Our Cairns Health Management Team
The Health Management team strives to make your experience in seeing the dietitian a positive one. Five very different dietitians bring a varied range of expertise and experience to the practice with two administration staff making up the Cairns team.
Tara Diversi — Manager and Accredited Practising Dietitian
Tara Diversi is an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) and the director of Health Management. Although it has been argued that she left Cairns to hang out at the beach, she did return with a Bachelor of Health Science and a Masters of Nutrition & Dietetics from Griffith University.
Tara is passionate about all aspects of nutrition but is particularly interested in how food is used to fulfil needs other than nutrition and therefore causes over eating and under eating disorders. She enjoys working with eating disorders, weight loss clients, talking about bowels (not so much around the dinner table, but in her consulting room) and working with women with PCOS and other fertility problems.
Health Management has tried to keep her quiet but when she was appointed to the role of a media spokesperson for the Dietitians Association of Australia, Tara realised she could use these communication skills constructively and regularly contributes to the media in print, television and radio interviews; and writes regular feature articles for newspapers and magazines.
Besides nutrition, Tara is passionate about psychology and business. In 2008, she was awarded a Masters in Business Administration from Deakin University and is currently completing her Graduate Diploma in Psychology thanks to the Australian Rural and Remote Health Professional Scholarship Scheme.
From 2009, Tara does not see individual patients, instead providing training, mentoring and support to her team of dietitians, so they are the top in their field and not only in geography. Tara promotes positive ‘can do’ attitude and innovation in practice amongst the Health Management team, encouraging them to aim to be the best they can be. Tara works with team members in ensuring they are receiving the very best in professional and personal development in their respective fields, which is insurance to our clients, knowing they are receiving advice from experienced and innovative practitioners.
Camey Demmitt — Senior Dietitian
Camey Demmitt is an Accredited Practising Dietitian originally from Colorado in the United States. Camey arrived in Australia on Australia Day in 2007 with her 17 year old daughter and worked for almost a year in Whyalla, South Australia. She has been a valued member of the Health Management team since late 2007.
Camey completed her dietetics study in the United States in 1999 and as a Registered Dietitian in Colorado, has worked in a variety of settings including as a clinical dietitian in Wyoming and as a community nutrition dietitian working specifically with low-income, minority, and/or at-risk populations across north-eastern Colorado. Additionally, Camey worked in her own private practice providing nutrition consulting services and education for organisations, businesses, and community groups.
Camey’s specialty area within nutrition is Aged Care. Camey works with numerous aged care facilities in North Queensland and trains dietitians nationally to work for better outcomes in aged care. She is passionate about promoting healthy eating, reducing the risk of malnutrition and increase quality of life of our aged care population. She is regularly involved in training programs and contributed to Health Managements Aged Care publications.
Camey also enjoys working with individuals in helping them achieve their goals and impove their health. Her philosophy with nutrition counselling is that it is not just about telling you what to do; but being at your side step by step to help you determine what works best for you and ultimately give you the greatest success possible in your journey towards better health.
Camey is really looking forward to exploring all the things there are to do and see here in Far North Queensland, such as hiking and bushwalking in the rain forests, exploring the Reef, and learning more about the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nutrition and culture, as well as other cultures of all the many different groups of people that call Cairns home. Although, it might take her a while to get used to the heat and humidity here in Cairns, after all, she is from the heart of the Rocky Mountains!
Camey is available for consultations at our Cairns practice.
Kate Rogers — Senior Dietitian
Kate Rogers is an Accredited Practising Dietitian with Health Management. Somewhere in between travelling the world, getting married and having 3 children, Kate has managed to hold down a number of positions including Senior Diabetes Dietitian at Royal Melbourne Hospital, Head Community Dietitian for the Central Western Region of Qld and Primary Health Care (Nutrition) Specialist at Cairns TAFE. However she has found her niche in Private Practice consulting and now lays claim to over 13 years experience as a Private Practice Dietitian (mostly in Cairns).
In 2008, Kate and her family decided on a tree change and moved to Malanda on the Tablelands. Kate has since set up our Tableland practice in Yungaburra.
She is passionate about food and cooking and loves giving practical advice for shopping and cooking to help ensure you enjoy what you eat. Kate looks forward to one day when she can find the time to fly off to Tuscany and have a long-anticipated gourmet cooking adventure so watch this space!
Kate holds a Bachelor of Science from Griffith University and a Graduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics from Queensland University of Technology.
Kate is experienced and up to date in clinical research in the diet-disease relationships of most health conditions including heart conditions, cholesterol, bowel conditions and metabolic conditions. Having children of her own she is well versed in maternal, infant and child nutrition and she also has a special interest in food intolerances. Kate has also been consulting to people pre and post gastric banding surgery for the past 9 years.
