Our specialist team ensures your needs are met at every stage
Our Team
I believe that excellence in pre-conception, pregnancy and postnatal care requires recognising the individual needs of each patient and their family.
I have assembled a team of highly qualified, compassionate and empathetic staff with a diverse skill set that ensures each patient receives the most outstanding, holistic, multidisciplinary care possible.
Business Manager
Tova Crossman (she/her)
Tova has worked with Scott from the beginning. With a background merging science communication, education and clinical embryology, she brings over a decade's experience in Tertiary Education and IVF Science, including donor services. Within the team, Tova manages the business strategy and development. She is passionate about creating a welcoming space for all patients and their families, ensuring each person has access to current, evidence-based resources and feels supported in navigating their healthcare choices. Tova and Scott are married with two young children, and share a lived experience in navigating infertility and IVF pregnancy.
Midwives
My practice midwives form an integral part of your pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Their focus is patient-centered care that is personalised, inclusive and non-judgemental.
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Charis has a dual registration as a nurse and midwife, with over eight years experience in health care. With her strong belief in and passion for patient health and education, she aims to instil trust, informed decision-making and confidence in every patient throughout their pregnancy journey. Charis is a Clinical Midwifery Specialist and Associate Nurse Unit Manager working across all domains of midwifery care. Her niche is labour and childbirth, as well as antenatal education and care. She also works as a hospital co-ordinator, allowing for an invaluable and holistic continuity of care experience. In her free time, Charis enjoys spending time with her young daughter and family, as well as socialising with friends out and about town and down the surf coast.
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Michelle has been a midwife for over ten years and after many years of clinical experience now also thrives on the education of families through childbirth and the postnatal period. She aims to establish a strong rapport with every patient and their family, optimally preparing them for birth, which in turn reduces the fear and anxiety which often accompanies this life-changing time. Michelle has a particular passion for supporting patients who have had a pregnancy loss or previously difficult birth experience, where providing unconditional support and instilling trust and confidence allows for an optimal experience the next time around. Michelle and her husband have two young adults, and together love decompressing from WIFI and social media up in the high country near Mansfield whenever they can.
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Kate is a dedicated midwife who has worked across many maternity services roles over the last fifteen years. Most of her career has been spent as an Associate Midwife Unit Manager in the Birthing Unit and Pregnancy Assessment Centre. More recently, she has expanded her knowledge and supported women in a large Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit. Kate has a very calm, compassionate and adaptable nature that allows her to support the diverse needs of expectant parents and their families. With a strong passion for education and a deep appreciation for culture and diversity, Kate considers it a privilege to educate, prepare and guide women through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. Kate is a married mother of two children and has used her profound personal journey through pregnancy and motherhood to strengthen her dedication to empowering women during this wonderful time. When not wearing her midwife hat, Kate enjoys making memories with her gorgeous family, mastering her culinary skills, spending time at the beach, indulging in crafts, nurturing her garden and practising pilates.
Professional Staff
When you contact the office—whether by phone, email or in-person—your first interaction will be with one of our dedicated staff members.
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Emily is Scott’s Practice Manager and has been working in the areas of obstetrics and gynaecology since 2015. Her goal is to ensure that every patient has an experience that is without exception positive and enjoyable, and that they and their support team feel unconditionally welcomed and cared for by Scott’s staff throughout their pregnancy.
Emily is currently on maternity leave after welcoming her first baby in April 2024.
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Cate is currently the Acting Practice Manager. As well as her role as Medical Administrator and managing patient accounts, Cate is a qualified yoga and meditation teacher. Her calm, gentle and relaxed nature helps to facilitate a positive and welcoming workplace and environment for all staff and patients. She also holds the role of Wellbeing Lead within the practice.
Cate is married with two adult sons. She loves travelling, walking her two Cavoodle puppies, cooking for family and friends and escaping to the family shack in Tasmania.
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Alex joined the Dr Scott Shemer team in 2021 and brings years of customer service and clinical experience. You may have seen her not only at the front desk, but as our dietitian too! Her favourite part of work is supporting patients from the beginning of their pregnancy journey to then seeing them complete their families. Alex loves to cook and is sure to feed everyone in the office. She brings a warm and cheerful attitude to work each day.
Although in the clinic during the day, she is a karaoke and trivia enthusiast by night. When she’s not watching Seinfeld religiously, you’ll catch her around Melbourne hunting down the best feeds or watching a local comedy show.
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Stacey is a warm and dedicated Medical Administrator who prides herself on making you feel comfortable and cared for with each call or visit to our rooms. Stacey has a background in education and divides her time between our practice and primary school teaching. Having experienced her own high-risk pregnancy, she brings her lived experience as well as her gentle and compassionate nature to be the perfect fit for our team.
Stacey is married with a young son and loves nothing more than travelling out of town on weekend adventures, spending quality time with her young family and friends.
