Sports and Exercise Physician
Dr Ruth Highet qualified from Otago Medical School NZ, in 1982, obtained her Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Medicine in London in 1986, then became the 1st woman and one of the 1st 3 New Zealanders to obtain her Fellowship in Sports and Exercise Medicine in Sydney in 1993(FACSEP) and Fellowship of the American College of Sports Medicine in 1994 (FACSM).In 1990, she competed in the NZ Triathlon Team at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and set up her first multidisciplinary sports medicine clinic, Wellington SportsMed. Over the ensuing 28 yrs in Wellington, Ruth was a NZ Team Doctor at several Olympic and Commonwealth Games, Medical Director of multiple international sporting events held in Wellington as well as having extensive involvement in High-Performance Sports NZ as Medical Director of NZ Academy of Sport (Central) for its duration and of numerous sports including Bike NZ, Golf NZ, Equestrian NZ and Softball NZ.
In 2018 Ruth’s Mainland roots took her back to her South Island paradise of Wanaka to live and continue to practise sports medicine after having first experienced the nirvana of living there in 1987, during the rural component of a year of GP training.
She loves the Wanaka lifestyle with such easily accessible summer and winter recreational opportunities, always accompanied by her springador “Pinot”. She feels very privileged to be living and working amongst such an extraordinarily athletic community in such an exquisitely beautiful environment.
Sports and Exercise Medicine
Dr Highet is an approved Telehealth provider with ACC and Medical insurance providers so consults can be undertaken from the comfort of your own home, thanks to our secure medical video platform Gensolve.
Patients needing to travel long distances for their appointments may prefer to have their initial assessment via Telehealth, allowing Dr Ruth to request tests that may assist diagnostically before she first sees them in clinic, reducing lengthy travel times and time off work for patients.
Dr Ruth sees more complex patients, those preferring in-clinic appts as well as those needing interventional treatments, eg joint injections in her clinic in the Wanaka Lakes Health Centre.
You’ll need to be referred by your GP, physio or other ACC accredited provider if regarding an ACC registered claim and similarly if insured with Southern Cross or other private medical insurance provider.
Wanaka Lakes Health Centre Consulting Rooms
23 Cardrona Valley Road
Wanaka 9305, NZ
Monday - Friday
9AM - 5PM