HEROES ALLIED HEALTH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Founder
- Director and Neuropsychologist
Dr Jeanne Georgius is the founder and director of Heroes Allied Health. She is a clinical neuropsychologist who has a wealth of experience having worked as a clinician in hospitals in Melbourne and Ballarat, as well as a lecturer in the Psychology and Postgraduate Neuropsychology programs of the University of Victoria. One of her most challenging and instructive early work experiences was her work in the emergency behaviour team in Disability Services in Hobart. She has worked in private practice in Noosa Heads for the last 10 years, predominantly in the medico-legal sphere but has in more recent years gained much experience in the NDIS sector.
She has extensive knowledge and training in medico-legal assessments, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Cognitive Remediation. She has 20 years of experience in the field of Clinical Neuropsychology and has specialist knowledge in the diagnosis and treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Jeanne became a psychologist because she loves to help people and empower them. She is passionate about improving outcomes for her clients by providing clinical excellence and evidence-based recommendations with empathy and warmth. She is also determined to create a healthy and happy workplace that prioritises the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of her team.
Originally from South Africa, Jeanne emigrated when she was 25 years of age, then trained and studied in Melbourne before relocating with her husband and children to Noosa Heads because "the stunning natural environment of the Sunshine Coast is a buffet for the soul!"
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Dr Peter Georgius is our medical consultant who provides professional support to the team during weekly case conferences.
Dr. Georgius has been in private practice on the Sunshine Coast since 2008 and has extensive experience in all aspects of musculo-skeletal and neurological rehabilitation. After completing his basic surgical training in Melbourne in 2002, he went on to achieve his Pain Fellowship in Tasmania in 2004, and in 2007, completed his Fellowship in Rehabilitation Medicine in Melbourne. In 2012 Dr. Georgius was appointed Director of the Rehabilitation Unit at Nambour Selangor Private Hospital and Noosa Private Hospital in 2014. He provides inpatient services to Nambour Selangor Private Hospital and the Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital and holds clinics at Noosa Heads and Sunshine Coast University Private Hospital. He is on the Medical Advisory Committee of Selangor Private Hospital as well as on the Medical Advisory Board of AusCann and Saluda Medical.
His scope of practice includes pain management and the rehabilitation of patients with complex conditions. He has expertise in advanced pain management procedures including diagnostic blocks, radiofrequency neurotomies and PENs (peripheral nerve stimulation), as well as implantable peripheral nerve stimulators and dorsal column stimulators. Dr Georgius also has expertise in complex pain conditions such as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and employs the latest techniques in assessment and therapy, including neuroplasticity therapies such as Graded Motor Imagery.
Dr Georgius implements a multidisciplinary approach to pain management with community-based referrals for ongoing treatment. He believes in supporting the physical and psychological aspects of pain management and has sourced some of the best practitioners on the coast to work alongside. Additionally, his practice includes two registered nurses, both with more than thirteen years of experience in pain and rehabilitation. Dr Georgius also believes that it is important to provide broad treatment options for his patients including emerging therapies and as such he has a Medicinal Cannabis clinic and Scrambler Therapy clinic for those patients with intractable pain.
Dr Georgius has a strong focus on research and education in pain management and has established Sunshine Coast Clinical Research (SCCR), a company that provides national and international clinical trials of medications and implantable devices specifically for chronic pain conditions. He actively publishes peer-reviewed papers and has an ongoing collaboration with the University of Sydney investigating the neuroscience and pathogenesis of pain. He is a regular invited guest speaker at various national and international meetings and conferences.
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Job Titles:
- Speech Pathologist for Adults
Georgia Stone has a Bachelor of Speech and Language Pathology degree and is a current member of Speech Pathology Australia. She has experience working with adults within the NDIS and Residential Aged Care sectors. She has a vibrant and caring personality and loves working alongside clients and their families to achieve their goals.
Georgia works with adults to assess, treat and provide management for people with speech, language, voice, swallowing or communication difficulties. She has a particular interest in dysphagia management and end-of-life care.
During secondary school, Georgia knew her future career lay somewhere in the allied health sector but was not sure exactly where. So she tried a number of different placements, sometimes with unforeseen consequences including fainting on one because, in her words, it was too "gory"! She finally found the one she loved in Speech Pathology. Georgia loves the diversity and challenges that come with working in Speech Pathology, but especially enjoys seeing her clients achieve their goals.
Georgia is excited to be working within a vibrant and supportive team and thoroughly enjoys supporting her amazing clients.
She loves living on the Sunshine Coast, despite her work driving adventures in the wild and unpredictable QLD weather. She also makes phenomenal sausage rolls for team meetings.
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Job Titles:
- Clinical Manager and Occupational Therapist for Mental Health
- Clinical Manager and Occupational Therapist in Mental Health and Psychosocial Disabilities
- Senior Occupational Therapist
Heidi Miller, is a Senior Occupational Therapist who has over 30 years of experience working as an Occupational Therapist in Mental Health in the community, acute and emergency settings, as well as in a tertiary education setting, as a Clinical Trainer.
Heidi has a special interest in mental health and has expertise in working with people who are living with mental health conditions, to identify what things are important for them to be doing with their time (their roles, interests and values); what the barriers or challenges are for them; and problem solving to work out how she can support them to achieve those things.
She has a warm and caring personality with an infectious sense of humour combined with keen clinical reasoning and a sound ability to make evidenced-based recommendations. Heidi brings integrity and passion to her clinical work, ensuring the best outcomes for her clients. She is a wonderful support to the entire team and is always available for advice, mentoring or a good laugh.
