Practice News
December 2022 - January 2023
We hope everyone enjoyed a safe and joyous Christmas and New Year surrounded by family and friends! Thank you all for the kind messages and appreciation shared with the practice during the holiday season.
The weather has been very hot and humid - the rain is a welcome reward. We just hope there are no more floods!
We look forward to an exciting year here at Quacks; Dr Emma is back from Thursday Island and is working Monday and Thursday. She is expecting her second baby in April so will soon be on maternity leave.
Dr Abram is staying with us for another 12 months and we are delighted about this! He is busy studying for his post grad exams.
Dr Kevin (Registrar here in 2022) has passed all his post grad exams and is now a “Fellow” of the GP college. Congratulations! He is off to work in S. Australia soon.
Finally, we look forward to welcoming our new registrar from Cairns, Dr Keanu Mogno, who will join us in late January. We hope to share more information about him in the next newsletter.
October 2022 - November 2022
Wow! Where has this year gone? Christmas and New Year are upon us already! All we need now is the monsoon troughs to roll through!
Dr Emma is Off to Thursday Island in December to undertake some rural and remote work. She’ll be back in Townsville in the new year, ready and waiting for her 2nd baby due in April.
We are delighted that Dr Abram has signed up for another year with us at Quacks. I know you all will be grateful for this as getting an appointment with him is becoming timely.
We have also signed up another Registrar for 2023, Dr Keanu Mogno who is moving down from Cairns. He will be joining us at the end of January. More info on him next newsletter.
Over the festive period the surgery will be closed on Public Holidays and Sundays only, with normal operating hours on all other days. As always over holiday periods, we urge you to check your supply of medications well in advance and allow at least 1 – 2 business days for scripts to be written.
Everyone at Quacks would like to wish you and your friends and family a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. We look forward to helping you in 2023!
July 2022 - September 2022
It is the end of an era with the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth after 70 years on the throne. It is likely to be some time before many of us are able to use the name King Charles without hesitation!
Happy news here at Quacks; Dr Abraham married at the end of August, and we’re sure that you will join us in wishing him and Eva well.
Congratulations to Eliza, Angela and Helen who all successfully completed the Island Trek; 15km on Magnetic Island is no mean feat, especially in temperatures nearing 30 degrees.
Emma recently went back to Scotland with her toddler and partner to catch up with family and friends.
We recently received confirmation that Quacks was successfully re-accredited as a Quality Practice; we were also re-accredited as a training practice with JCU.
We continue to host medical students, as well as work experience students – many thanks to all the patients that generously allow them to participate in consultations.
Dr Linsey, a previous registrar, is expecting her second baby in October.
April 2022 - June 2022
Welcome to winter and the chilly mornings! The cold is so much easier to deal with now it’s stopped raining!
The change in season, school holidays, the Show and the V8s have all brought with them an up-swing in Covid 19 and Flu numbers. Please remember that it’s never to late to be vaccinated, and while vaccination may not prevent you from falling victim to one of these viruses, it will lessen the impact significantly.
On the Covid 19 front there have been a number of recent changes:
In addition to existing waiting periods, if you have had Covid it’s now necessary to be 3 months post-diagnosis,
Flu and Covid vaccines can be given at the same time, and
The ‘winter’ or 4th booster is now recommended for anyone 50 years or older and is also available for those aged 30 – 49, although the benefits are less certain for fit and healthy members of the younger age group.
On the testing front, 1300 Smiles Stadium will be closed from 22 July 2022.TUH advise that
a) free Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will continue to be available from a site yet to be announced, and
b) PCR tests will not be available through ED.
The Covid Vaccination Hub at the old Joyce Maine building is also closing; the final day of ‘business’ will be 21 August 2022, and from then on Covid vaccines will only be available through GP surgeries and pharmacies.
Finally, can we please ask that you be patient with staff at the practice as we too come down with one of the many ‘bugs’ circulating? Thank you!
January 2022 - March 2022
We hope you had a restful and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and are fighting fit for 2022! The weather has been very hot and humid, but those rains just don’t seem to want to come. Let’s hope we get some good rains soon so we can turn the sprinklers off.
We have had exciting times here at Quacks with some come comings and goings!
Bronwyn and her Family welcomed Florence Audrey to the world on 13th January; she weighted in at 2.83kg, or 6.2lb.
Kevin’s last day with us was Thursday 29th January and we welcomed our new registrar, Abram on 24th January.
