Acute General Surgery

Mr Ben Privett is a general surgeon with sub-speciality training in gallbladder, hepatic (liver) and pancreatic surgery. After completing his undergraduate studies Mr Privett went on to complete his general surgery training across Victoria and New South Wales, he was awarded fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2018.

Mr Privett then continued his surgical training post-fellowship and further specialised in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) surgery, completing training and membership with the Australian & Aotearoa New Zealand, Hepatic, Pancreatic & Biliary Association (AANZHPBA). He most recently completed a year of fellowship training in Liver Transplant in 2021 at the Austin Hospital. 

Mr Privett has a interest in surgical education, currently completing a Masters in Surgical Education at the University of Melbourne. He is committed to improving the quality of training for the next generation of surgeons and is currently the supervisor for the junior medical staff in the Department of Surgery at Frankston Hospital.  Mr Privett has also been appointed as co-convener of the Victorian Trainees’ weekend in General Surgery.

Mr Ben Privett has been a keen contributor to the medical field, publishing numerous papers in medical journals. Mr Privett is also an Associate Lecturer at Monash University and reviewer for the ANZ Journal of Surgery. 

A/Prof Pilgrim completed fellowships in Upper GI surgery at The Alfred and Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin (USA) and has a PhD from Peter MacCallum.

He has appointments at Cabrini Hospital, The Alfred (HPB and Trauma) as well as Frankston and Peninsula Private hospitals and is a serving military surgeon and lieutenant colonel in the Australian Army.

He is an Associate Professor at Monash University and a Senior trauma instructor/examiner for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He is a member of the Academy of Surgical Educators and the Section of Academic surgery with the College of Surgeons.

Ms Inoka De Silva completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at Monash University in 2009 and trained as a doctor and General Surgery Registrar at Monash Health, gaining her Fellowship of The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2018.

Inoka worked as a staff general surgeon/fellow at Frankston Hospital in 2019 and was selected for the highly competitive Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric and Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA) Fellowship Training Program, which she completed at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW and Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide SA. Inoka returned to the Mornington Peninsula in 2022.

Inoka is passionate about teaching and education throughout all levels of medical training. She is an examiner at Monash University School of Medicine and is the current Fellow Representative on the AANZGOSA Board. Inoka lives on the Mornington Peninsula with her husband and family.

Mr Josh Hammerschlag studied medicine at Monash University, during which he undertook his first clinical placement at Frankston Hospital back in 2008.

After medical school Mr Hammerschlag worked predominantly in the Monash Health network, completing internship and residency years. Josh enrolled in General Surgery SET training at Monash and Peninsula Health, sitting his fellowship exam in 2020.

In 2021 Josh returned to Frankston Hospital as the Upper GI fellow and over the last two years has gone on to complete subspecialty training with AANZGOSA (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand gastric and oesophageal surgery association).

Dr Matthew Stokes is a Consultant General Surgeon with sub-specialty training in Upper GI (Oesophago-gastric) & bariatric surgery.

He completed medical school in 2013 and general surgical training through Alfred Health, Melbourne in 2020 receiving his Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). In 2022 Dr Matthew Stokes was the General Surgery Fellow/Staff General Surgeon at Frankston Hospital, where he gained immense experience in emergency general surgery.

In 2023 & 2024 he undertook further sub-specialty training in benign & malignant Upper GI Surgery through the Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand Gastric & Oesophageal Surgery Association (AANZGOSA) in Brisbane, QLD at Princess Alexandra Hospital, and Edinburgh, Scotland at The Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, NHS Lothian.

Dr Stokes works publicly at The Alfred (Oesophagogastric, Bariatric, General Surgery Unit) & Frankston Hospital, and privately at Peninsula Private Hospital.

His interests are in minimally invasive surgery for disorders of the oesophagus and stomach, including cancer, gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, hiatus hernias, bariatric (weight loss) surgery, abdominal wall hernias, as well as emergency general surgery. He is passionate about providing the very best care to all of his elective and emergency patients.

Josephine Chitty is a general surgeon at Peninsular Health & The Bays Private Hospital.

Josephine graduated from the University of Melbourne with MBBS in 1996 and completed her FRACS in 2007. She currently has a public appointment with Peninsula Health.

Dr Tristan Leech is a consultant surgeon with expertise in the treatment of breast, endocrine and general surgical conditions.

He holds the following positions at Peninsula Health:

• Head of Unit, General Surgery 3
• Education Portfolio Lead, Department of Surgery
• Hospital Supervisor of General Surgery Education and Training
• Welfare Officer, Department of Surgery

Dr Leech completed his general surgical training at Alfred Health before undertaking further specialty training at Western Health and Austin Health. Having completed his undergraduate medical studies at the University of Melbourne, he went on to attain a Master of Surgery (Breast Surgery) at the University of Sydney in 2020.

Dr Leech is proud to lead a team of surgeons so dedicated to caring for their patients and working on a better future through participation in clinical research projects and training up-and-coming surgeons and other doctors. 

Dr Leech shares Peninsula Health’s values: be the best, be a role model, be open and honest, be compassionate and respectful, and be collaborative. 

Having graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2013, Dr Yuan Tian undertook general surgical training at Alfred Health and was awarded her fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 2022.

She then undertook BreastSurgANZ post-fellowship training at Concord Hospital, Sydney and Monash Health, Melbourne.
During her training, she completed Master of Traumatology, University of Newcastle in 2017 and more recently, Master of Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery), University of Sydney in 2023.

Mr Vladimir Bolshinsky is an experienced, affable and highly skilled colorectal surgeon, who’s aim is to provide his patients with personable and reputable care. He is a co-director of Surgical Health Specialists.

Vladimir grew up in Melbourne and completed his medical degree at Monash University in 2006, followed by the Postgraduate Diploma in Surgical Anatomy at The University of Melbourne in 2009. He undertook General Surgical training in Victoria and was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in 2014. Vladimir has also completed a Master of Surgery (MS) though the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in 2020.

Vladimir completed four additional years of subspecialty clinical training in colorectal surgery. He was employed by the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio (USA), as a Colorectal Fellow in 2017 and subsequently as a colorectal staff surgeon between 2018 and 2019. The colorectal department of the Cleveland Clinic is one of the world’s largest referral centres for advanced colorectal pathology and the exposure gained during that period provided Vladimir with an opportunity to become a leader in his field.

Vladimir is a strong proponent of lifelong learning and has thus far authored seven book chapters and multiple peer reviewed journal articles. He is an associate editor for the international journal ‘Diseases of the Colon & Rectum’ and also serves on the Clinical Practice Guidelines committee for the American Society of Colon & Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS).