Doctors
Dr Nicholas Collins
Cardiologist
(Bmed, FRACP, FCSANZ)
(Practice Principal)
Nick completed his undergraduate education at the University of Newcastle in 1998 and completed cardiology training at the John Hunter Hospital in 2005. Dr Collins then completed Fellowships in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Interventional Cardiology at the Toronto General Hospital/University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. Particular interests include congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, peri-operative cardiology assessment and interventional cardiology, focusing on complex coronary and interatrial interventions, including atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale closure.
Dr Collins is currently Director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia and conjoint Associate Professor at the University of Newcastle. Nick has been involved in education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as research projects, focusing on congenital heart disease, pulmonary hypertension and interventional cardiology.
Dr Rachael Hatton
Cardiologist
(B.Med, FRACP, FCSANZ)
Rachael completed her undergraduate education at the University of Newcastle and completed cardiology training at Newcastle. Rachael underwent fellowships in Adult congenital Heart Disease and Interventional Cardiology at Toronto General Hospital, Canada. Dr Hatton’s special interests include complex coronary and interatrial interventions, including atrial septal defect and patent foramen ovale closure. Adult congenital heart disease, structural heart disease and pregnancy.
Dr Hatton consults patients at Belmont Hospital and consults in a joint clinic with Maternal Foetal Medicine at John Hunter Hospital. Dr Hatton performs interventional procedures such as angiography and angioplasty at Lake Macquarie Private Hospital and John Hunter Hospital.
Dr Nicholas Whitehead
Cardiologist
(Bmed, FRACP)
Dr Nicholas Whitehead is a general and interventional cardiologist.
Dr Whitehead completed his Bachelor of Medicine at the University of Newcastle. He undertook post-graduate training in the Hunter New England health district, completing cardiology specialty training. He has subsequently undertaken two fellowships in interventional cardiology (angiography and stenting), at The Northern Hospital in Melbourne, and at Toronto General Hospital in Canada.
Dr Whitehead has a broad interest in cardiology including general cardiology, heart failure, and arrhythmias. His subspeciality interest is coronary artery disease and interventional cardiology – coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (stenting).
Dr Whitehead consults at Newcastle Adult and Paediatric Heart Centre, in Hamilton, and has appointments at Calvary Mater Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Private hospitals.
Dr Gwilym Morris
Cardiologist
(BM, BCh, PhD, FRACP)
Dr Morris is an experienced Cardiologist and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiologist (heart rhythm specialist), he will be running a cardiac rhythm management clinic at NAPHC. He trained in medicine at the University of Oxford, his postgraduate medical and further cardiology training was undertaken in Manchester, UK. He advanced his skills in cardiac ablation and pacing through a prestigious clinical fellowship in pacing and cardiac electrophysiology at the world-leading cardiology department of the Royal Melbourne Hospital led by Professor Jonathan Kalman. During this time he received intensive training in advanced arrhythmia management and ablation, and performed research into mechanisms of atrial fibrillation. Following this he took up a Cardiology Specialist role in Manchester UK.
He moved to Newcastle in 2022, having previously worked in the UK at the BMI Alexandra Hospital and Manchester University Foundation Trust. He is specialised in the interventional and medical treatment of heart rhythm problems especially atrial fibrillation (AF) and has an interest in sports cardiology. He implants pacemakers and defibrillators and performs ablations to treat heart rhythm disorders. He is part of a team pioneering the use of new technologies for the treatment of atrial fibrillation in Australia to improve success and safety, and he has helped teach other cardiologists around the world how to use these techniques. These methods include pulsed field ablation and cryoballoon ablation, additionally, Dr Morris is experienced in the use of advanced cardiac mapping, meaning he can select the best method for fixing your heart rhythm problem. More details about Dr Morris and the procedures he performs can be seen at www.cardiacrhythmclinic.com.au.
Dr Paul Bamford
Cardiologist
(MBChB MA (Oxon) MSc (Oxon) MRCP FRACP)
Dr Bamford is an interventional and general cardiologist, currently practicing at John Hunter, Lingard and Lake Macquarie Private Hospitals. He graduated from Oxford University with two Masters degrees before completing his medical training at the University of Warwick. Dr Bamford completed his advanced training on the Central Coast and interventional and structural fellowships in Newcastle and the UK.
In addition to performing percutaneous coronary intervention and transcatheter aortic valve implantation, Dr Bamford has level A accreditation reporting computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA).
Dr Jascha Kehr
Paediatric Cardiologist
(M.D, FRACP)
Dr Jascha Kehr was born in Germany. He attended Medical school Georg August University and Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany and the University Victor Segalen in Bordeaux, France.
Jascha trained in basic Paediatric and Cardiology training at the University Children’s Hospital in Mainz, Germany before moving to New Zealand in 2011 where he completed basic paediatric training and went on to do Paediatric Cardiology training. Jascha undertaken cardiology Fellowships in Mainz, Germany, at the Greenlane Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Service, Starship Hospital Auckland and at the Heart Centre for Children at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
Dr Kehrs special interests include General Paediatric Cardiology, Fetal Cardiology, Heart rhythm abnormalities and Inherited cardiac conditions (genetic cardiology). Dr Kehr is multilingual and speaks German, French and Spanish.