Covid is circulating in the local community, so we are taking extra precautions in order to protect everyone. When you visit us, we ask you remain in your car and ring reception; you’ll be asked some screening questions and we’ll proceed from there. Thank you for understanding.
We have AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna as well as the Children’s Pfizer. If you have not yet had your vaccine or Booster, please book for this.
November 2021-December 2021
We’ve had a beautiful storm to herald in the Wet – let’s hope it’s the first of many! Much as we love the Wet, we must all be disaster ready – make sure your cyclone kit is up to date!
We’d like to welcome Dr Emma back from maternity leave, and to wish Dr Bronwyn well as she commences maternity leave at close of business on 22 December. Emma looks forward to seeing you on either Mondays and Fridays.
There are even more changes coming in January as we say farewell to our registrar, Dr Kevin. Congratulations to Kevin on becoming a ‘dinki di’ Aussie! Our new senior registrar, Dr Abram will be starting in late January.
Covid booster shots are now available to all; they are given 6 months after your second shot – check your immunization record on My Gov to see when you’re due!
The festive season is fast approaching, and as part of your preparations can you please make sure that you have all your scripts up to date? The surgery will be closed on all the Public Holidays and we will be operating on skeleton staff, so please be aware that repeat scripts are likely to take longer than usual, and there will be limited doctors’ appointments available.
We hope you and your families a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.
July 2021 - August 2021
Winter in North Queensland is here and this year it was on a Tuesday and Wednesday. I hope you are all enjoying it as long as you are socially distanced.
With all the activities going on in Townsville we need to be diligent about hand hygiene, social distancing and getting vaccinated. We are still administering the Astrazeneca vaccine and even though we put up our hand for Pfizer we are not included with the first GP supplies. We are told GP’s will be getting Pfizer in the future but when is a question yet to be answered. We will let you know as more information comes to hand.
I must congratulate Townsville and Magnetic Island as a whole for not having any community transmission of the Delta strain. Rest assure that if there was community transmission within Townsville we would still be here for our patients. Changes in practice might be necessary and we would let you know about these through our answering machine as well as via this website.
Kym, Maggie and Nitika enjoyed their recent holidays with Nitika following Maggie and Kyms return out to Alice Spring, Kings Canyon and Uluru. She managed to stay ahead of the lockdowns.
Sadly, Julie is retiring from paid work to become a full time Nanna looking after her every growing brood of grandchildren. Julie we hope you soak up all those baby kisses and cuddles before they grow to quick.
As many of you would know we offer a wide variety of services in our practice. I will add one of these services and a short explanation of them to our newsletter each time to keep you up to date.
ABPM – Ambulatory Blood pressure machine.
This is a Blood pressure monitor that you wear for 24 hours with a blood pressure cuff on your arm and a small recording device strapped to your waist. It automatically pumps up every 30 minutes during the day and every hour over night. This gives the doctors an enormous amount of information about your blood pressure both during everyday activities and through the night while you sleep. We have two sized cuffs, standard and big boy. It costs $95 which you may be able to claim through your private health fund.
April 2021 - June 2021
With the possible "COVID super-spreader" event 'State of Origin' scheduled for Townsville and the new more transmissable COVID strains spreading down south we would stongly recomend all eligble patients get their vaccination as soon as possible. It takes around 14 weeks before the full effectiveness of the vaccine is available. The risk of a serious reaction to the vaccine is miniscule in comparison to the risk from COVID 19! Queensland Public Health has also suggested the practice start using the Government "check in Queensland" app to record all people entering the building - particularly tradesmen, delivery men, non patients accompanying patients, and people simply picking up prescriptions and the like.
Dr Emma has had a baby boy "Finlay". Congratulations to the proud parents. Dr Bronwyn has returned from maternity leave on a very part-time basis – she is kept busy with three little girls!
Maggie and Kym managed to get away to Alice Springs for a long weekend. They were privileged to be able to see the Parrtjima light festival and really enjoyed the dinner in the desert with local and native ingredients.
Sadly, Melissa is leaving for a job on the Gold Coast where she will be able to use her training as a midwife in an indigenous settling. We are sure her replacement (details next time) will be just as good!
We hope everyone had a good break over Easter – there seem to have been a lot of recent public holidays – many of them wet! The rain has made Townsville look good – a few follow up showers would be perfect!
