north east regional extra | March 10 - 16, 2021
nemedia.com.au
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March 10 - 16, 2021
GPs team up to make a difference
By SIMONE KERWIN
A WANGARATTA GP has teamed up with a metropolitan counterpart in a ‘matchmaking’ national pilot program aimed at improving access and quality of care for patients. Dr Kate Davey from Ovens Medical Group is working with Melbourne-based Dr Anita Munoz, chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Victoria, as part of the Practice to Practice program. The RACGP initiative, which kicked off on March 1 and runs until December 31, aims to connect practices and GPs in diverse geographical areas, with urban practices and GPs being matched with those in rural and remote Australia to share skills and support, and maximise quality services for patients. RACGP rural chair Dr Michael Clements, who practises in Townsville, said the pilot program was off to a flying start, with more than 40 practices submitting expressions of interest before the launch. “As Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation representing urban, rural and remote GPs, the RACGP is perfectly placed to facilitate these connections,” he said. A GP in Wangaratta for 38 years, Dr Davey was approaching retirement and facing a problem all too common for rural GPs: nobody wanted to take her rural job, and she didn’t want to leave her patients without someone to care for them. So, after hearing about Practice to Practice, she teamed up with Dr Munoz to develop a model aimed at building local relationships and supporting interested metropolitan GPs to work and live in Wangaratta.
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◆ PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: Wangaratta GP Dr Kate Davey hopes an initiative linking rural and metropolitan practices will encourage more doctors to move to the regions. PHOTO: Kieren Tilly
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BOOK NOOK
ANIMAL CARE
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YOUR HEALTH
GONE FISHING
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with KATE
with ROB
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Image featuring Paula from Yack Creek Distillery