© 2006 Otway Division of General Practice
Medical Practices
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Otway Division of General Practice |
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“Promoting Better Healthcare and Lifestyle" |
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Yes...we are a QIC Accredited Organisation! |
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Practice Address:
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7 Robinson Street CAMPERDOWN VIC 3260 |
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Telephone: |
(03) 5593 7070 |
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Fax: |
(03) 5593 1516 |
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Email: | |
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Practice Doctor: |
Dr John Menzies |
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Practice Manager: |
Mrs Glenda McIlveen |
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Annex at Lismore: |
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Practice Address:
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High Street LISMORE VIC 3324 |
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Telephone: |
(03) 5558 3000 |
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Fax: |
(03) 5596 2265 |
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Practice Doctor: |
Dr Brendan Condon |
PRACTICE PROFILE:
Camperdown is a busy, vibrant, attractive town, 200km west of Melbourne, via the Princes Highway. Volcanic activity some 22,000 years ago formed the lakes, craters, and hills that characterise the landscape of the district. It is an active community, with about 3500 people living within the township, and about another 4500 people living in the surrounding district. Sheep, beef, dairy, and crop farming are the primary industries. Dairy processing, tourism, light engineering, healthcare, and service industries are the other major sources of employment.
A return train service runs three times daily between Melbourne and Warrnambool, via Camperdown. It is possible to depart Camperdown at 6.30am, arrive in Melbourne before 9am, depart Melbourne at 6.00pm, and return to Camperdown at 8.20pm.
Camperdown is a busy, vibrant, attractive town, 200km west of Melbourne, via the Princes Highway. Volcanic activity some 22,000 years ago formed the lakes, craters, and hills that characterise the landscape of the district. It is an active community, with about 3500 people living within the township, and about another 4500 people living in the surrounding district. Sheep, beef, dairy, and crop farming are the primary industries. Dairy processing, tourism, light engineering, healthcare, and service industries are the other major sources of employment.
A return train service runs three times daily between Melbourne and Warrnambool, via Camperdown. It is possible to depart Camperdown at 6.30am, arrive in Melbourne before 9am, depart Melbourne at 6.00pm, and return to Camperdown at 8.20pm.
The Medical Centre is open from 8.45am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday and from 8.45am to noon on Saturdays.
After-hours services are provided via South West Healthcare Camperdown Campus, for which the GPs share an on-call roster.
Our Practice demographics are representative of the general Australian population, although there are relative excesses of both children, and the elderly. Our clinical activities span General Practice from conception to death. In addition to the broad spectrum of problems seen in General Practice, the GP’s also manage their own patients in SWHC Camperdown Campus (which has no resident medical staff), and manage other patients from outside the district, who are referred for surgery by the Visiting Specialists. SWHC Camperdown Campus functions as a ‘sub-regional node’ for referral within the geographical triangle that is bounded by Colac, Warrnambool, and Ballarat.
Each GP expects to see about 25-30 patients per day at the Medical Centre, and anything from zero to 10 patients per day at the Hospital. When on-call, GP’s expect to see between 0 and 5 patients between 7pm and midnight, and between 10 and 25 patients on a weekend (from noon Saturday to 8.00am Monday). Disturbances after midnight, which are rare, will be for genuine emergencies only. We also visit patients in their homes for Health Assessments, and continuing care of chronic health problems (including palliative care).
The Practice is fully computerised. There is a workstation in each consulting room. The Practice uses the ‘Best Practice’ clinical management program for medication management, progress notes, medical history, imaging and pathology (both requests and results), and recalls. Imaging and pathology results are imported electronically.
The General Practitioners have his or her own fully equipped and computerised consulting suite, which features a separate examination room.
Practice Management and Accounts:
The Robinson Street Medical Centre employs a Practice Manager (Glenda McIlveen), and multi-skilled receptionists (Debra, Sue, Katie and Lyndel in Lismore).
The Robinson Street Medical Centre is a Private Billing practice. We provide a concession rate for full pensioners and for people on unemployment benefits, and we direct-bill hostel and nursing home residents. We do not automatically offer a concession rate to healthcare cardholders. We encourage payment on the day of consultation, and we provide EFTPOS to facilitate this.
Diagnostic Facilities available at the Practice:
As the Practice is on the SWHC Camperdown Campus, we have full access to the Hospital’s diagnostic facilities. There is a Pathology laboratory, which provides a full on-site service for most requirements (except microbiology and histopathology – a courier takes specimens to the Provider’s main laboratory in Warrnambool). There is an imaging service which provides general radiography. The hospital staff provides an electrocardiography service.
Continuing Education for all Members of the Practice:
The comments regarding GP Registrars apply equally to the GPs in the Practice.
Our Practice promotes an ethos of learning and personal development. The GPs and the office staff are willing, and encouraged, to ask and to help one another.
GPs attend regular clinical updates that are held locally and regionally. Our practice staff are encouraged to attend courses for Practice Management.
All practice staff are required to maintain first aid and CPR skills.
Health Promotion Activities:
Health Promotion is intrinsic to the ethos of our Practice. This occurs at many levels. Within the consultation, opportunities for health promotion are taken whenever possible and appropriate (lifestyle issues, screening tests).
Health is promoted in our Practice Newsletter, and in the posters displayed in our Waiting Area. Our on-hold telephone message includes health information (e.g. screening tests).
GPs and GP Registrars have initiated and developed a program of health promotion in the community, which involves local community groups, Corangamite Shire, local businesses, the Camperdown Primary Healthcare Service, local schools, and the Otway Division of General Practice. We have been getting the Camperdown community into activity, and into healthy eating! Our flagship event was the inaugural (and successful) ‘Crater-to-Crater’ Fun Run/Walk (5km) around Lake Bullen Merri on the first day of daylight saving (October 2001). The second (again successful) ‘Crater-to-Crater’ Fun Run/Walk was held in October 2002, with about 350 participants and every year since, which is a great initiative.