As many of you know we are giving COVID-19 vaccines in our practice (many for those older than 50). We would encourage as many people as possible to have the vaccine (there is a 12-week gap between doses) so Australia can develop immunity and open up to the rest of the world. We also encourage you to get your annual flu vaccine.
Feb 2021 - Mar 2021
Our Practice has been selected to be eligible to administer the COVID-19 19 Vaccine. This will start sometime after the 22nd of March, but will obviously depend on delivery of the Vaccine.
THERE IS NO URGENCY UP HERE- we are fortunate that there has been NO local community transmission.
Please check your eligibility for an early vaccine by going to
covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au. We will start making bookings AFTER the vaccine arrives. We are being suppled with the AstraZeneca vaccine. A second dose is necessary after 12 weeks and an appointment for this will be made when you get your first dose.
The Flu Vaccines are likely to be available Mid-April – there needs to be a 14-day gap between this and the COVID-19 Vaccines.
Emma is sitting her final exams – her baby is due straight after! Julie at the front desk is a Nana again and we are delighted to welcome back Melissa as a part of our Nursing team.
Dec 2020 - Jan 2021
It’s that time of the year again when the Xmas trees go up and the shops are full again. Don’t forget to support our local business.
We are doing well with our COVID-19 precautions but please remember to be vigilant with your hand washing and physical distancing. If anyone has upper respiratory or chest symptoms please let us know before your appointment. YOU WILL BE SEEN - WE JUST NEED TO TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS. Health care workers with symptoms have to stay off work until symptom free. (Not just cOVID-19 negative swab). Finding replacement staff is challenging.
Bronwyn has had another little girl. Scarlett Marjorie, 3355gm / 7 pound 3 ounces. Mum and bub doing really well and her other two girls are totally in love with their living dolly.
Many of you have seen a new face at the practice. Leisa is our new Enrolled nurse, she has extensive life experience and recently moved back from Canada to be closer to family members. Robyn recently returned from 6 weeks touring around North Queensland – she managed to visit lots of different places.
Sadly we have to say good bye to Dr Linsey Gummow in late January, as she continues her GP training. Our new register, starting in January, is Kevin Wu so Kym will no longer be our only male doctor. Dr Emma McGonigal is also returning for a few months until her baby arrives in late march / early April.
Sept - Nov 2020
Keep up the good work with COVID-19 19 precautions. Washing your hands and physical distancing is still very important. Consider wearing a mask on public transport and in crowed inside spaces. Homemade double thickness cloth masks are great.
When you call for an appointment you will be triaged over the phone as to travel, contact with any possible COVID-19 19 patients and about any flu like symptoms. These include fevers, cough, cold, sore throat, shortness of breath, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, not normal aches and pains, headaches, runny nose or diarrhea. YOU WILL BE SEEN; we just have to take extra precautions.
The chief medical officer has ruled that, any health care worker who has symptoms needs to stay off work until symptom free (NOT just a negative COVID-19 test). As we are a small practice you can imagine the difficulty if we have one or two staff away for a week. So, we are doing our best to protect our staff from any respiratory illness. We endeavor to be a safe place to visit. If you make your appointment in advance please let us know closer to the time if you do develop any of the above symptoms. If you are concerned about waiting in the waiting room, please ring from the car park - we now have chairs outside in the shade for you to sit on.
On happier news, Bronwyn’s baby is due soon. Her last day before maturity leave will be the 1st of October. She is currently only working limited hours, so if you need a follow up appointment or advice on who to see while she is away please keep this in mind.
May - July 2020
Congratulations for copying with COVID-19 19 precautions so well. We are not out of the woods yet so remember to continue to physical distance, wash your hands and consider wearing masks in crowded spaces. You would be pleased to know that we have had NO positive cases of COVID-19 19 through our doors. We continue to take all precautions with anyone with upper or lower respiratory tract symptoms to keep us all safe. We thank you for being up front and honest with us – we will provide care but may need to take extra precautions.
As most people are aware Medicare rebatable phone consultations were introduced a few months ago. Currently the majority of these consults have to be bulked billed (strict guide lines apply), private fees are applicable in some cases. Phone consultations are useful for routine repeat scripts (including authority scripts) and to discuss results. We may feel that a face to face consultation is necessary and will arrange this during your phone consultation.
Our Drive thru Flu Vaccine Clinic worked very well and we hope to replicate this next year as we had such positive reviews. The only complaint was “No fries” so we are looking at a possible Rotary coffee truck or a soft serve ice-cream machine next year.
