BANGALOW CONSULTING - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Medical Oncologist and Physician

I am a Medical Oncologist and Physician working in the Northern Rivers since 2016. I am delighted to be setting up a new practice at the Bangalow Consulting Centre where I hope to offer compassionate, kind care to my patients and to welcome any new patients who want help managing a cancer diagnosis, a diagnostic workup or symptom management issues.

Job Titles:

• Palliative Care Physician
• Specialist

Dr Kat Urban is a Palliative Care Physician working in the Northern Rivers, having relocated from Sydney in 2021. She completed her medical school training in the United Kingdom at Cambridge University and University College London in 2002, followed by 2 years working in London. She relocated to Australia in 2005 where she completed her Physician Training at Prince of Wales Hospital. She completed specialist Palliative Medicine training in 2012, gaining Fellowship of the RACP and Chapter of Palliative Medicine. Kat worked as a Specialist in the field at Greenwich and Concord Hospitals, and as Head of Department at Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney.

Dr Louise Imlay-Gillespie is a clinical and laboratory Haematologist living and working in the Northern Rivers. Louise completed her medical school training through the university of Newcastle, spending time at Armidale and the Central Coast. She took up internship and residency on the central coast before progressing to Physicians training at Royal North Shore Hospital where she remained for her Haematology specialty training. Louise completed both her physician training, obtaining her RACP, as well as her pathology qualifications becoming a fellow of the royal college of pathology (RCPA). Louise moved to the area in 2016 to complete her final year of training under the tutelage of Dr Ram Seshadri before his retirement. She works as a staff specialist at Lismore Base Hospital and provides an outreach clinic to Grafton. Louise is committed to the Northern Rivers and to improving outcomes for regional patients. She is currently the co-chair of NorDocs, bringing specialists and GPs together, as well as holding the deputy Chair for the medical staff council at Lismore Base Hospital. She is also the chair person of the Rural and Regional working party within the Australasian Leukaemia and Lymphoma Group (ALLG) that aims to bring therapeutic trials to the regions to optimise patient care. Louise worked as the Director of Medicine, and previously the Deputy Director, at Lismore Base hospital up until 2020. She is an experienced haematologist in all haematological malignancy including acute and chronic leukaemia, myelodysplasia, myeloproliferative disorders, myeloma and lymphoma. She is trained in management of autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplant. Louise is experienced in caring for patients with non-malignant disorders as well including ITP, iron disorders, anaemia, and disorders of thrombosis or haemostasis. Louise works closely with the palliative care team when needed and is experienced in end of life care. Louise has a holistic approach to medicine and aims to work together, as a team, with her patients to optimise their outcomes and prioritise their goals.

Job Titles:

• Consultant
• Physician
• Consultant Physician M.B.B.S., F.R.a.C.P

Dr Bob Lodge is a Consultant Physician in Internal Medicine He obtained MB, BS at Monash University in 1977 and Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) in 1985, after completion of post-graduate training in Melbourne (1978-1982) and Oxford, UK (1983-1986). Prior to 2002, when he moved to Bangalow, NSW, Dr Lodge had been based in Melbourne, where professional appointments included Senior Physician in the Department of Internal Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne; Director of the Stroke Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne; Physician to Coronary Care Unit, St Georges Hospital, Melbourne; and, he practised as Intensive Care Unit Physician at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne and St Vincent's Private Hospital, Melbourne. He had teaching and examining roles at the University of Melbourne and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and was a Senior Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine at University of Melbourne. Currently, he has an appointment as Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, Griffith University, QLD. Whilst practising across the broad width of Internal Medicine, Dr Lodge has a special interest in Cardiovascular Medicine, including perioperative management and cardiovascular health; Neurological diagnosis and management, particularly Parkinson's disease, Motor Neurone Disease and Stroke. Other special interests are Diabetes and Endocrine disorders (thyroid, pituitary and adrenal); and, the "Art and Science of Diagnosis".

Job Titles:

• Addiction Physician

Dr Bronwyn Hudson is an Addiction Physician who graduated with Honors from The University of Sydney Medical School and The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. She completed her internship and residency at The Concord Repatriation General Hospital and has subsequently gained a breadth of medical experience working in a multitude of city and rural hospitals including Mackay Base, Broken Hill and Bega Valley Hospitals. She continues to work in remote Australia visiting Cape York on a regular basis. Having first trained as a Specialist General Practitioner in the Byron Shire, she has moved her practice to focussing solely on caring for people who use substances. Dr Hudson adopts a biopsychosocial model and works closely with a team of allied health professionals. She is a staunch advocate for harm reduction and fighting stigma in the health system for people who use substances in order to improve access to health care. Dr Hudson holds positions at Byron Central Hospital, The Tweed Hospital and Lismore Base Hospital. She is the chair of the Byron Shire Medical Council and the Founding Director of The Yellow Gate Medical Clinic. She is also a researcher in the field and currently sits on a number of steering committees within NSW health. Dr Hudson runs an opioid treatment program for people who are opioid dependant and is an authorised prescriber of both buprenorphine and methadone.