The GPs and Practice Nurses are involved in community education activities. The GPs are very willing to accept invitations to talk at community meetings.
Research and Project Development:
The practice is involved with many projects that will improve the quality of care for our patients, while retaining the confidentiality and ethics requirements:
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National Primary Care Collaborative
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Beyond Blue Depression
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Baker Foundation - Heart Research
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Farm Injury Project
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Life - Diabetes Australia
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Consultants Used and Available:
There are no resident Consultants in Camperdown. The following Specialists visit Camperdown to conduct clinics and surgical sessions where relevant. The GPs provide anaesthetics for the surgical sessions.
General Surgeon – Surgical theatre at the hospital in the morning (laparoscopic cholecystectomies, varicose vein surgery, hernia repairs, vasectomies, endoscopies, breast surgery, bowel surgery, and thyroid surgery). Outpatients are seen at the clinics in the afternoon, weekly.
Orthopaedic Surgeon – Surgical theatre at the hospital in the morning (arthroscopies, knee reconstructions, peripheral limb surgery), and sees outpatients at the clinics in the afternoon, fortnightly.
Urologist – Conducts a clinic for the whole day and some surgical theatre cases at the hospital in the morning (cystoscopies, TURPs), monthly.
Consultant Physician – consulting all day at the Medical Centre, weekly; he also conducts exercise stress tests at the Camperdown Hospital once a fortnight.
Paediatrician – consults for morning sessions, fortnightly.
Diabetes Educator – consults for a full day for diabetic consultations and annual reviews, fortnightly.
Dietician – consultations made for the day, fortnightly.
Primary Mental Health Team Counsellor – consults for a morning session, weekly.
Drug and Alcohol Counsellor – consultations for a morning session, weekly.
Procedures Performed at the Practice:
The GPs provide an all-round procedural practice, including cryotherapy, joint injections, ‘lumps and bumps’ surgery, and suturing.
Surgery performed by the GPs, and Acute Medical and Obstetric Problems Managed by the GPs:
Dr Menzies has received training in surgery, obstetrics, and anaesthetics, and he practises all of these skills at the hospital.
Surgical procedures performed include all of those indicated in ‘procedures performed at the practice’, plus tonsillectomy, D&C, hysteroscopy, Caesarean Section, and manipulation of fractures.
Dr Menzies manages between 15 and 25 obstetric patients annually, from the antenatal period, through childbirth, to the post-partum check.
The GPs manage most acute medical and paediatric problems at the hospital, provided that the patient does not require Specialist care. The GPs manage acute coronary syndromes (including thrombolysis), acute respiratory distress, acute abdominal pain, strokes, and seizures – in telephone consultation with the relevant Specialist if appropriate.
Regional Services:
Camperdown has an ambulance paramedic (non-MICA) available 24-hours per day. Physiotherapy is available on-site at Camperdown Hospital. Camperdown has an excellent Psychiatric Service, which has good liaison with the local GP’s. Other allied health services (occupational therapy, speech therapy, stoma care etc) are available at the Warrnambool Base Hospital, and can be provided at Camperdown on an as-needed basis.
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Camperdown has all the services, shopping, hospitality, and recreational amenities that would be expected in a town of its size. There is a Kindergarten, a State school (P-12), and a Catholic school (P-12).
Camperdown is 50km from the Great Ocean Road at Port Campbell, 70km from the Otway Ranges, 70km from the regional city of Warrnambool, and about 160km from Halls Gap (the Grampians).
Right: Lake Bullen Merri, Camperdown |
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Practice History:
The Robinson Street Medical Centre is located on the campus of South West Healthcare Camperdown Campus. In 1998 the Medical Centre moved into the renovated former nurses’ home.
Our Rural Practice is committed to the training of GP Registrars. Since 2001 the Practice has hosted GP Registrars who have taken the option of 12 months, completing their Basic and Advanced terms, this has been a very rewarding experience for everyone. The Medical Centre has been fully accredited by AGPAL since 2000 and is due for accreditation in 2012. We aim for excellence in providing comprehensive and holistic care for our patients and our community.
Practice Clinical Staff:
Dr John Menzies
The Robinson Street Medical Centre is located on the campus of South West Healthcare Camperdown Campus. In 1998 the Medical Centre moved into the renovated former nurses’ home.
Our Rural Practice is committed to the training of GP Registrars. Since 2001 the Practice has hosted GP Registrars who have taken the option of 12 months, completing their Basic and Advanced terms, this has been a very rewarding experience for everyone. The Medical Centre has been fully accredited by AGPAL since 2000 and is due for accreditation in 2012. We aim for excellence in providing comprehensive and holistic care for our patients and our community.
Practice Clinical Staff:
Dr John Menzies
Dr Brendan Condon - (Lismore Satellite Clinic)
Dr Marlene Pearce - Registrar
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In May 2002, we appointed a Practice Nurse, Beth Royal, and this has been a successful innovation. In 2006 Jenny Hirth (part time nurse) was employed, Beth and Jenny have responsibility for managing the Practice’s Extended Primary Care and Service Incentive Activities.
The GPs provide a comprehensive procedural rural practice through their work at the Medical Centre, and in their roles as Visiting Medical Officers at the Camperdown Hospital, and at the Merindah Lodge Nursing Home.
The GPs provide a comprehensive procedural rural practice through their work at the Medical Centre, and in their roles as Visiting Medical Officers at the Camperdown Hospital, and at the Merindah Lodge Nursing Home.
Right: Robinson Street Medical Centre, Camperdown
Robinson Street Medical Centre