We recently said good bye to Trish and wish her all the best in her new venture. The new face on the front desk is Helen who has come up from down south to enjoy our warmer weather. Let’s see how she goes in summer.
March - April 2020
Welcome to the summer heat, humidity and rain. We hope that you are all coping and keeping well hydrated.
Dr Linsey Gummow has settled in well. She is a country girl from Mt Isa. She completed her studies at JCU. Life today for Linsey is about her daughter Felicity who is 6 months old and being a supportive wife to her husband who is the Minister at the Fairfield Baptist Church.
Abbie Lewandowski is our new casual receptionist- details next time.
Flu vaccines are on their way. We are expecting them mid-April.
I am sure you are all aware of the hype around Corona Virus. It is important that we are sensible about this as it could have a major impact on our health system. The most important thing is good hand hygiene. If you are feeling unwell please self-isolate at home until 24hrs after last fever and treat as any other flu like illness. We are told most cases will be mild and treatment will consist of paracetamol, bed rest and keeping well hydrated. If you are feeling more unwell please RING and ask to speak with our practice manager or nurse. It is possible that dedicated ‘fever clinics’ will be set up to reduce the risk for routine general practice patients. Keep your GP management plan close at hand as this will be a great help in these clinics. Updates to this advice will occur regularly.
On the home front we are always striving to better our care. We now offer 24-48hr Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring and Ear Toileting using an operating microscope.
January - Febuary 2020
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2020.
We hope that you have all had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas and New Year.
Dr Emma is leaving us in January to continue her post graduate training at another practice. We are sad to lose her but welcome in her place Dr Linsey Gummow. Linsey has previously worked at the Townsville Hospital and is the proud mother of Felicity who is now six months old.
Our phones are now turned over at 8 am- this may make it easier for people to make urgent appointments.
You would be aware that we cannot bill for excisions until the histology results are back. This meant that online claiming with Medicare has not been possible. We are currently trialling an alternate process that does allow you to claim at the time of payment.
Please remember that we are not routinely a bulk billing practice. This applies to everyone and applicable concessions are at the discretion of the doctor you see.
Many of you have noticed that we now have a large rubber ducky on our front counter. Yet to be named, but already has a big personality. He will be dressed up for any upcoming events or fundraising. So, keep an eye out for the changes. Ideas more than welcome.
November - December 2019
We have survived the changeover of Practice Managers and everything is running smoothly.
Maggie’s eye op went well and thanks everyone for their well wishes and understanding in the week she was away. She is now back at work and is “seeing” everything better than ever!
Welcome to Suzie our new nurse, she has hit the ground running very competently. She has previous experience of working in general practice as well as great time management skills with nine children of her own.
Robyn returned from her holiday well rested. She will be working less but we have Suzie and Eliza to fill her very colourful shoes.
Nitika is off to India again over Christmas and will be back January. We hope she enjoys her time away with family. She is finally back in her home after extensive flood renovations and was able to host Diwali celebrations there.
Dr Emma will be leaving us in late January to continue her post-graduate training at another practice. Dr Linsey Gummow will be taking her place doing her first post graduate GP experience. She is a new mum with a delightful baby girl called Felicity. More details next newsletter.
All our doctors are completing training to give Yellow fever and Q fever Vaccines. Currently Dr Daniell administers Q fever. We will let you know when we can start providing Yellow Fever vaccines in our practice.
We have a new theatre bed at last! The old bed has served the practice well for 42 years however it finally gave up! The new bed is electric and is comfier, wider and goes lower.
May your heart and home be filled with all the joys the festive season brings. Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Healthy, Happy and Peaceful New Year.
September - October 2019
After being here for 10 years, Cassie is leaving the Quacks team. She has been studying an engineering degree and has a new position that will help her finish her degree. Eliza, our not so casual nurse, will be taking over as practice manager. You will be seeing her friendly face more in reception, but her heart still lies in nursing so she will still be in there from time to time. You will also see a new face within our Nursing team so please welcome them with open arms.
Trish is turning the big 40 this month, and planning a stay at Port Hinchinbrook. Maggie has also celebrated her Birthday last month. Another year older and wiser.
Robyn is holidaying to Europe again! She will be away for 6 weeks. Enjoy your well-deserved break Robyn.
