DVA Rehabilitation and Fitness Service Provider
Veterans Exercise Programs & Veterans Gym Memberships
We are an approved DVA health care provider with our gym and clinic located in Melbourne, VIC.
Veterans and their families deserve to be recognised for their vital role and service to Australia.
Our team are passionate with providing gym programs, exercise rehabilitation, group fitness programs with other local veterans.
Whether a veteran has chronic conditions to be managed or simply wants to live a healthier lifestyle we help assist veterans to achieve their health goals.
If you have a DVA veteran healthcare card that is a Veterans Gold Card or Veterans White Card you may be eligible.
Veteran-Friendly Gym & DVA Personal Training in Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, and Flemington.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) allows allied health service arrangements to continue meeting the needs of veterans and their families.
Our private rehab clinic and gym is located at 378 Mount Alexander Road, Travancore VIC 3032 with appointments with our exercise physiologists available 6 days a week from 5.30am to 8.00pm (by appointment only).
We believe the benefits of exercise are long lasting and our team are the highest qualified fitness professionals that are experts at providing the required education, advice and support to help you achieve a sustainable and healthy lifestyle. All our team began as personal trainers who continued their studies to become qualified accredited exercise physiologists (EP's).
We are committed to helping DVA clients improve their health and well-being through evidence-based exercise programs. Our team of experienced exercise physiologists will work closely with clients to achieve their goals and support them every step of the way.
Veterans Benefits and Entitlements
The benefits you can get with a Veteran Card will depend on the colour of your card. Find out what health and fitness entitlements you may have access to at our allied health clinic with a:
Veterans Gold Card
Veterans White Card
The Veteran Card is a redesign of the DVA health cards which provide access to treatment for service-related conditions or injuries that DVA has approved, and access to DVA-funded mental health treatment, if required.
Although the look of the cards have changed there is no change to how you use your card to access healthcare benefits. You continue to use your card – whether it be your existing DVA health card or your replacement Veteran Card.
These treatment benefits may include:
- A repatriation card for all conditions (Gold Card) which entitles the card holder to treatment for all of their health conditions at DVA expense
- A repatriation card for specific conditions (White Card) which entitles the card holder to treatment for specific conditions related to their Defence service at DVA expense;
DVA is committed to supporting you and understanding your needs. Rehabilitation at DVA offers a wide range of support and activities to assist you if you were wounded or injured or developed an illness from your service in the Australian Defence Force.
DVA White Card Fitness & Gym Programs
White card holders are entitled to clinically necessary treatment for an accepted disability.
The DVA White Card (which is now known as Veteran White Card) is a treatment card that can provide you with medical treatment for:
- Accepted service-related injuries or conditions
- All mental health conditions
- Cancer (malignant neoplasm) covered under non-liability health care
- Pulmonary tuberculosis covered under non-liability health care
Our exercise physiologist help you by putting together a safe, effective and appropriate exercise programs. Often referred to from patients as an 'Exercise Physios' or 'EP's' the are university qualified allied health professionals who first began as personal trainers before continuing their studies to become allied health professionals.
By applying their specialist knowledge of human movement to aid recovery, improve performance we help people get the most out of life.
We play an important role in helping you as healthcare professionals who can give you information and advice about exercise to help manage and prevent injuries and chronic conditions.
Clinical Exercise Physiologists are involved in all phases of rehabilitation, from the acute stage through to recovery.
With access to our private gym you will receive an individualised exercise program, be provided counselling on how to maintain an active lifestyle and make sure that your exercise programs is safe, effective and appropriate for you and your recovery.
Veterans Exercise Programs - Gym & Group Training
If you have a DVA Health Card, they will cover the fees for Exercise Physiology appointments in our gym. For gold card holders they will cover services to meet your clinical needs. Those holding a white card, they will cover services required because of an accepted war or service caused injury or disease.
You may be referred for clinically necessary Exercise Physiology treatment by your medical practitioner. Upon diagnosis and referral of a specific condition by a medical practitioner, DVA will pay for the clinically necessary treatment.
What you can always expect from your appointments:
- Conduct appropriate assessments, goal setting in conjunction with your injuries and provide the best treatment to help you acheive your goals.
- Empower you to manage your injury and recovery.
- Monitor progress towards your goals (for improved capacity/function) and adjusting the treatment plan as required.
- Communicating and collaborating with key parties (for example, general practitioner, other allied health practitioners, case managers, rehabilitation providers) to achieve common goals.
How DVA Personal Training Works
All our personal trainer team are accredited and experienced rehabilitation professionals that are known as Exercise Physiologists.
If you're a veteran, you may be eligible for fully funded personal training / exercise physiology appointments. Our team can help you through the process.
- Initial Assessment: We assess your fitness level and health needs to create a personalised approach to your health care needs.
- Tailored Training Program: Whether your goal is rehabilitation, have a chronic condition or simply want to live a healthie lifestyle, we’ll create a program suited to you.
- Regular Check-Ins: Your trainer will regularly review your progress and adjust your plan as needed whilst completing your exercise and training in our private gym.
To make an appointment with an exercise physiologist call the clinic on (03)9996-0790 or enquire online and a member of our team will be in touch.
