Chronic Disease Coordinator
Melanie is a Chronic Disease Care Coordinator who has worked in this area for the last 15 years in the primary care setting.
Melanie’s career has spanned a variety of roles, including community health, women’s sexual health, asthma education, respiratory nursing and lung transplantation, tertiary nursing education, and aged care. Her experience has equipped her with a wide array of skills, which she deftly deploys in both care coordination and the treatment room.
Melanie has a Diploma of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Nursing degree. She has also completed a post graduate immunisation course. Melanie is married with two young adult children. In her spare time, she loves to go to the gym, read, and dine out. During each wedding season, she practices as a marriage celebrant.
Practice Manager
BHSc (Health Science), GradCertHumResMgt (Human Resource Management)
A natural and competent leader, Melanie is the glue that holds Eastbound together!
Melanie joined Eastbound Medical Clinic in 2013 as a medical receptionist. She became the Assistant Practice Manager in 2018, immediately demonstrating the dedication and proficiency that saw her confidently step into the role of Practice Manager in 2020.
Melanie studied at Monash University and completed a Bachelor of Health Science in 2016, majoring in public health and health promotion. In 2022, she supplemented her knowledge by completing a Postgraduate Degree in Human Resource Management at RMIT.
In her private time, Melanie enjoys spending time with her husband, Sean, and her son, Jordan. She also has a passion for make-up and all things beauty.
Melanie insists that, despite his often naughty behaviour, her miniature Groodle, Blaze, is in fact a ‘very good boy’.
Business Manager
MBA (Strategy and Finance) and BSc (Psychology)
Mark is Eastbound’s “numbers’ guy”, always ready to interpret the data that makes the rest of us glassy-eyed!
After completing a BSc (Psychology) at Melbourne University, Mark worked in the Banking sector. Proving his aptitude by successfully managing a large team and business in the asset finance sector, he eventually landed a role as a Director at Macquarie Bank.
Mark joined Eastbound Clinic as a part-time consultant focused on Business Improvement in August 2017, and was appointed Business Manager in June 2018.
Mark and his wife Suzanne own a Jewellery shop in the city and enjoy travelling. They have three grown-up children and live in the area.
Although he grew up in Melbourne, Mark was born in Tanzania.
Nurse Diabetes Educator
DiabEd, RN (Div1)
Yiming is a Diabetes Nurse Educator who is passionate about assisting people with diabetes. She believes that self-management and team-based care is effective to prevent complications of diabetes with regular reviews and consistency in care providers.
Yiming has a clinical background in primary care with additional post-graduate study in Immunisation. She completed her Bachelor of Nursing at Flinders University in 2014 and then worked in a variety of roles for over 7 years in both Public and Private Settings. Prior to that, she was a Registered Nurse in Emergency Department overseas for 6 years.
Yiming consults at Eastbound every Monday and Wednesday.
Psychologist and Social Worker
MAPsych (Educational and Developmental), BA Honours (Psych), BA Honours (Social Science), BA(Psych), MAPS
Ms Lara Hanson is a qualified Psychologist, Social Worker and Psychometrist. She has much experience in working with domestic/family issues, i.e. divorce, separation and abuse. She has also worked in a hospital setting working with mental illness, cancer patients, paediatrics as well as in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
Lara works best with children, adolescents, couples, families and groups in the following different areas:
- Anxiety
- Childhood issues
- Depression, including Postnatal Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Exam stress and anxiety for school and university students
- Grief and Loss
- Obsessive compulsive disorder
- Pre and post fertility treatment
- Parenting skills
- Relationship issues, i.e. enhancing communication and intimacy
Lara is eclectic in her therapeutic approach and uses a blend of the following theoretical frameworks:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Family Systems Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Psycho-education
- Reality Based Therapy
- Solution Focused Therapy
Lara believes that as a psychologist, an essential part of the therapy process is the relationship with the client. She aims to bring to the therapy process a feeling of comfort and safety without judgement. The client should feel that the therapist is working collaboratively with them as a team. She believes that the therapist and client should work together in terms of the goals that the client wishes to achieve in therapy, and select treatment components according to client preferences.
Lara believes that every person is unique and individual and should be treated in a way that works bests for them. She draws from many different therapeutical frameworks and calls upon those resources to tailor the treatment to be consistent with clients’ preferences. Lara believes in empowering her clients to assist them in dealing with their current stressors. She monitors clients’ progress weekly to ensure that improvement is taking place, and believes that therapy should provide a platform and opportunity for the person to self-develop and grow. Therapy should be a positive experience, helpful and empowering to the individual client.
Lara is very excited to be a part of the Eastbound Clinic and working collaboratively with the doctors in supporting the patients.
Lara consults at Eastbound Clinic on Fridays. Please call the clinic on 9579 3522 to make an appointment.
Dietician
APD, AN, RN
Everyday Nutrition Founder and Accredited Practising Dietitian, Joanna Baker loves food! Her passion is to help others eat well, be well and feel great, without giving up the foods that they love.