Bronwyn has also been jet setting but only down to Brisbane to visit Family, enjoying her little holiday.
We are now offering a new service of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitor. As a bonus we can do this for lesser costing that our normal out sourcing resource.
We have also done some renovations over in the annex. From time to time one of our Doctors will be seeing patients over there. Our lovely Admin staff will let you know if you have to go over to that waiting room.
As our business thrives on word of mouth referrals, if you have any family or friends looking for a reliable GP, please feel free to put the Quacks name forward. Both Dr Emma McGonigal and Dr Nitika Chavan are taking new patients of all demographics. Dr Bronwyn Wakefield has not been taking new patients but as she has strong passion in ‘mums and bubs care’ and has decided to open her books to such.
July - August 2019
It’s not too late to have your 2019 flu vaccine and the virus is still around. We still have them in stock, all you need to do is ask at reception and they will organise a time for you to have this done.
Melissa our nurse has had her baby, a very cute little boy named Tatum. He loved the nappy trike that Eliza made for him and even tried to give it a ride!
Dr Lauren Barclay who has relocated to Brisbane has now had her second baby, a little baby girl. Congratulations to both of them and their families!
Dr Emma and her partner have bought their first home and are very excited – currently they are putting the sold sign on it.
We wanted to say thank you again to all of our patients for allowing our medical students to be a part of your care. They really appreciate the learning opportunities their placement gives them and you are all a big part in that. However, if you do feel that you would not like them to sit in on your consultation, please let reception know and your care will not be compromised in any way.
Are you heading overseas in the near – distant future? Please remember to ask your doctor about your travels and if you will require any vaccinations for the trip. It may also be advised to take a travel letter with you stating the medications you will be travelling with the doctor can also organise this for you.
May - June 2019
Flu vaccines are in! The flu is definitely getting around this year so please ask reception today if you are interested in getting yours! We are still in the process of sending out the recalls current due to the high number of recalls to send.
Maggie and Kym are back from their conference/trip to Jordan and Israel and seem to have had a fantastic time!
Dr Emma McGonigal, Dr Nitika Chavan and Dr Bronwyn Wakefield are all accepting new patients now, so if you are happy with your care and have any friends looking for a new doctor, please feel free to mention their name.
We have a vacancy for a Part-time registered nurse at the practice – if you might be interested please talk to Cassie at reception.
As I’m sure you all would know that we are a training practice and host medical students frequently at the practice. We would like to say thank you for allowing the student to participate in your consultation. They really appreciate the learning experience you provide to them by allowing them to be a part of your care. If you would not like the student to participate in your consultation today please let reception know and please be assured that your care will not be compromised in any way.
March 2019 - April 2019
We hope all of our patients stayed safe during the floods in Townsville in February. Quite a few of you may have been affected and all of our thoughts are with through these trying times. If you are finding it difficult please remember to speak with your GP about it.
Flu vaccines are expected to arrive early to mid-April and we will be sending out our recalls either via letter or text message in batches once the vaccines arrive. We hope to run a few flu clinics again to get through the majority of the vaccines. If you are travelling and would like to get your vaccine before leaving, please ring the surgery.
We have enjoyed having Sebastian in our practice for six weeks, he is a fifth year medical student and says he learnt heaps! His place has now been taken by Megan - she comes from a sheep station!
Maggie and Kym are going away over April/May and are heading to Jordan and Israel, we wish them safe travels! Julie, Cassie, Trish and Eliza all have some time off over the these two months, details of their adventure will be in next issue! Sofia our junior receptionist is now in her fifth year of medicine and now working through her rotations at the hospital and in the community, she has also been cat sitting for Maggie!
We have a vacancy for a Part-time registered nurse at the practice, if you might be interested please talk to Cassie at reception.
Easter is around the corner, we suggest you indulge in too much chocolate and stay safe over the break!
January 2019 - Febuary 2019
Happy New Year! It's been good to see some rain, we hope the weather cools down soon!
We enjoyed having Dr Natalie Edgar help us out over Christmas. Her daughter, Ashley, also started training as a junior receptionist. They enjoyed walks up Castle Hill, along the Strand and spent a few days on the island while they were here.
Dr Fran was in Switzerland for Christmas, she now has four cats (!) and is moving to another practice in January to further her post-graduate specialist training.
Dr Emma McGonigal is joining us in January for the next twelve months, she is also doing specialist training in general practice. More about her in the next newsletter.
