OUR
STORY
-Hema Prakash, Founder
“I realised that many women in my professional and personal circles were trying to juggle our careers, ageing parents, families, and personal health, only to be met with non-existent support systems.”
-Dr Gaurav Tandon,
Cofounder & Psychiatrist
As a Psychiatrist in both public and private practice, over the last many years, I’ve seen the impact of hormonal changes around menopause on mental health. Whilst I am encouraged by these issues being discussed openly, I am also reminded how we at times do not have sufficient evidence in dealing with women experiencing mid-life transition. Unfortunately, this has led to deployment of some rather blunt tools which work as a hammer where perhaps a more chiselled, nuanced approach is required.
Menopause is a spectrum, but it's not a box. The hormonal changes cause many changes on a woman’s function both physiologically and psychologically with the relationship often being bi-directional.
Good medicine is about functional improvement, not just symptom management. I choose to begin with a conversation in order to develop an understanding, of the path that led a patient to seek a consult.
There are times where conditions such as genetic predispositions and past histories along with experiences are hidden behind layers, this is why it is critical to spend time getting to know the patient, the person. As a confession, despite the world ticking over with checklists, I am not a fan. I am more interested in understanding the bigger picture when it comes to my patients. What is one struggling with, how are the people around them being impacted? What has changed recently, returning eventually to the concept, what has led to seeking help now?
This approach allows me to understand the outcome a person seeks. Outcomes that impact them and those closest to them. Sometimes these misalign because either the science hasn’t kept up or the expectations are unrealistic at times, and we may take a longer path to get there. I am open to acknowledging that I may not know what exactly is happening, but I am always open to co-learning and looking and assessing it together.
I believe the ideal role of modern medicine is to understand each woman’s, each patient’s individual story, their journey and curate individualised interventions.
-Dr Anna Connellan,
Principal GP & Chief Medical Officer
“I want to help women to find a path that enables them to embrace this stage of life, using the best evidence we have.”
Over the past decade, I’ve navigated the complexities of perimenopause in all its glory. From the age of 40, I’ve been on an exhausting quest for answers that’s spanned different countries, modalities, and the waiting rooms of every kind of health professional.
For years I clutched at straws, experimenting with supplements, vitamins, therapies, and wellness retreats. I was trapped in a never-ending loop of hope and experimentation, followed rapidly by abject disappointment (and let’s not forget the costs — talk about terrible Return On Investment)
Finally, after countless frustrations and unanswered calls, I rallied together a brilliant team of doctors. But even then, the care was fragmented and not always comprehensive. Emails went unanswered, forms were lost, and every interaction felt like an obstacle course. The final straw? Googling for answers only to be bombarded with trendy wellness fads and advice that was far from what I needed.
I wasn’t alone.
I realised that many women in my professional and personal circles were struggling with the same issues. We were all trying to juggle our careers, ageing parents, families, and personal health, only to be met with non-existent support systems. We were falling through the cracks and falling off the radar at the most economically productive time in our lives. It felt so wrong after decades of positive strides in the workforce and beyond towards an equitable society.
I realised that if I wanted healthcare to change, I needed to play my part in creating that change. Inspired by a moment of clarity at our local Enoteca Ponti in Potts Point, we sketched out my vision on the back of a napkin. Ponti Health, known back then as ‘Project Ponti,’ has evolved into a beacon of science, hope, and support.
Our mission is to bridge the gap between the past and the future of women’s healthcare by providing informed and evidence-based compassionate care. We’re building pathways to connect where we were to where we should be and addressing the gaps often missed in the chaotic world of wellness.
It’s been an eye-opening experience. My hope is that Ponti Health signals the end of fragmented care, awful blue vinyl, and terrible lighting in medical spaces — by offering a supportive, informed, and accessible healthcare experience for every woman. I have lived and worked by the motto of 'leaving the door open for those that follow us.' Ponti Health is dedicated to opening the door to a new future of female midlife for generations to come.
During my 15 years as a GP, women’s health has always been one of my favourite areas of medicine. However, when I was vaulted into perimenopause earlier than expected, I wanted to expand my knowledge about this, historically, poorly taught area of medicine.
This stage of life can be a crossroads for women. There is a lot of information out there and not all of it is evidence-based. I want to help women find a path that enables them to embrace this stage of life, using the best evidence we have.
Working with a multidisciplinary team at Ponti Health is a game-changer for me. It ensures that my patients can easily access the care they require, and it allows for professional collaboration between disciplines which is much needed in midlife care.
There isn’t another space in the community that focuses on the needs of women in their midlife stage and provides comprehensive care managed by a multidisciplinary team. From the patient perspective, it will mean streamlined support with timely access to investigations, allied health providers and specialists. From a GP perspective, communication and collaboration between health care providers will improve the patient experience and outcomes.
“I chose to address function and quality of life aspects whilst assessing the symptom profile of a patient. I try to focus on the functional impact of whatever a person in front of me is experiencing. I look at the person, rather than the condition in isolation and discuss the intended outcome?” I often remind my patients that writing scripts is the easiest part of my job, however recognising what for whom and when is an art. This is my approach, one that I chose to embrace which in my opinion leads to recovery and improved outcomes over time.