Dr Kate Jardine
Paediatric Cardiologist
(MBBS, FRACP)
Kate Jardine is a Paediatric Cardiologist who has trained in both General Paediatrics and Paediatric Cardiology.
She attended Medical School at the University of Queensland and graduated in 2007. She completed her General Paediatric Fellowship in Queensland and undertook additional speciality training in Paediatric Cardiology at Starship Children’s Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand. She was awarded a dual Fellowship in Paediatric Cardiology and General Paediatrics in 2018.
She has worked recently as Consultant in Tertiary Level Paediatric Cardiology Centres in Adelaide and Perth and is keen to bring this recent experience to her current practice.
Dr Nitin Arora
Paediatric Cardiologist
(MBBS MD FRACP)
Dr Nitin Arora is a paediatric cardiologist and specialises in diagnosis and management of children with complex congenital cardiac conditions. He qualified as a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Paediatric and child health division) in 2012. Subsequently he obtained extensive training in paediatric cardiology at national and international centres of excellence. After his paediatric cardiology training at Children’s Hospital Westmead and Sydney Children’s hospital, he travelled to Canada, to pursue advanced training in paediatric cardiology. For 2 years, he trained in paediatric interventional cardiology at BC Children’s hospital (Vancouver, Canada), and Stollery Children’s hospital (Edmonton, Canada).
Dr Rosauro Mejia
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
(BSc, MBBS FRACS)
Dr Ross Mejia is a cardiothoracic surgeon. Ross trained in cardiothoracic surgery in the John Hunter Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and The Prince Charles Hospital. He concluded his fellowship at The Prince Charles Hospital and Westmead Hospital. His fellowship included transplantation and adult congenital surgery.
Dr Pankaj Saxena
Cardiothoracic Surgeon
(FRACS, PhD)
Dr Saxena is an experienced cardiothoracic surgeon who has trained in Australia, New Zealand, India and the US. He did a Fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. He is an adult cardiothoracic surgeon with special interest in arterial grafting for coronary artery bypass surgery, mitral valve repairs, surgery for heart failure and for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Dr Saxena is passionate about teaching and training the next generation of surgeons and allied health professionals. He has an extensive experience and track record in clinical and basic science research and is actively involved in several projects currently.
Dr Anne Ronan
Adult and Paediatric Clinical Geneticist
MB, BCh, MRCP(UK), FRACP (Paeds, Clin Gen), MMedSci(Epid)
Anne trained in Ireland and Australia where she obtained specialist qualifications in both clinical genetics and paediatrics, with additional training in epidemiology, counselling and physical therapies. She has a broad research background in epidemiology, genetics and medicine with over 30 published papers. Anne has worked in the Hunter New England Health service for over 27 years, establishing multidisciplinary services for genetic heart disorders and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, and is a conjoint lecturer in the University of Newcastle.
Anne has a special interest in cardiac genetics but consults on all familial and rare conditions as well as interpretation of genetic test results.
Dr David Baker – Locum
(MBBS, FRACP)
Dr David Baker is a clinical academic cardiologist with expertise in Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) and advanced cardiac imaging (MRI), with broader interests in arrhythmia, heart failure and pulmonary hypertension.
David is a Staff Specialist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney including as part of the ACHD service (only such service in NSW/ACT). He has expertise in advanced cardiac imaging (MRI), currently appointed as a Consultant at Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Sydney. David is also appointed as a Clinical Lecturer for the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney.
David graduated from the University of Newcastle in 2007 and the Australian National University in 2011, before being awarded his FRACP in 2019 following medical and cardiology training at the John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Sydney. He completed sub-specialty fellowships in ACHD and cardiac MRI in Sydney and is currently researching long-term optimisation for people living with a Fontan circulation, a particularly complex form of congenital heart disease.
Echocardiographers
Luke Warner
Luke specialises in paediatric, foetal, adult and contrast echocardiograms. Luke works 5 days per week, Monday to Friday.
Montana Duggan
Montana specialises in adult and adult congenital echocardiograms. Montana works 5 days per week, Monday to Friday.
Charlotte Poposki
Charlotte performs paediatric, adult and adult congenital studies. Charlotte works Thursday from 9am to 4.30pm and Friday from 9am to 2pm.
Stephen Blume
Stephen performs paediatric, adult and adult congenital studies and works in our practice on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Technical Staff
Emily Morris – ECG Technician
Our technician assists in performing exercise stress tests, provides event telemetry and holter monitoring services for both paediatric and adult patients on selected Wednesdays.
Administration Staff
- Meegan Adlington – Practice Manager (meg@naphc.com)
Reception
Our receptionists are an integral part of our team and committed to providing the best customer service possible:
- Meaghan Atkins
- Keely Miner
- Jade Ashton
- Natalie Clarke
- Margaret Botha
- Lauren Hanney
- Kristy Baker
- Karen Liddiard
- Elisha McLean