- Our Specialists
Dr Anna Connellan
GP
FRACGP, MBBS, DCH, BE (Chem)
Dr Gaurav Tandon
Dr Connellan is an experienced GP with a special interest in women’s health. Her love of science and maths initially drew her to complete a degree in Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney. After working in Engineering roles, she realised that she preferred people rather than machinery and went back to the University of Sydney to complete a postgraduate degree in Medicine. Dr Connellan is a committed professional with over 15 years experience across a range of disciplines. She is a compassionate and diligent GP who works tirelessly to provide the best care for her patients and is recognised by her patients and peers for her clinical skills, judgement, professional conduct and personable communications.
Gaurav is a general Psychiatrist and a fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand college of Psychiatrists. Specialising in the management of mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety spectrum disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. He has a developed a special interest in women’s health and impact of neuro-hormones in psychiatric conditions. He is currently undertaking a specialist course from Women’s Mental Health suite developed by the HER Centre Australia at Monash University, under the guidance of Professor Jayashree Kulkarni. Gaurav has
extensive experience of working at various major teaching hospitals in Sydney and
rural NSW alongside his work in the private sector.
Psychiatrist
FRANZCP, MBBS, Grad Dip PH, DCH
Aleea Newton
Aleea, a former elite athlete pursued a career in physiotherapy after having experienced a personal journey with musculoskeletal issues. She is passionate about integrating expertise in both musculoskeletal and pelvic health physiotherapy to offer holistic care for women. Aleea has a special interest in pelvic girdle pain, urinary and faecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, painful intercourse, bladder and bowel dysfunction along with pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Aleea can treat the entire spectrum of peri to postnatal and menopausal care.
Physiotherapist
B AppSc (Biomedical Science), B Physio
Jordy Mitchell
Exercise Physiologist
B App Sc(Ex&SportSc), M Clin Ex Phys
Jordy provides services tailored to women, to address common health issues such as: exercising during perimenopause, menopause, your menstrual cycle, stress incontinence, abdominal cramping, weight loss, pelvic floor dysfunction, abdominal separation, doming and prolapse. She has additional qualifications: Cert 3&4 in Fitness; Advanced WAG Gymnastics Coach; Cert II Sports Coaching; Dry Needling.
- Why do I need…
Why do I need a specialised GP?
Why do I need a Psychiatrist?
Why do I need an Endocrinologist?
Why do I need a Gynaecologist?
Why do I need a Physiotherapist?
Why do I need an exercise Physiologist?
GPs are the frontline of healthcare for the entire population. The sheer volume of knowledge that they need to do their job, means that most GP’s have areas of medicine that they are more or less confident with. At Ponti Health, our GP’s knowledge and education is focused on women in their mid-life stage - the hormonal aspects, preventative health and the range of physical and mental health issues that can arise.
We have created a support structure for our GPs that gives them more time with each patient and 8 weekly multidisciplinary ‘Peer Reviews’ that create a co-learning environment for them to regularly gather knowledge from different practitioners, which ensures better patient outcomes.
The impact on mental health is one of the unspoken challenges of menopause. Shifts in hormone levels and brain chemistry can affect mood and cognition, resulting in brain fog, anxiety, mood changes and can impact quality of life, even in women without a history of major mental illness.
During perimenopause, fluctuations in oestrogen levels can affect mood, sleep, joints and menstrual cycles. Endocrinologists specialise in conditions related to the endocrine glands and hormones and can prescribe treatments and medication to help ease symptoms.
A lot of women think that once you hit menopause, there’s no more need for a gynaecologist. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Oestrogen deficiency can lead to several gynaecological challenges for women like vaginal atrophy, chronic urinary tract infections, incontinence and postmenopausal bleeding.
Oestrogen plays a major role in bone health and the drop in hormone levels can result in bone density conditions like Osteoporosis. Likewise, urinary frequency or urgency can be linked to weakening of pelvic muscles. Physiotherapists are best placed to diagnose these conditions and to create a management plan to strengthen specific areas.
Exercise is an essential part of your midlife toolkit. However, in order to avoid injury, it’s important to adapt your regime to meet the requirements of your body at this stage. An exercise physiologist specialises in understanding how movement affects the body. They provide specialised guidance on strength training to improve bone health and muscle mass, both vital for preventing osteoporosis and maintaining mobility.