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Qualified and trained as a prenatal genetic counsellor, Emma has been working alongside families on their reproductive journeys since 2013. Whether it is before, during or after pregnancy, Emma has always enjoyed providing people with a safe and empathic space from the moment they enter the practice. Since focusing specifically on medical administration, Emma has loved nothing more than hearing people’s stories and making sure they have the best support team behind them at all times.
Emma and her wife have two beautiful children who were both welcomed into this world by Dr. Scott. She also has a 45kg Great Dane x standard Poodle. She loves spending time with family and friends, travelling and enjoys nothing more than a great coffee first thing in the morning.
Allied Health Staff
The gold standard of obstetric care involves a truly multidisciplinary approach. These allied health practitioners enhance and optimise your pregnancy experience.
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Jess is a Women’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapist also known on social media as “The Mama Physio”. She will be working closely with Scott and his team to support every patient through pregnancy to optimise birth outcomes and promote the best possible postpartum recovery.
Jess is a highly experienced clinician, credentialled as an advanced practice physiotherapist, with extensive experience in both the public and private settings throughout Australia and the UK since graduating in 2012. Her areas of expertise include pre and postnatal care, prolapse and pessary fittings, pelvic and sexual pain and clinical Pilates.
Jess is known for her professionalism, bubbly and empathetic personality and is passionate about providing high quality, evidence-based care to women at all life stages.
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Jackie is an experienced psychologist, with a particular interest in perinatal mental health. With over a decade of experience in the field, Jackie has devoted her psychology career to understanding and addressing the particular mental health challenges that arise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She recognises that this phase of life can be both beautiful and also quite challenging.
Her own personal journey, including late pregnancy loss, complex pregnancies and transition to parenthood, has uniquely informed her approach. Jackie believes in an holistic approach to perinatal mental health, combining evidence-based therapy with empathy, understanding, innovation and a deep respect for each individual journey.
Jackie has also completed a Masters in Therapeutic Arts and Yoga teacher training (including pregnancy, baby, child and family yoga); this ensures that she has a range of strategies to support each person on their journey to becoming and being a parent.
My Hospitals
Epworth Freemasons Hospital
Epworth Freemasons Hospital has an outstanding reputation for providing exceptional maternity care throughout the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal spheres. My new, purpose-built consulting rooms onsite have been designed to provide an all-in-one maternity hub, affording my patients the best, most comprehensive, multidisciplinary obstetric care possible. Within my rooms, access to the best obstetric, midwifery and allied health care is available. This includes the ability to perform all fetal monitoring promptly in our suite.
Choosing to give birth at Epworth Freemasons Hospital confers a number of additional benefits:
Park Hyatt Hotel
If medical circumstances from both maternal and neonatal perspectives allow, you may have the option of being transferred to the five-star Park Hyatt, Melbourne. Everything you need in order to transfer from hospital to hotel, including a baby capsule and escort vehicle, will be taken care of for you. Once settled in, you will be cared for around the clock by experienced Freemasons midwives. I will continue to oversee your care during your time there. Transfer to the hotel is subject to availability as well as your personal medical circumstances. Your accommodation is included in the obstetric component covered by your health fund. This includes three room service meals each day, housekeeping and local calls.
Special Care Nursery
Epworth Freemasons Special Care Nursery cares for premature and unwell babies who require intensive monitoring and medical support. It is accredited to admit babies from 32 weeks gestation onwards. Babies receive specialised care and are observed and cared for by consultant paediatricians and neonatal nursing staff. The hospital prides itself on developing a family-centred approach to the care of all babies and you will be encouraged to participate in every aspect of care, including feeding, bathing, and dressing. Visiting hours are unrestricted and parents are encouraged to be present as much as possible.
Intensive Care Unit
Epworth Freemasons Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an accredited level 2, 8 bed unit. The ICU is supported full time by medical and nursing staff and is able to provide care to any maternity patient requiring this degree of support.
Breastfeeding Support
Epworth Maternity Lactation Consultants are readily available to help those who choose to breastfeed. They are able to help with issues including understanding baby cues, positioning and attachment, over or under supply, mastitis and feeding twins.
Maternity Education
Childbirth education is available both online and in person.
Surrogacy
Epworth Freemasons maternity team offers unprecedented support to surrogates and intended parents through the maternity concierge. A carefully planned surrogacy package is available to allow for a seamless experience for all involved.
Luxury Culinary Experience
Epworth Freemasons Maternity provides a menu like no other. A team of dedicated chefs creates freshly prepared meals worthy of a high-end restaurant. With a wide variety of dietary requirements catered to, you can be confident your food experience will be a joy.
Maternity Concierge
A maternity concierge is available to help you create a truly personalised and unconditionally supported maternity experience. From the moment you think about having a baby through to the day your little one arrives, everything you need to know about having a baby at Epworth Freemasons Hospital can be accessed through the maternity concierge.
Frances
Perry House
Scott has admitting and delivery rights at Frances Perry House and The Royal Women’s Hospital. Certain patients may still be booked and delivered at these hospitals, where together it is deemed that this is the most appropriate option. This applies only to patients giving birth by planned caesarean section.