Weight Loss Practitioners at Verve Family Doctors

Weight Management Specific Interest GPs

DR SHIKHA CHHABRA
DR SHIKHA CHHABRA MBBS(Hons), FRACGP
Dr Shikha Chhabra is co-owner of Verve Family Doctors and the creator of the Verve Weight Loss and Lifestyle e-learning course. She has a passion for nutrition and lifestyle counselling and has achieved board certification in Lifestyle Medicine. She Is also SCOPE certified in obesity management.
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DR DON ZHANG
DR DON ZHANGMBBS, FRACGP
Dr Don Zhang is SCOPE certified in obesity management and has an extensive background in general surgery. He continues to be involved in assisting in bariatric surgery on a regular basis and also works as a bariatric medical practitioner at various specialist weight loss clinics in Victoria.
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DR MONICA FOONG
DR MONICA FOONGMBBS (Hons) FRACGP
Dr Monica Foong is SCOPE certified in obesity management. She is passionate about providing updated, evidence-based care to help you achieve your individual health goals. Together, you can explore options for healthy weight management including lifestyle, medications and bariatric surgery. Dr Foong also works as a bariatric medical practitioner in one of Melbourne’s leading bariatric surgery clinics.
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 If you have already purchased access to the e-learning course, please log in below with the details provided to you.
If you need help, contact reception on 9842 2555.

Welcome to the Verve Weight Loss and Lifestyle Clinic.

Our mission is to empower our patients with evidenced based knowledge about not only medicine, but also harnessing the power of lifestyle as medicine to help them achieve their health and wellness goals. Weight loss is about so much more than just calories in and calories out. Through your consultations as well as our custom made e-learning course and workbook, you’ll learn how to optimise all the pillars of a healthy lifestyle- nutrition, movement, sleep and mindset. As GPs, we also know the importance of treating you as a whole person. There is no one size fits all approach, which is why we really take the time to tailor a plan that suits your individual needs and preferences.

Our ethos revolves around helping you build long term sustainable lifestyle changes while improving your relationship with food, movement and most importantly, with yourself. We don’t just focus on the numbers on the scales, but rather, the health that you are gaining.

What happens at the Verve Weight Loss and Lifestyle Clinic?

  • Individualised consultations with GPs who
    • Have a real passion for working in weight management
    • Have done further training to achieve internationally recognised SCOPE certification in obesity management*
    • Take the time to do a thorough assessment to check for any potential underlying medical causes of your weight gain as well as an assessment of lifestyle factors that may be coming into play
    • Understand the hormone and metabolism changes that come along with weight loss and evidenced based methods for counteracting these changes, to help achieve more sustained results
  • Receive complementary body composition analysis using advanced Bio-Impedence Testing throughout your weight management journey, with results downloaded directly to your phone so you can see your progress
  • Access to our custom made e-learning video platform and hard copy workbook so our team can continue to educate and motivate you from the comfort of your own home between appointments
  • Build a whole support team with our network of allied health practitioners to help create a bespoke nutrition and movemet plan just for you.
  • You will have the option for attending follow up appointments in a group setting with the innovative ‘Shared Medical Appointment’** model where you can share and learn from the experiences of other people going through similar journeys.
  • Bulk billed care planning consults for eligible patients*** with our practice nurses to focus on goal setting and ensure regular communication with your allied health team

*For more information on SCOPE certification please see: https://www.worldobesity.org/training-and-events/scope/certification
** For more information about shared medical appointments, please visit: https://www.lifestylemedicine.org.au/shared-medical-appointments/
***Care plan eligibility depends on your GP’s assessment of your chronic conditions.

What is the cost?

  • One of $100 + GST enrolment fee will give you access to the e-learning platform and a copy of the workbook. This must be paid at the time of booking for the consultation. This is mandatory for booking a weight loss consultation with Dr Shikha Chhabra.
  • 60 minute Initial 1:1 consult
    • $160 out of pocket. ($351.20 paid on the day of consultation with a $191.20 medicare rebate)
  • Subsequent consults- As per our standard fee structure (see main fees page here)
  • Follow up completed as part of a Shared Medical Appointment
    • $40 out of pocket. ($82.85 with $42.85 medicare rebate)