Ararat Medical Centre is the recipient of the 2016 RACGP General Practice of the Year Award.
The award recognises a practice’s approach to patient health and wellbeing, exemplary service and quality of care provided to patients, health promotion initiatives and the practice’s involvement in general practice teaching.
“Ararat Medical Centre offers patients the highest possible quality of care by ensuring excellence in all aspects of practice,” RACGP president Dr Frank R Jones said.
The GPs and staff provide patients with the best and most current treatments, methods, materials and equipment within resource capabilities, ensuring patients receive a high quality of service. Team-work is highly valued and encouraged within the practice to promote a harmonious and productive service.
“The practice has a long and impressive tradition of teaching the next generation of GPs and health professionals. Each year several GP registrars join the practice on 6 or 12 month rotations, as well as medical students, nursing students and pharmacy students,” Dr Jones said.
Dating back to the early 1960s, the practice is still in its original High Street premises, although these have been modified over the years as the numbers of doctors and other staff members have grown. Today, Ararat Medical Centre employs 15 doctors (a number that varies depending on registrars), four nurses and five administrative staff members.
The centre is working with the East Grampians Health Service with a view to estblishing a 2016 intern program where interns will rotate through a 10 week term at the hospital and a 10 week term at the Medical Centre throughout the year.
Principal supervisor Dr Michael Connellan has received awards for his teaching involvement from the RACGP, RWAV (for services to Rural Victoria) and Melbourne University for his services as an examiner and supervisor.
GP16 – the RACGP’s annual conference for general practice – runs from September 29 - October 1 2016 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Visit the GP16 website for more information.