She believes that because everyone is an individual with a unique health profile, individual food likes and dislikes, and a family/work life like nobody else, that there cannot possibly be a “one diet fits all” approach. She also knows that different strategies are needed for different people to achieve their goals. That is why Kate likes to take the time to develop a tailor-made program that suits the individual, no matter who they are or what their situation.
Kate is available for consultations at our Yungaburra Practice
Aimee Jackson — Accredited Practising Dietitian
Aimee Jackson is a professional yet enthusiastic dietitian, who loves to help work with others to achieve their goals. Originally from Brisbane, Aimee moved to Cairns, where the grass is greener, at the start of 2009. She completed a Bachelor of Health Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at Queensland University of Technology and is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian.
Aimee is interested in all aspects of human nutrition from weight management through to medical nutrition therapy. However, her previous dietetic work was in Townsville and Longreach with North and West Queensland Primary Health Care, where she worked with people in rural and remote areas. This has given Aimee the necessary experience to help her clients in managing their chronic health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke and arthritis.
Aimee's gets great satisfaction from helping people with their health and nutrition related goals. Aimee finds it easy to put a positive spin on things and evoke an optimistic attitude on changing behaviours to improve nutrition and health. She also enjoys educating her clients about health conditions and simple strategies that can improve their health.
Aimee works with Health Management at our Cairns practice to allow us to extend our operating hours for those that work full time or have to travel. Aimee currently works on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings.
Anne Ryan — Accredited Practising Dietitian/Sports Dietitian
Anne Ryan is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Sports Dietitian, originally from Melbourne, Victoria. Anne completed her Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics with Distinction at Deakin University.
Like all the other sports mad Victorian's in Cairns, Anne is super passionate about sports. She grew up with 4 brothers which meant an active childhood and Anne is still involved in sports. Anne enjoys participating in Triathlons, going to the gym and cheering on Geelong Football Club in the AFL.
Sports nutrition wise, Anne has achieved the most highly recognised qualification in Sports Nutrition, the IOC Diploma of Sports Nutrition. She has also completed sports nutrition training at the AIS with Sports Dietitians Australia and is an ISAK accredited anthropometrist. She enjoys working with athletes from elite to the weekend warrior; the young to the most senior masters competitors. She can help athletes make small changes which will have big results on the score board.
As well as sports and exercise nutrition, Anne’s dietetic interest is in diabetes; type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes. She is also also passionate about the conditions which are risk factors for diabetes including overweight and obesity, poor nutrition and childhood obesity.
Besides from nutrition, Anne enjoys to live a social lifestyle. She enjoys letting her hair down on the weekend, and is obviously therefore keen to help her clients fit in healthy behaviours to their individual lifestyles.
Anne is available for consultations at our Smithfield and Cairns Practices.
Rachel Myhill — Community Dietitian
Rachel Myhill represents everything new at Health Management. Not only is she a new recruit for Health Management and a newly graduated dietitian from the University of Woolongong, Rach is also working in the newly created position of Community Dietitian. Rach is local from Cronulla, NSW and came to Health Management to complete a locum in 2008. Impressing the senior dietitians and the clients that she worked with, Rach was invited to stay to take up our newly created community dietitian position.
Rach enjoys working with children and women in pregnancy. Her goal in dietetics is to become a specialist in Paediatric nutrition and is completing high level professional development courses in the field as well as working with her paediatric nutrition mentors.
Rach works at a range of clinics throughout North Queensland including our Cairns and Smithfield practices. She consults to clients on Medicare plans and other Government funded programs. Rach also does community presentations, groups and cooking programs as well as home visits for our aged care clients.
Rach enjoys travelling and as well as heading back to Sydney for shopping or music festivals, she has travelled around the world and tasted cuisines globally. She brings that experience back to her clients, encouraging them to look out of their comfort zone to experience a healthy lifestyle.
Nikki Petherbridge — Reception Extraordinaire
When you call Health Management, the friendly voice on the end of the line is Nikki Petherbridge. Nikki is a local to Far North Queensland, growing up in Mossman. Nikki has aspirations of studying at James Cook University to become a nurse.
Nikki can assist you in making an appointment, answering some of your questions or putting you in touch with the person who can help you.
When you show up to your appointment early – you never know she may even make you a cup of tea or coffee.
Nikki mans our phones from 8.30am – 5.00pm; being dietitians, we do promote eating lunch, so if you call between 12.20pm and 1.20pm, don’t be surprised to talk to Annie our answering machine who will take your message until Nikki returns. Annie also helps out during the day when the phone is running off the hook – please don't be scared to speak with her, until Nikki is available to return your call.
