Dr Ern Chang - Principal GP

Dr Ern has been a doctor for over 20 years and was voted Geelong's Best GP in 2019! He is passionate about preventive health and the care of patients with chronic illnesses. As a father of two teenagers, he also enjoys caring for children and their families.

Dr Ern is all about holistic healthcare and he will carefully select health care professionals to support you. You can also be sure that he will take the time to patiently listen to your health concerns, assess your needs in your context, and work with you towards the most suitable health outcomes.

Besides being the Principal GP at Family Doctors Highton, Dr Ern is also actively involved in teaching the next generation of doctors as a conjoint Senior Lecturer at Deakin University.

He's not all scrubs and mask, on nice days you will catch him on the roads trying to channel Cadel.

Dr catherine Eltringham

Dr Catherine enjoys being a GP for the whole family from birth to retirement and beyond! She will help you manage your acute and chronic illnesses, immunisations, preventative health checks and when it’s allowed again, travel planning. Like Dr Ern, Dr Catherine is actively involved in teaching and training doctors so you can be sure you are getting the latest evidence-based medical care.

Having worked with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative, Dr Catherine is passionate about Indigenous health. You can also count on her for skin checks as she has extra training and experience in skin cancer medicine.

We know you will appreciate Dr Catherine's excellent medical expertise and her kind and caring nature. She's always up for a good joke, any time! Seriously, we hear her infectious laughter all the way from reception sometimes!

Watch her video (til the end!) to get to know her! You will love her.

Dr Frances Maxwell a.k.a Dr Frankie

Dr Frankie has worked in Geelong since 2007 and is well known for her personable care for her patients and their families. "It's like talking to a trusted friend who is an expert in their field" says a Dr Frankie fan.

Besides helping you with acute and chronic illnesses, she has extra training in women's & children's health as well as reproductive & sexual health. Dr Frankie will hold a safe, non-judgemental space for you and help you get the best and most suitable care.

Like all our doctors, Dr Frankie loves teaching medical students and is actively involved in Deakin's School of Medicine.

If you like riding your bike, get ready to wave (safely!) to her as she whizzes around on her bike! She's also famous for her cooking. When asked what cake she loves to bake she said "all cakes". Nailed it!

Ben Ludbrook

Ben has more than 10 years of experience working as a physiotherapist and owner of Dynamic Motion Health Group https://www.dynamicmotionphysio.com.au/

He completed a Masters of Sports Physiotherapy through La Trobe University and is an APA Titled Sports Physiotherapist.

Ben has a keen interest in treating sports, spinal, knee and shoulder injuries, and in tendon rehabilitation. Ben understands the frustration of injury and he will work with you individually to optimise your rehabilitation outcomes.

He is an avid sports person himself, previously playing football, basketball and tennis; however, he now focuses on running. He's pretty fast... we have not been able to catch him when we play chasey!

Other than being a ripper physio, Ben loves spending time with his fam on their farm.

Robbie Thorogood

The podiatry service at Family Doctors Highton is provided by Geelong Foot Clinic, which has been serving the Geelong region for the past 30 years.

Robbie is one of the Principal Podiatrists at Geelong Foot Clinic and is the Lead Podiatrist here at Family Doctors Highton. His special interest is in heel pain, running injury rehabilitation and sporting injuries but he's just awesome at everything feet, earning him a throng of grateful fans.

He enjoys the theatre and is almost as good as "Shazam" when it comes to identifying music! Test him when you next see him!

Appointments with Robbie can be made through Geelong Foot Clinic website at www.geelongfootclinic.com.au or by calling 5215 9180.

Michelle Funk

Michelle has been a dietitian for over 20 years. She graduated with a Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics from Deakin University (DUX). She has worked in hospitals, private practice and as Regional Dietitian for a multinational company.

Michelle is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian (APD) and Accredited Nutritionist (AN) is also casual academic with the School of Medicine at Deakin University. She is a member of Dietitians Australia. https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/

Michelle is passionate about helping people cultivate a healthy relationship with food whatever their health needs. Her practice is evidence-based and she uses the Non-Diet approach under the Health At Every Size (HAES®) paradigm with elements of Intuitive and Mindful Eating. She also has a special interest in Eating Disorders.

Other than English, she speaks Mandarin and Bahasa.

Michelle enjoys having a laugh with her teenage daughters (although she says it's mostly them laughing at her) and is learning how to play the cello.