This mantra is what inspired her to set up Everyday Nutrition in 2013. Joanna has over 20 years’ experience in the healthcare industry, initially as a Registered Nurse and later as a Dietitian and Nutritionist. Due to her medical background, Joanna is particularly adept at managing complex medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease alongside gut health issues.
Joanna has also suffered from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and food intolerance her entire life. She knows first-hand what it’s like to live with unpredictable gut upsets and dietary restrictions. At Everyday Nutrition, she aims to help people to pinpoint their food triggers, enabling them to identify what foods they can enjoy while keeping their gut happy at the same time.
Joanna consults privately in one-on-one and group settings. Additionally, she has written for several publications including the Healthy Food Guide magazine, FODMAPPER magazine and Australian Gluten-Free Life magazine. She has appeared on Channel 7’s ‘The Intolerant Cooks’, alongside Karen Martini and Richard Barassi. Joanna is also a professional speaker and has presented to dietitians and FODMAPPERs around Australia and internationally in the USA. Joanna also has experience working with food industry assisting with FODMAP based content, education and product development.
Joanna is a professional member of the Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA), the Australian Nurses and Midwives Federation (ANMF) and is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a Division 1 Registered Nurse.
Joanna completed the Monash FODMAP Training course for Dietitians in 2016 and again in 2018 and the RPAH dietitians training in food intolerance 2017.
Care Coordination Manager
RN (Div1)
Gabrielle completed her Bachelor of Nursing in 1994 at Monash University.
She has over 20 years’ experience working in a variety of roles in both public and private settings, and spent many years in management and care coordination roles at The Alfred Hospital.
After a number of years working with specialists in their private rooms, Gabrielle is now returning to her passion of chronic illness and care coordination.
Gabrielle loves working in a team environment and firmly endorses a patient-centred approach. She believes focusing on each patient’s health journey is the best way to achieve a positive outcome.
Life outside work is very busy. Gabrielle is married with three young girls who all share a passion for travel. She loves staying active and regularly plays competitive netball and tennis.
Dietician
MDiet, BFN
Jasmine grew up in rural NSW in a small town called Hillston and went to high school in Albury. She first came to Melbourne for University.
After completing her Bachelor of Food and Nutrition and Masters of Dietetics at Deakin University she went rural again to work at Albury Wodonga Health. She has now returned to Melbourne and has gained experience working as a dietitian in aged care, disability and community health. Her special interests are broad and include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gut health and helping people improve their relationship with food.
Outside of work, Jasmine loves anything food related! This means cooking, developing recipes, eating out, travelling to try new foods and inspiring others to do the same.
Jasmine is available at Eastbound on Thursday mornings.
Counselling and Clinical Psychologist
DPsych, MA, DipEdPsych, GradDipSocSc, MAPS
Dr Kramer is a Counselling and Clinical Psychologist who has been registered with the Psychology Board of Australia since 1990. She is a member of the Australian Psychological Society (Colleges of Clinical Psychologists and Counselling Psychologists).
Lynette began her career as a Research Assistant in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne where she spent five years investigating anxiety disorders, depression, and the psychological experiences of carers. After being presented with an opportunity to work as a Sessional Tutor in the Department of Psychology, Lynette found that she enjoyed teaching more than research, despite the associated performance anxiety. This was followed by roles in the Departments of Medicine and Physiotherapy, training students to care for patients psychologically as well as physically.
In 2000, Lynette commenced working as a Psychologist for St Michael’s Uniting Church in Collins Street. Her task was to develop programs that foster the wellbeing of the people of Melbourne, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds. To this end, she established the low-cost Mingary Counselling Service, where clients are treated by post-graduate psychology interns from the Cairnmillar Institute. Lynette supervises their training and was admitted as a Fellow of the Cairnmillar Institute in 2010, in recognition of this work.
Alongside these roles, Lynette has been in part-time private practice in Bentleigh since 1994. She has been closely associated with Eastbound Medical Clinic since working from the old premises in 1998. A lack of space eventually saw her move around the corner to the Moorabbin Specialist Centre until her return to Eastbound in 2016. Lynette is pleased to be back at Eastbound so that she can work more closely with the GPs in supporting their patients.
Dr Kramer consults at Eastbound Clinic Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Please call 0419 331 198 for an appointment.
MBBS
Dr Tony Hammond possesses a broad range of skills relevant to general practice and the provision of quality care. Born and educated in Melbourne, he graduated from Monash University in 1977 and has worked in the Glen Huntley and South Caulfield areas since 1988. He and his wife have two children and one grandchild. Outside of work, Tony enjoys reading, walking, travelling, meditating, playing golf, doing yoga, and doting on his granddaughter.
Areas of Interest
- Geriatric medicine
- Psychiatry of old age
- Addiction medicine
- Skin cancer care
- Chronic disease management
- Musculoskeletal medicine
- Spinal manipulation