Moonee Valley Health and Fitness
378 Mt. Alexander Rd, Travancore VIC 3032
DVA Fitness and Exercise Programs. DVA will pay for veterans to see an EP for clinically necessary treatment only.
DVA Exercise Physiology Services
The allied health Exercise Physiology (EP) services help Veterans with clinical exercise in our fully private gym to help manage chronic disease as well as post-hospital exercise rehabilitation gym programs for treatment of a major injury or illness.
How to access EP services?
You can access our EP services in Melbourne if you have an assessed clinical need and are a Veteran Gold Card, or Veteran White Card and your treatment is an accepted service-related condition.
An exercise physiologist is best to work with if Veterans have a chronic disease or are recovering after a hospital stay for treatment of a major injury or illness. If you have already spoken with your GP and have a referral, you can book in today and chat with our team on how an EP can best help you.
EP services funded through DVA are not intended for ongoing treatment. Our goal is to have you function better and ultimately self-manage your condition. Some of the health issues we help manage are:
How much do I need to pay for EP services?
You do not have to pay for our Exercise Physiology services and is fully covered by DVA.
DVA Health Cards (Gold and White) are accepted as payment upon a GP referral.
Your exercise physiologist will bill DVA direct for any treatment provided to you if the service is provided under DVA arrangements.
How many appointments will I have with my EP?
All Veteran referrals to our services will be under the Allied Health Services treatment cycle. Our goal is always to have Veterans eventually self-manage their condition or move into one of our other health and fitness service we offer here at Moonee Valley Health and Fitness.
We have a full private gym that is fully supervised by our allied health team that is available for all our appointments. We also offer small group training options for Veterans who eventually want to move from 1 on 1 consultations to our group veterans programs.
We do base all our patient care plans around your health and fitness goals and GP referral. With a GP referral you can receive up 12 sessions per plan, and these plans are now referred to as 'Allied health treatment cycles'. You can read more about treatment cycles on our blog below.
To give you a quick explanation of what the treatment cycle is, it was brought in by the Government from Oct 2019 to help give you better care based on your health needs. It does not limit the number of clinically required services you need but allows your GP to be informed of your progress at the end of each 12 sessions.
How does the DVA Treatment Cycle Work?
If you are confused by the Allied Health treatment cycle, we are here to help explain the process that has been introduced to help give you better care based on your health needs.
Exercise Programs for Veterans with our Exercise Physiologists
Meet members of the Moonee Valley Health and Fitness Trainer Team. Contact our team to get started with a Veterans Fitness Program
Lachlan DUFFUS
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Alex BARTO
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Hamish INGLIS
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Other activities and programs for the ex-serving community
It is highly recommended to first begin with being assessed with our Exercise Physiologists to help create a suitable plan for you. We provide exercise and gym programs as a form of therapy for clinically necessary treatment.
The ultimate goal of our team however is to help patients function better and ultimately self-manage their condition.
There are a range of other resources and programs that have been designed specifically for the serving and ex-serving community. These mental health and wellbeing supports are for current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force personnel and their families.
Engage
The Engage program outlines physical fitness, exercise and active lifestyle activities available to current and former ADF members, and their families.
Veteran Sport Australia
Veteran Sport Australia makes it easy for veterans and their families to connect with individual and team sport, one-off competitive events, camps and multi-sport.
10,000 Steps Walking Challenge
The 10,000 Steps Walking Challenge is a virtual walking challenge for current and ex-serving Australian Defence Force members and their families.
Heart Health
Heart Health aims to improve veterans' health and wellbeing through practical exercise, nutrition and lifestyle management support.
Heart Foundation Walking Groups
Join your local Heart Foundation Walking group. Meet regularly, have fun and be healthy.
For more information about any of the above programs you can visit Open Arms – Veterans & Family Counselling, or speak to our team at MVFit.
Allied Health Rehabilitation Services available for Veterans
DVA will fund for the treatment and services listed below.
Exercise Physiology
Our exercise physiologists can help create and monitor a gym or home exercise program for you to complete by yourself.
Getting Started in the gym
Our team are passionate about providing exercise as a form of therapy for clinically necessary treatment with a valid D904 referral from their GP.
- Book an initial consultation
- Present your DVA Health card to your Exercise Physiologist during your assessment in the gym
Exercise to help you move better, relieve pain or improve function.
Our allied health clinic is suitable for all White and Gold Card Veterans that want access to our Exercise Physiology Personal Trainers and Group Veteran Appointments in our gym.
- RESOURCES / REFERENCES
If you have more questions please fill in our online contact form or call our clinic (03)9996-0790
Read more about our Exercise Physiology - https://www.mvfit.com.au/our-services/exercise-physiology/
An accepted condition means an injury or disease that has been determined under the Veterans' Entitlement Act 1986 (VEA), the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 (MRCA) or Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation (Defence-related Claims) Act 1988 (DRCA) to be caused or made worse by a person's Australian Defence Force service, and for which liability has been accepted by DVA.
For more specific information about DVA Services visit https://www.dva.gov.au/
Veteran-Friendly Gym & DVA Personal Training in Ascot Vale, Moonee Ponds, and Flemington
We have a great team of personal trainers that are Accredited Exercise Physiologists