First-generation beginnings

“I’m the eldest daughter of a first-generation migrant family from Hong Kong,” Dr Cheung said.

“In the 1970s, my father was awarded a full scholarship to complete a PhD at the Australian National University.

“With a brand-new wife, he moved to Australia, and I was born in Canberra a year after the wedding – an accident, born to a poor uni student and his young wife living off scholarship money,” she said.

Dr Cheung’s mother, who had no English skills and no family support in Australia, faced significant struggles.

“This was a time when you had to put coins into a phone box to call home – so different from the global connections we have today.”

Dr Cheung’s father came from a poor background, raised by a stepmother with no food security and an alcoholic father.

“But he was determined to rise above his circumstances and his incredible work ethic and drive created the platform for me to step into my own career.

“He was such a great role model,” she said.

When Dr Cheung was four, her family moved to Brisbane after her father had the choice of relocating to Canada or Australia for work.

“Mum thought Canada was too cold,” she laughed.

“Dad was initially offered a student place at the University of Queensland medical school but because he had such a young family, he couldn’t afford to spend another six years studying and accepted a job instead as a biochemist.”

Early inspiration and career path

Growing up, science was a strong presence in Dr Cheung’s life.

“Dad always brought home microscopes for me to examine onion cells and telescopes to look at the stars; it set the stage for my love of the sciences,” she said.

Though never pressured by her parents into a specific profession she developed an early passion for medicine.

“I don’t know why, but I knew from primary school that I wanted to be a doctor,” she said.

Initially drawn to obstetrics and gynaecology, Dr Cheung soon realised that general practice offered much broader opportunities to care for families in the community.

“I spent a lot of my early years of training in obstetrics and paediatrics, but I felt conflicted in having to choose between them.

“Being a GP allows me to be on my patient’s journey from the excitement of the earliest days of their pregnancy, to the sleepless nights and crying babies at the other end.

“Then you have the challenge of teenage years and well beyond.

“General practice has given me the opportunity to meet and care for people from all walks of life and right across the life span.

“When we talk about the importance of continuity of care for the health of the community, GPs have the privilege of measuring this in generations rather than months or years,” she said.

Family life on the Gold Coast

Dr Cheung and her partner, Peter, have three children aged 13 to 17 years old.

Fourteen years ago, when her eldest started prep, the family moved to the Gold Coast.

“My 17-year-old is leaving home this week for university – it’s a big milestone for us.

“When my youngest started kindergarten, I felt ready to expand beyond general practice, so I pursued my Master of Public Health, which led me to new opportunities,” she said.

Living near the beach provides a perfect balance to her demanding career.

“Most mornings, I run, go to the gym, or have a dip in the ocean if it’s not too cold; it’s a great start to the day.”

Joining the Gold Coast Primary Health Network

Dr Cheung was introduced to the PHN by Kellie Trigger, Director of Health Intelligence Planning and Engagement, who invited her to collaborate on a children’s health project.

With encouragement from former GCPHN Deputy Chair Dr Sue Gardiner, she progressed through the Primary Health Care Improvement Committee and Clinical Council before eventually joining the Board.

Her work at the PHN, alongside her experience in hospital clinics, reinforced her understanding of healthcare transitions.

“Smooth transitions between the hospital health system and primary care are critical.

“When handled well, they ensure continuity of care; when poorly managed, patients fall through the cracks,” she said.

Dr Cheung is passionate about improving these transitions.

“As a GP and Board Chair, my goal is for patients to move seamlessly between healthcare providers,” she said.

Advocacy and systemic change

Dr Cheung’s GCPHN role has also led to high level advocacy work.

“Sometimes you get frustrated with why certain systems don’t work well, and you ask, ‘How can I advocate for change?’”

To influence policy, Dr Cheung has taken leadership roles at the state and federal levels.

She chairs the RACGP’s special interest group for antenatal and postnatal care and represents GPs in policymaking at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG).

The future of Australia’s Primary Health Networks

Dr Cheung sees PHNs as essential in shaping the future of healthcare.

“The Commonwealth has a vision for PHNs to support primary healthcare and general practice, but we must also embrace the multidisciplinary approach,” she said.

She believes the future of general practice will involve GPs working alongside nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, psychologists and other allied health professionals in the same team.

“Patients need a connected, wrap-around team with GPs at the centre to coordinate care.

“Fragmented services lead to inefficiencies, duplication, and gaps,” she said.

Dr Cheung is excited about the future of PHNs.

“A new approach is coming, and PHNs will have an important role in supporting these changes,” she said.

Find out more about Dr Cheung and the GCPHN Board.