs turning. Most of all, she enjoys the people at work and this is reflected in her big smile and infectious laugh. She likes to spend time enjoying Tumby Bay – walking, swimming, bike riding, fishing, reading and catching up with family.
-
Anita is the newest addition to our reception team and brings her wonderful experience in banking customer service to the clinic community. She is a quiet achiever who helps make the workplace a calm and enjoyable environment. She enjoys camping and time at the beach with her friends and family.
Leadership
When these multi-talented ladies are not helping out at the front desk, they are working hard behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the practice as both a healthcare provider and a private business. This includes (but is not limited to) managing finances, rosters, day-to-day running of the business and longer view vision and sustainability.
-
Jennifer began with Tumby Bay Medical in 2019 as a receptionist before transitioning into the role of practice manager. She proudly advocates for the needs of our staff, particularly our doctors, and in doing so she helps ensure the sustainability of healthcare services in Tumby Bay. She is well known for providing incredible support to all members of the team and catering for our delicious Tuesday “family lunch”. In 2022 GPSA awarded her their first Commitment to Excellence in GP Training for her efforts. When she is not in the clinic she enjoys local volunteering, gardening, yacht club involvement and time with family and friends.
-
Leanne also began her clinic journey as a receptionist in 2020. She is now our amazing office manager and is a warm, friendly presence in the clinic. She is a humble maths genius and does an incredible job balancing the books and ensuring the practice finances run smoothly. Outside of work she enjoys time with her family and friends.
Nursing
We have an energetic and experienced nursing team who value-add exponentially to the time the doctor spends with the patient. They provide an amazing service and support to our patients. See Clinic Info for the range of services our nurses offer.
-
Denisha also joined the clinic with a background in hospital nursing and has quickly adapted to the unique role of practice nurse. She has special interests in emergency nursing care and preventative health. When not at work she enjoys spending time with family, camping, fishing, crafts, cooking and exploring our beautiful state.
-
Merryn has a long history of nursing experience, beginning with part time work at Tumby Bay Hospital before she joined the clinic in 2001 in the new position of practice nurse. She works across nursing and reception duties including home visits and front of house. Merryn enjoys travelling and spending time with her family. She is particularly legendary with checking recalls and results which supports our excellent ongoing patient care.
-
Bronte has blessed our team with her prior experience as a practice nurse interstate. She now resides locally with her partner and enjoys going for walks and exploring the EP. You will recognise her by her fun and bright scrubs. She particularly enjoys working with babies and has a special interest in diabetes education.
Medical
All our fellowed doctors are accredited supervisors and passionate about teaching. We each have our own special interests but are all qualified in rural medicine including emergencies. We enjoy working together as a team and this mutual support and feedback helps us to be better doctors.
If you see a registrar as a patient, you are being cared for by an experienced doctor who has completed their basic medical degree plus another two years (minimum) working as a junior doctor. They are now working towards gaining their formal GP qualifications. Training our registrars has been a great asset to the clinic: they keep our fellowed doctors fresh and up to date, they provide wonderful care for our patients, and they have been an invaluable part of our succession planning.
We hope you will help our registrars to feel welcome and appreciated - they could be your GP one day!
PP: Practice Principal / IP: Independent Practitioner / R: Registrar
-
Independent Practitioner
MBBS, FRACGP-RG, DCHEmmy began with Tumby Bay Medical in 2015 as a junior doctor, marking her return to medicine after raising a family. She is a registered RERN (Rural Emergency Response Network) doctor and was most recently recognised for this in the recent Australia Day awards with Active Citizen Award (2024). She particularly enjoys family medicine and women’s health. She is a primary supervisor for our medical students and also provides supervision support to our registrars. Up until recently, she has also served for many years as a practice principal. Outside of work she can be found spending time with her family, playing basketball, running or bike riding.
-
Practice Principal
B. PHYSIO, MD, CWH, Cert EM(ACEM), FRACGP-RGChris joined the team in 2019 as a senior registrar and completed his training at the clinic. He is a registered RERN (Rural Emergency Response Network) doctor and particularly enjoys emergency and sports medicine. He is a primary supervisor for our registrars and also provides supervision support to our medical students. He is passionate about the physical and mental health benefits of exercise and has founded the Tumby Bay Running Club. Outside of work he can be found spending time with his beautiful wife and three boys, and running in Tumby or further afield.
-
Practice Principal
MBBS, DCH(Syd), FRACGP-RGSara began with Tumby Bay Medical in 2014 as a junior registrar, making the move from Adelaide with her husband. She has a special interest in palliative care and mental health. She is a primary supervisor for our registrars and also provides supervision support to our medical students. When not at work she enjoys time with her young family, food with friends, and the occasional poetry and story-writing.
-
Registrar
MBChBOriginally from Northern Ireland, Hamilton completed his medical training in Glasgow and went on to work in Adelaide and Perth, primarily in emergency medicine. He has joined our team in mid-2024 as a junior registrar and enjoys all aspects of medicine. Outside of work he enjoys staying active, primarily with running and bike riding.
-
Registrar
MBBSNiamh completed her medical training at the University of Adelaide and has gone on to gain several years further experience at the RAH and QEH. She has joined our team in mid-2024 as a junior registrar and has special interests in women’s health and palliative care. She also enjoys baking, playing netball and travelling.
Registered Medical Officers (RMO), Interns and Medical Students
As a teaching practice, we are privileged to have senior medical students rotate through the clinic from the University of Adelaide. This offers them a fantastic learning experience and understanding of rural medicine, as well as a helpful extra pair of hands for our doctors. We are so grateful for our patients who graciously support our students - one day they may come back to the country!
Patients
Our local patients are friendly, resourceful, and resilient. Without them, we wouldn’t be here! We are grateful for the incredible trust they place in us and their graciousness when things don’t always go to plan. We learn so much from them and it is an honour to serve our local community.
