News
Verena Doolabh wins the RACGP GP Registrar of the year award for 2008
10th October 2008
Congratulations to Verena Doolabh of Castlereagh Medical Centre, Coonamble for taking out the RACGP GP Registrar of the year 2008 award. What a fantastic achievement!Finalist 2008 Telstra NSW Business Awards
18th August 2008
Ochre Health Group are finalists in the 2008 Telstra NSW Business Awards. We're up against the brightest out there, and that's fantastic! Well done to all the team at Ochre. We wouldn't be here without…Three Ochre medical centres selected for Australian Primary Care Collaboratives program
7th May 2008
The objective of the program is to encourage and support general practice in delivering rapid, measureable, systematic and sustainable improvements in the care they deliver to patients. This is an exciting opportunity…Towns
Ochre Health understands the health and vibrancy of rural and remote communities is dependent on having access to quality medical services. In addition to providing health care and medical support to all members of the community - from children to the elderly - the sustainability of a local medical service also impacts on local employers such as pharmacy, hospital and other health services.
Ochre Health is experienced in assessing the medical service needs of isolated and rural communities. This is the first step to developing a targeted initiative to establish sustainable medical and other health services for the community.
Ochre Health has experience in improving and stabilising medical services in towns, including those in crisis. It is also experienced in recruiting, supporting and maintaining doctors.
When innovative solutions are required to create a stable and sustainable medical service in a challenging situation. Ochre Health works with the community’s stakeholders to find a workable solution. This includes working with state/territory governments, local government, the local health service, local doctors (if any) and other agencies to find a practical solution.
Case Study
A town in northwest New South Wales was without a permanent doctor for more than a year and had many periods of no medical cover at all.
Ochre Health was able to provide locum services until it contracted a South African-trained medical couple, resident in New Zealand, to join the community and provide medical services for the next three years. This represented a 50 percent increase in the usual medical workforce with the male doctor working full-time and his wife working half-time. The couple were very well received by the town and after a few motnths the local Aboriginal community conducted a smoking ceremony to welcome them.
Ochre Health continued support of the doctors meant that when the doctor took maternity leave, Ochre recruited a third doctor to the town. When all three doctors left the town, Ochre recruited another permanent doctor and replaced the half-time position with a doctor from Melbourne providing a two weeks on, two weeks off fly-in fly-out service.
Six years later, the town continues to be well catered for with GP medical services both at the Medical Centre and local hospital.