Dr Nitika had a great trip back to India she has some wonderful photos of her family at the Taj Mahal! She and her children also enjoyed being spoilt by her family!
Dr Bronwyn is returning from maternity leave in February, everyone is really looking forward to her return. With her return we are back to full strength with our doctors and can now accept new patients. Please remember we can carry out most of your medical needs within the practice including travel advice and vaccines and skin checks.
Cassie's dog, Stanley is now a year old and is very handsome but is still chewing everything. Maggie has two new rescue cats. Kym has nicknamed one of them Ritalin as she is hyperactive!
November 2018 - December 2018
Dr Bronwyn and baby Lucy are both doing very well and Lucy is still very cute (as is Ellie!).
Dr Maggie has now returned from the UK and Venice. She had a good trip and enjoyed catching up with family and old friends at her reunion!
Kym has returned from France he also had a good time catching up with family and spent some time in Scotland as well!
Robyn will also be back by the time you are reading this. We hope she had a great trip and not to many hiccups. Fingers crossed she comes back with lots of photos and many good stories!
It's Christmas time again and this year we will have quite a few staff taking holidays. Cassie, Helen and Julie are all going to enjoy and nice little in town break. While Eliza is heading to Fraser Island to on a camping trip with friends! Dr Nitika is heading to India to see family and Dr Fran is going back to Switzerland for the first time in six years to see her family! We hope everyone stays safe over the break!!
As we will be down a few doctors over the Christmas break we will be having an old member of the Quacks team come back for a couple of weeks. Dr Natalie Edgar, Natalie was at Quacks in around 2003 and is now down South but will be coming up to help out/enjoy a family holiday up here in the heat. Natalie's daughter Ashley will also be helping out in reception from time to time.
We have some sad news. Jenny our receptionist is moving down south to Bris-Vegas. Her partner has got a job down there and they are relocating. She will be missed and has becoming a valued member of the Quacks family.
Everyone at Quacks wishes all our patients a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years. Please stay safe and well over the holiday period!!
September 2018 - October 2018
Dr Bronwyn had her baby! We welcome baby Lucinda to the world and wish the little happy family all the best until Bronwyn's return to work!
Nicky has left the Quacks family and gone back to working in the car industry. She is and will continue to be missed, we wish her the best with her new job. You will still see her from time to time as she visits.
Trish is our new receptionist, she is from Charter Towers and has moved to the big city. Trish is lovely and has many years experience in Medical Centres and just need to familiarise herself with our practice. Trish has two children and likes to get her hair and nails done!
We also have a new nurse! We welcome Chris to the team. Chris is a very experienced nurse, first doing her Enrolled Nursing and more recently becoming a Registered Nurse.
Dr Maggie has now left for the UK and Kym is soon to leave for France. more details about their trips and the family wedding next issue!
Nurse Robyn is off on the camping trip of a lifetime over to Western Australia in the new car!! She will be seeing the sights, visiting; Darwin, Litchfield, the Kimberley's, Broom, Perth then heading home. Safe Travels Robyn and John!!
July 2018 - August 2018
Dr Bronwyn is now on maternity leave and soon have her bubba, further details in the next issue!! Currently she is due back in the early months of next year but we will update you as time goes on.
The practice recently went through our accreditation and everything went well. You should hopefully see our new certificate on the wall in the next few months.
Dr Nitika had a lovely time with her family travelling up the Daintree. She bought back some really nice teas and hot chocolates!
Maggie is going to the UK for her class reunion then travelling back through Perth to meet Kym for their nephews wedding. Kym is then off the France for a few weeks to see his brother. Safe travels to them both and we hope they enjoy reminiscing over good memories and make many more!
Robyn is off in September on a trip around Australia! They will be spending majority of the time in Western Australia. We hope they have a safe trip and enjoy the Journey.
One of our long term staff members has left the Quacks family. Yvette has retired, we are very sorry to see her go and she will be missed but we hope she enjoys retirement. You may still see her face for the odd shift at the practice for relief work.
Just a reminder that even though winter is over, we are still mid flu season. If you have not had your flu vaccine yet it's not too late.
May 2018 - June 2018
In case you hadn’t noticed Dr Bronwyn Wakefield is pregnant! Ellie is not sure if she will have a little brother or sister soon and neither are we! Haha! She is due in mid-August and will be on maternity leave for several months after she has bub.
