News

Albury Wodonga Health (AWH) is strengthening access to specialist care on the border, following the appointment of four new clinicians across the mental health program and general and breast surgery services.

For many families across the region, these appointments will allow more patients to receive specialist care closer to home rather than travelling to Melbourne and other major centres.

"We're delighted to welcome Dr Felicita Omari, Dr Tina Rizkallah, Dr Georgina Tuck and Dr Jovy Carpio to Albury Wodonga Health," said Linda Hudec, Chief Operating Officer of Albury Wodonga Health. "Each of them brings genuine expertise to regional care, and their appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to putting community health first and bringing care closer to home."

Two of the appointments strengthen AWH’s specialist mental health workforce for children, adolescents and young adults.

Dr Felicita Omari joins AWH as an Infant, Child and Youth Consultant Psychiatrist and   Dr Tina Rizkallah joins as a Consultant Psychiatrist in the Youth Early Intervention Team (YEIT), ensuring young people can access specialist psychiatric care earlier and without leaving their support networks.

Dr Omari said strong local mental health services were critical for children, young people and families. “Supporting children, young people and older adults in this community is something I feel strongly about, and I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference strong local services and multidisciplinary care can make for families.”

“It is a joy to come to work every day alongside such a dedicated and passionate team, and it was YEIT's least-restrictive, patient-centred approach to early intervention that first drew me to Albury Wodonga Health,” Dr Rizkallah said.

Mental health care at Albury Wodonga Health is also being strengthened with the appointment of Dr Georgina Tuck, Consultant Psychiatrist with a specialisation in eating disorders. Dr Tuck is leading a capacity-building program to build the skills and confidence of AWH's mental health clinicians in supporting people with eating disorders, and is working with the service on plans for further development of eating disorder care in the region.

"Eating disorders respond best to early recognition and coordinated care. My focus is on working alongside our mental health team to build the skills and knowledge needed to support people well, now and as our services continue to grow,” Dr Tuck said.

Surgical roster expands

The expansion also strengthens the region's surgical capacity, with earlier access to specialists locally supporting timely diagnosis and better outcomes for patients.

“Outcomes in breast cancer are closely tied to how quickly a patient can move from diagnosis to treatment, and my focus at AWH is on delivering exactly that - timely surgery, backed by a strong multidisciplinary team, right here in the region,” Dr Jovy Carpio, General and Breast Surgeon said.

These appointments reflect Albury Wodonga Health’s ongoing success in attracting and retaining highly skilled specialist clinicians, ensuring more people across our region can access high-quality care close to home.

ENDS

Staff Profiles:

Dr Felicita Omari - Infant, Child and Youth Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Felicita Omari joined AWH as the new Infant, Child and Youth Consultant Psychiatrist, adding further specialist capacity to child and adolescent mental health services on the border. She joined AWH in 2022 as a registrar and has since completed her Fellowship with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).

Dr Tina Rizkallah - Consultant Psychiatrist, Forensic Fellow

 Dr Tina Rizkallah joined AWH permanently in June, strengthening the Youth Early Intervention Team (YEIT) and the region’s child and adolescent mental health workforce. She is a youth psychiatrist and is currently completing post-fellowship training in Forensic Psychiatry.

Dr. Georgina Tuck - Consultant Psychiatrist, Eating Disorders

Dr Georgina Tuck brings specialist eating disorder expertise to AWH, having led the Monash Health Eating Disorder Service from 2021 to 2025. She is now leading a capacity-building program for AWH's mental health clinicians, and is working with the service to help shape future eating disorder care in the region.

Dr. Jovy Carpio - General and Breast Surgeon

 Dr Jovy Carpio has joined AWH’s specialist breast clinics, strengthening the weekly public breast cancer clinic at the Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre alongside breast cancer surgeon Sara Clark. She holds fellowships in Trauma Surgery and Breast Surgery.

Referral Pathways

• Mental Health Triage Line: 1300 104 211
• Cancer Specialist Clinics: (02) 6064 1650