Welcome to LifeCare

Sports Medicine MelbourneHistory
The origins of LifeCare began in two separate organisations. The LifeCare name came from a highly successful network of practices in Perth that began in 1985. Around the same time Sports Medicine Centres of Victoria developed a number of large multi-disciplinary sports medicine practices based on successful practices at Prahran and Ashwood. In 2000 LifeCare and Sports Medicine Centres of Victoria merged to become the largest network of physiotherapy and allied health private practices in Australia.

After listing on the Australian Stock Exchange LifeCare merged with Foundation Healthcare to form IPN. During these years of corporate management valuable lessons were learnt about strategic planning and the principles of relationship marketing/business development. However, fundamentally private practice is about managing relationships with our clients and practitioners and in 2006 Health Networks Australia (HNA) in conjunction with LifeCare management bought back the LifeCare side of the business from IPN.

Now operating as one, HNA and LifeCare have 171 allied health professionals and 31 practices across Australia. Critically LifeCare is partly owned and totally operated by a management team who know how to run allied health private practices.

We are currently growing in a number of areas including: multi-disciplinary sports medicine, health and well being programs, evidence-based practice clinical and research programs - particularly for compensable injuries, and pain management services. Based on our journey so far, LifeCare's future looks bright!


Our Management Team

Michael Kenihan
Michael is an APA Sports Physiotherapist and Fellow of the Australian Sports Medicine Federation. He is a foundation partner and principle manager of Australia's largest Sports Medicine group, Sports Medicine Centres of Victoria. Michael has been an executive for LifeCare and subsequently IPN. His role in this listed public company has been Deputy Chief Operations Officer.

In these roles, Michael has managed both allied health and medical practices/practitioners across Australia. This has included critical involvement in practice acquisitions and in providing resolutions to an array of strategic and day to day operational issues. His interests lie in business development and effective practice management in private practice and he continues in fulfilling these roles within today as the General Manager of LifeCare Victoria.


Jon Ford
Dr Jon Ford (PhD, M Physio, B App Sc Physio, Cred MDT) commenced working at Prahran Sports Medicine Centre in 1988. In the early 90s he also began lecturing at The University of Melbourne and began the process of developing evidence-based clinical programs with a focus on clinical reasoning and a biopsychosocial approach. A sub-division of the business developed and since this time Spinal Management Clinics of Victoria has become one of the leading providers of physiotherapy and multi-disciplinary Functional Restoration programs in Australia.

Jon continues his academic work as the head of The University of Melbourne, Low Back Pain Research Team at The School of Physiotherapy. He is also a partner and clinician in the LifeCare/Spinal Management network where he has an ongoing role in clinical and commercial education, mentoring, performance management and business development.


Cameron Tweedie
Cameron is a Senior MusculoSkeletal Physiotherapist (B.App Sc (Phty), Grad Dip Manip Physio), and has been State Manager of LifeCare in WA for over a decade. Has has extensive experience in the management of Physiotherapy Practices, and has been Manager of National Operations, IT, and Marketing during the period when LifeCare was a publicly listed Company.

Cameron is an Adjunct Senior Teaching Fellow at Curtin University School of Physiotherapy, and has tutored on the Sports Physiotherapy Specialisation Course there. He sits on the Curtin Advisory Board and Board of Study. Cameron is also an active member of the Curtin School of Physiotherapy Alumni, Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Australia (MPA), Physiotherapy Business Australia (PBA), Sports Medicine Ausralia (SMA), and The WA Physiotherapy Clinical Placements Committee.

He has been Physiotherapist for the Swan Districts Football club in the WAFL, as well as a number of State and International Athletes. He played some 12 years of A grade Amateur football being captain for 3, and is a life Member of the West Coast Amateur Football Club.

Cameron is married with 3 growing children and coaches his son's junior football team.