As a qualified drama teacher, Heidi brings creativity and fun to her role. She loves working as an Occupational Therapist in Mental Health or Psychosocial Disabilities because it gives her an outlet for her creativity and a chance to work with people. She says it is satisfying working alongside people as they find their "why" and "how".
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Katerina Cook, or Kat as she is affectionately known, has extensive experience working with clients of varied demographics and complex medical conditions. She loves working with clients to promote independence and improve their quality of life within their home and community, regardless of ability. Kat is passionate about working alongside her clients on a personal level to help identify their goals, as well as develop and implement interventions and therapies that help them overcome barriers, so that they can participate in activities that are meaningful to them.
"I have worked in various countries and healthcare settings and honestly have never worked for a company that provides as much support and appreciation for their staff as Heroes does. The team is extraordinarily skilled and always willing and ready to share knowledge and experiences to help each member be the best therapist they can be."
Lea Pretorius has worked as an occupational therapist for 10 years in South Africa and the Middle East before moving to Australia. She has a broad range of clinical experience in acute, sub-acute and long-term rehabilitation. Her predominant focus is within the neurological and physical rehabilitation sectors, with a special interest in wheelchair seating.
Lea loves working with adult clients and her experience in a variety of settings has given her a diverse skill set and broad perspective to empower her clients to achieve their goals. She values client-centred practice and encourages her clients to take a lead in identifying their needs. Lea has excellent communication skills, she is friendly and personable and enjoys building great relationships with her clients. She values integrity and ethical practice and believes there is always room to improve personally and professionally.
Lea initially wanted to be a Physiotherapist. However, the course of her career changed when she was introduced to Occupational Therapy whilst shadowing a Physiotherapist in a public hospital. She was drawn to the diversity and uniqueness of Occupational Therapy and immediately changed courses. Lea loves that as an Occupational Therapist she gets to directly help people get through an illness or tough spot so they can get back to their ‘normal' lives.
Job Titles:
- Occupational Therapist for Mental Health
- Occupational Therapist in Mental Health and Psychosocial Disabilities
Penny Taylor has lived and worked as an Occupational Therapist on the Sunshine Coast for 25 years in both the mental health and tertiary education sectors where she was involved in the education and training of many Occupational Therapists currently working in Queensland.
She strongly values the development of collaborative working relationships with clients to identify their strengths and problems and develop creative solutions that not only support their participation in all aspects of their daily lives, but their dreams for the future.
Initially drawn to the field of psychology, Penny instead embarked on a career as an occupational therapist for mental health and psychosocial disabilities. This field allows her to work more closely with people to achieve the things that are important and meaningful to them whilst being creative in the solutions to get there.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree, she spent 12 years working as a therapist before deciding to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of occupational therapists as a practice education coordinator at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She now combines her theoretical knowledge as best practice for her clients at Heroes Allied Health.
Penny is a warm, friendly person who believes in communicating not just the ‘what', but the ‘why' and ‘how', of service delivery to ensure clients and others can be fairly involved in health care decisions.
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Rebecca Tapp, or Bec as she's known by the team, is our amazing administration guru. She has over 16 years of experience in medical and health administration.
"The team's enthusiasm and cohesiveness to work together and support each other is truly inspirational. Every one of our team is valued, supported and respected, which makes it a pleasure to come to work each day."
Tina Hersom is our fabulous Practice Manager and she has more than 30 years of management experience across the health and disability sector.
She has been with Heroes Allied Health right from the beginning and has been instrumental in setting up the business and implementing various administrative processes and procedures.
Tina has a wealth of management expertise as she started her career with the Health Insurance Commission, enrolling the entire nation of Australia in Medicare and was offered a management role at age 21!
Tina Hersom is our fabulous Practice Manager and she has more than 30 years of management experience across the health and disability sector.
She has been with Heroes Allied Health right from the beginning and has been instrumental in setting up the business and implementing various administrative processes and procedures.
Tina has a wealth of management expertise as she started her career with the Health Insurance Commission, enrolling the entire nation of Australia in Medicare and was offered a management role at age 21!
She is highly skilled, organised and has a positive, solutions-focused attitude combined with a warm and caring personality, mischievous sense of humour and great interpersonal skills. It's no wonder that she is quick to establish rapport with anyone she interacts with.
Tina is excited about being part of a team that supports individuals to reach their full potential and we are very fortunate to have her on our team!
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations
Job Titles:
- Admin Support Officer
- Administration
Yvette Bannister is our admin support officer. She provides incredible support to both our clinicians and our clients.
Yvette holds a Bachelor of Education, and initially worked as primary school teacher, until she had her three children and made a career change. As a result, she is highly organised and totally calm under pressure. With her warm personality and compassionate nature, she loves getting on the phone with the Heroes Allied Health clients directly, having a little bit of a chat, and nurturing those relationships.
Originally from the UK, a year backpacking around Australia when she finished her teaching degree led her to relocate to the coastal suburbs of northern Sydney with her husband in 2008. But, when her husband's job permanently became home based in 2021, they realised they could raise their children anywhere on the planet. Naturally, they chose the Sunshine Coast, loving the relaxing lifestyle and wondering what took them so long to make the move!
Yvette's caring, kind and compassionate personality has ensured she has fit straight into the Heroes team.
Qualifications & Professional Affiliations