Dr Fran Von Canning’s mum spent two weeks in town visiting from Switzerland; they had a nice relaxing visit from her and will be off to see her over there over Christmas.
Maggie is planning on going to the UK later in the year and Kym is off to France – more details about their trips will be in the next issue.
You may have noticed that we’ve had a few different nurses on as of late. We have now employed Melissa who graduated nursing and midwifery last year! She has three young children and likes touch football.
We would like to thank Eliza (our casual) and Lorelle (who has somewhat done a bit of a locum placement for us while we have been short) for all the time they have put in ensuring that we were never left short!! You will still see Eliza and Lorelle’s faces as they continue to do casual work when needed.
Julie is grandma again to a beautiful little boy, who is already 8 weeks old! How time flies!!
The practice surveys are still going at the time of writing, and if you have the time we would really appreciate your participation in letting us know how we can do better.
Winter is coming and the cool weather has already begun, as well as that the germy events like The Townsville Show and the V8’s are soon to be in town so we hope you all stay well over the next few months and if not you know where to find us (Haha).
March 2018 - April 2018
Yvette and Helen have returned from India – they had a great time and have lots of photos. We are waiting to see yet another of their famous photo books.
Maggie and Kym have also returned from their travels to South America – they had a lovely time and in total went on 17 flights!! Photos are also pending.
Robyn shopped till she dropped in Melbourne and went a little south to an awesome chocolate factory! But didn’t bring back any samples!!
Dr Franziska Von Canning (Fran) has now well and truly settled into the practice and we are enjoying having her here! She now has a fourth cat and is getting closer and closer to being a crazy cat lady!
Cassie has moved into her new house! She and her puppy, Stan are loving it! Stan particularly loved the puddles in the yard with all that rain!
It’s great to see our dam on the full side again and hoping it stays that way for many years to come!!
We would like to thank all patients that participated in the practice surveys – we appreciate your input in showing us how we can improve your visit to Quacks! If you haven’t filled out a survey and would like to then please ask reception to see if the survey is still running. If not – feel free to write any suggestions down and place in the suggestion box.
We all hope everyone had a great short break over Easter and stayed safe especially on the roads.
January 2017 - Febuary 2018
You may have met Jenny in reception late last year. Jenny has taken on a permanent position with Quacks and you will see her in reception more frequently. Jenny has a few different jobs including painting and doggy ice cream!
Yvette and Helen are heading to India over February – we hope they have a great time seeing the history and palaces!
Maggie and Kym are away on holidays together and are going to the Galapagos’ Islands for 4 weeks over February and March – we hope they have a fantastic time!
Robyn is off to Melbourne to visit her sister, and she is going to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert - and of course shop. Have fun Robyn and don’t spend too much!
Dr Nitika Chavan will be starting to administer cosmetic "Botox" in late March at this stage. Ask Cassie at reception for details or an update.
Dr Elizabeth Dawson our registrar is now finished with Quacks and moved on to her next GP practice while she waits for her fellowship to come through. We wish her all the best in her future career.
Dr Franziska Von Canning (Fran) is our new GP registrar – Fran is right into fitness and powerlifts as a competitive sport. She is a big animal person and has three cats and two dogs!
Although Christmas has just ended, we are looking forward to Easter coming up. Has anyone noticed the hot cross buns in the shops already! Stay safe over the break especially on the roads.
October 2017 - December 2017
We would like to introduce Jenny to the reception team at Quacks – Jenny is our new casual reception and will be here from time to time for relief work. She has a few other things she does as well as working here, including a business in painting and a business selling dog ice-cream.
You may have also noticed that Bec our newer nurse is no longer here – Bec had a double degree in nursing and paramedics and unfortunately was offered her dream job, in Tasmania. We wish her all the best with her new position and further studies. It has taken us a little bit but we have now found her replacement – more details about her will be in the next issue.
Robyn did not enjoy the food in Italy as much as she had hoped, but had a great time and saw some amazing places.
Cassie enjoyed her girls cruise to PNG, she did regret not buying a drinks package!
Nicky will be away over Christmas and New Years’ for a well-deserved break and will be back mid-January.
Maggie and Kym are going to South America and Galapagos Islands for three weeks in February we hope they have a great time and come back refreshed.
Dr Elizabeth Dawson will also be finishing her placement with us in January and we will have a new GP Registrar starting – details about the new registrar will be in the next issue.