Job Titles:

• Clinical Psychologist

Cate has extensive experience working with children, teens, and adults. She enjoys working across the lifespan with people with: Autism Spectrum Disorders (including assessment for Autism) Anxiety, OCD Depression Parenting and child/teen behaviour difficulties Adjustment difficulties Relationship difficulties Borderline personality disorder Other mental health conditions A desire for improved mental wellbeing

Job Titles:

• Surgeon
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon

Dr Mark Rahman is a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon with a special interest in microsurgery, reconstructive breast surgery and skin cancer surgery. He moved to Bangalow in 2017, making him one of the few reconstructive plastic surgeons based in the area permanently. Dr Rahman went to Edinburgh University Medical School and completed his basic surgical training in the UK. Before moving to Australia 11 years ago, he worked as a volunteer surgeon for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in Darfur, Sudan and the Ivory Coast. After a period as a craniofacial surgery research fellow in Sydney, he embarked on five years of specialist training in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery overseen by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He was admitted as a Fellow of the College in 2016. In 2017 he completed a nine-month microsurgery fellowship at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. During this time he worked closely with some of the world leaders in reconstructive breast surgery and has extensive experience with the DIEP flap, widely considered to be the gold standard in breast reconstruction. Dr Rahman consults at the Bangalow Consulting Centre on a fortnightly basis.

Job Titles:

• Endorsed Nurse Practitioner and Credentialled Diabetes Educator

Originally from the UK, Jules completed her registered nurse training at the University of Southampton in southern England. Relocating to Australia in 2002, she has extensive experience in chronic disease management with a special interest in diabetes education and management, obesity and lifestyle management, mental health and metabolic syndrome including managing blood pressure and cholesterol. She has a Certificate in Diabetes Education and Management from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and is a credentialled diabetes education registered with the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA). She is also an Endorse Nurse Practitioner having attained a Masters of Nursing (Nurse Practitioner) with Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Jules is able to provide comprehensive health assessments and tailor care to your needs whilst improving your knowledge to self-manage your health. She works collaboratively with GPs, Specialists, Allied Health Services and community organisations as appropriate to provide a holistic approach to your health. She is able to order a range of diagnostic tests and pathology and can prescribe as medications as appropriate. She holds current registrations with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (APHRA), Australian Nurse Practitioner's Association (ANPA) and Australian Diabetic Educators Association (ADEA).

Job Titles:

• Clinical Psychologist

Kay is a Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years experience in helping individuals learn effective ways to improve mood, and reduce anxiety and stress. Her therapy style is warm, engaging, and collaborative. Kay qualified with first class honours in Psychology at the University of Sydney and a Masters of Clinical Psychology at the University of New South Wales. She has worked in public and private hospitals conducting individual and group therapy for older adolescents and adults. After opening a private practice in 2008 in Sydney, Kay gained a reputation as a specialist in assisting individuals with Bipolar Disorder and Unipolar Depression, and their families, learn effective ways to manage mood and reduce vulnerability to relapse. She is additionally skilled in helping individuals manage other mental health difficulties, including: anxiety disorders complex trauma relationship stress and interpersonal difficulties personality disorders self-confidence and self-esteem difficulties adjustment disorders acute stress bereavement, grief, and loss Kay also works with individuals who simply wish to improve their self-awareness and learn ways to pursue their valued life directions. Kay only employs empirically-validated treatments to assist her clients, including: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) Interpersonal & Social Rythms Therapy (IPSRT for Bipolar Disorder) Compassion-Focussed Therapy Psychoeducation and Relapse Prevention Relational Psychotherapy Importantly, Kay understands that for psychological therapy to be effective, a focus on the client and the quality of the therapy relationship itself is just as important as the treatment methods employed. Kay is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and holds Clinical Psychology endorsement, and is registered as a specialist provider with Medicare and all major health funds. She is a long-standing member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (IARPP).

Job Titles:

• Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist

Sara brings her astute and intuitive clinical skills together with her warmth and sensitivity to benefit every client. She holds a First Class Honours Degree in Psychology, a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, and a Masters Degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy. She has advanced postgraduate training in mindfulness practices, psychodynamic psychotherapy and clinical hypnosis and over 15 years of clinical experience. Prior to setting up private practice in NSW, Sara worked clinically for several years in community mental health services and hospitals in WA and taught psychology at university. Her therapeutic influences are diverse, incorporating formal training and her ongoing exploration of deeper healing modalities. Her approach is also informed by her own life experience, including several years of her own personal therapy.