David John Ames (born 1954) is an Australian psychiatrist and academic. In addition to being Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne, he is a part-time consultant psychiatrist at a number of hospitals in Melbourne, a professorial fellow with The National Ageing Research Institute and a research fellow at the Howard Florey Institute. Over his career, Ames has written over 56 book chapters, edited 22 books, and has published over 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Ames' main research and clinical interests have been the detection and management of Alzheimer's disease (AD), new therapies for AD, and the care of the depressed elderly.[1]

In 2018, Ames was made an Officer of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2018 Australia Day Honours, for distinguished service to psychiatry, particularly in the area of dementia and the mental health of older persons, as an academic, author and practitioner, and as an adviser to professional bodies.[2]

Dr Michelle Caldecott graduated from the University of Adelaide in 1993 and then went on to complete her specialist training in Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne.

Michelle has around 20 years’ experience in treating respiratory and sleep disorders in both the public and private sectors. Her private practice is based at the Epworth Hospital in Richmond, where she utilises the sleep laboratories and also performs flexible bronchoscopy.

Michelle is joint Director of Melbourne Lung and Sleep Specialists, incorporating the Epworth lung function laboratory. She also holds senior staff specialist positions at Austin Health and with the Victorian Respiratory Support Service (VRSS). Michelle has also recently been appointed Director of the Internal Medicine Clinical Institute across Epworth sites.

Whilst involving herself in the development of organisational frameworks focussing on patient advocacy, clinical governance and peer review, Michelle maintains a strong clinical focus, which places her in an ideal position to present this workshop.

Dr Chen is the Director of the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Program at Epworth Clinic. He is active in psychiatric research and education at the Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc) and Monash University. His interest areas include mood, anxiety, psychotic disorders. He has particular expertise in neurostimulation and psychopharmacological strategies, but emphasises holistic, patient-centred care in his clinical practice.

Dr. John Chow has a passion for clinical management of addiction disorders. His main interests are Opiate addiction, including pharmaceutical opiates, Benzodiazepine Dependence, Alcohol and psychostimulants, and the relationship between addiction and chronic pain

Tarryn Coomaraswamy is a Senior Cardio-Respiratory physiotherapist with 19 years of experience who works at Epworth Rehabilitation Camberwell. Tarryn trained and worked in the UK where she specialized in critical care however on returning to Australia, she moved into the rehab setting. Her passion lies in working with all cardio-respiratory, medical and surgical patients (both acute and chronic) to help progress them back to their optimal fitness, and function whilst also improving their confidence to manage their condition.

Laura Davidson is the Physiotherapy Manger of Epworth Rehabilitation and has significant clinical experience working across acute orthopaedic wards and across community and hospital settings. Laura is passionate about the provision of clinical excellence and patient centred care and uses these as key drivers in her work around service development and design such as the establishment of a Rehabilitation in the home service model.

Dr Stephen de Graaff is Director of Pain Services and Senior Rehabilitation Physician at Epworth Healthcare. He is a Fellow of the AFRM (RACP) and a Founding Member of the Rehabilitation Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ). He is a Past President of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Stephen is also a Board Member of the Australian Institute of Neuro-Rehabilitation. He was Convenor of the 2016 Australasia-Pacific Post-Polio Conference in Sydney in September 2016.

His areas of research interest include stroke rehabilitation, spasticity management, pain management, post-polio sequelae and Continuing Professional Development.

Dr Jennifer Johns is a Consultant Cardiologist at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital, where she has worked since 1987. She was the Director of Cardiology at the Austin between 1997 and 2007 and Clinical Service Unit Medical Director from 1997 to 2014.

She is the Cardiologist appointed to the multidisciplinary Perinatal Clinic at Mercy Hospital for Women, co-managing patients with heart disease.

She is currently President of the National Heart Foundation.

She was awarded an AM in Queens Birthday honour, 2015.

Dr Johns graduated in 1976 from University of Melbourne. Her postgraduate training included 2 years at West Suffolk Hospital in the UK and Cardiology training at the Austin Hospital and Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

She was awarded a National Heart Foundation Clinical Scholarship and continued her studies at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston between 1984 and 1987, studying the role of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator in the treatment of acute coronary syndromes.

Her major interests include the management of valvular heart disease, echocardiography and heart disease in women, especially the management of heart disease during pregnancy.

Jo Kevill is an experienced cardiac nurse and cardiac rehabilitation coordinator at Epworth Camberwell. In the seven years that she has been in this role cardiac rehabilitation enrolments at Epworth Camberwell have increased by more than 500%.  Jo is driven to spread the word about the enormous benefits of cardiac rehabilitation for cardiac patients of all ages. She has recently returned from presenting at the 2024 European Society of Cardiology conference in London where she shared her Cardiac Rehabilitation Ambassador Initiative.

Dawn Mulhern and Marg Petrie are members of Epworth HealthCare’s social work team who each have more than 30 years’ experience in clinical practice.

Dawn has worked in child and family welfare and in policy roles within the Victorian Government, as well as having extensive experience in acute and rehabilitation hospitals in both metropolitan and rural areas. Prior to commencing at Epworth, she worked with the Office of the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner. Dawn is currently employed as the Senior Social Worker at Epworth Rehabilitation Brighton. In this role she is frequently required to facilitate difficult conversations with older patients, their families/carers regarding concerns about an older persons safety at home and the recommendation of the team that the older person move into aged care.

Marg Petrie is the Social Work Manager for Epworth Rehabilitation and has worked in both in Hospital and community disability settings. She commenced her social work career at the Royal Children’s Hospital in ICU and Neurosurgery where she developed her special interest in traumatic injury and family counselling. Marg has completed post graduate studies in Grief and Loss as well clinical supervision and leadership. She combines her management responsibilities with clinical work, particularly focussing on working with complex patients and their families.

Associate Professor Luis Prado MBBS FRACMA FRACGP FACHE FCHSM FAAQHC FISQua FACMQ Grad Dip Sp Med, is the Executive Director Academic and Medical Services and Chief Medical Officer of Epworth HealthCare. He is a specialist in medical administration and clinical governance, and a censor and board director of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. He is also a practicing specialist general practitioner with a special interest in sports medicine.

A/Professor Prado is the first Australian to hold Fellowships, by examination, of both the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American College of Medical Quality. He also holds Fellowships of the Australian College of Health Service Management, the Australian Association of Quality in Health care and the International Society of Quality in Healthcare.

Mr Harry Tsigaras is an Orthopaedic Surgeon, subspecialising in Hip & Knee Surgery (arthroscopy, reconstruction, osteotomy and replacement). Mr Tsigaras' area of special interest is in Primary and Revision Hip & Knee Replacement Surgery. Mr Tsigaras' Orthopaedic training was via the Victorian Branch of the Australian Orthopaedic Association Training Program, his Fellowship obtained in 2000. After that time he was selected to be an Adult Reconstruction Fellow at University Hospital, The University of Western Ontario (Canada), working with world leading Professors/Specialists in Hip & Knee Replacement Surgery.