We would like to wish all of our patients and visitors a Merry Christmas and hope you stay safe and well over the holiday period this year.
August 2017 - September 2017
We would like to introduce our new nurse Bec, she has a double degree in nursing and paramedics. She has just returned from spending a year over in the UK as a paramedic. She has a very cute puppy named Mike.
Nitika went to Europe on a family holiday and had a great time!
Julie went to Africa over July and into August, we hope she had a good time over there and enjoyed her Safari.
Maggie’s brother travelled to this side of the globe with the Welch Rugby Union team’s choir and stopped in Townsville on his way back to the UK – Maggie showed him around Townsville and a lot of joyful catch up dinner were had.
Dr Elizabeth Dawson is getting married!! She will be away for three weeks in September for her Wedding and honeymoon. Congratulations Elizabeth and Sean! Elizabeth also passed her final exams and is now in the process of becoming a fellow of RACGP.
Dr Bronwyn Wakefield is back from maternity leave now and is working two half days a week at this stage. She is quite popular and booking out fast. Baby Ellie is coping quite well but keeping poor Bronwyn up late at night.
Cassie is off on a cruise with Courtney (who used to work at Quacks) and a few other girls in September. They promise not to get up to too much mischief.
Recently our vaccine fridge “spat the dummy” and cooked our vaccines! All vaccines have now been replaced and the new fridge has been installed. We apologise if you were inconvenienced during this time. We’d like to remind you that we keep supplies of most travel vaccines (and can quickly be order unusual ones) and would encourage you to see one of our doctors at least 6-8 weeks before any planned overseas trip. We also give all baby and childhood immunisations and these are routinely bulkbilled.
June 2017 - July 2017
Flu vaccines are now available at the practice, we also have stock of the government funded shingles vaccine for 70 – 79 year olds - please ask your doctor about getting these vaccines today!
Waiting room wifi is once again up and running – ask the girls at reception for the password and enjoy free wifi while you wait.
Karen went to America in April with her husband – they had a great time and came back slightly jetlagged.
Julie is off on to Africa in July, we hope they have a fantastic time on their safari and stay safe.
You may of noticed the collection box on the front counter for Kacey – Kacey’s family are long term patients of the practice and Kacey has unfortunately been diagnosed with Leukemia. All donations are going directly to her parents to help them stay in Brisbane at the children’s hospital while she undergoes Chemotherapy.
If you are planning an overseas trip please remember to visit the surgery to arrange your travel vaccinations and a medication letter for customs. We also have a usb bracelet available to keep all of your important documents (including copies of your passport) safe and any medical information you may require in case of emergency. Ask your doctor about this in your travel appointment.
April 2017 - May 2017
Flu vaccines are a little delayed for everyone this year. We hope to receive them by mid-April. Normal recall letters will go out when they are in stock - if you would like to receive your notification via text message, please advise the reception staff to organize this.
Dr Bronwyn Wakefield had a little baby girl. Her name is Eleanora, she was a little baby and is extremely cute – picture proof is on the front desk counter top!
Maggie went to India for a conference in February, she had a lovely time and has said the conference was very well organised.
Helen and Yvette have returned from there trip to Sri Lanka, they had a good time and got to see 80 – 100 elephants in the wild and a leopard!!
Our reception Bec (now Dr Rebecca Webber) got married on Magnetic Island in early March. It was a lovely day and a wonderful time was had by all. Congratulations to Bec and Trevor!!
You may of noticed or maybe seen our new doctor – Elizabeth Dawson. Elizabeth is an advanced GP registrar with the training program and is almost ready to "Fellow"! She is a Townsville local and is currently planning her wedding for later in the year.
February 2017 - March 2017
We hope everyone enjoyed themselves and stayed safe over the holiday period.
Most of the staff here went away or had some time off during the break;
Maggie and Kym had a very nice relaxing time over Magnetic Island for Christmas.
Julie took the caravan to Airlie beach in between Christmas and New Year and had a nice time “caravanning”.
Nicky had the time off between Christmas and New Year and spent it catching up on thing and spending time with her kids.
Cassie went to Singapore and Egypt for three weeks straight after Christmas seeing two very different countries. From skyscrapers and beautiful gardens to pyramids, temples and tombs.
Robyn went to the Tablelands camping with her children and great grandchildren, they had a great time at Lake Tinaroo.
Dr Bronwyn went to Brisbane and spent some quality time with her family for her last child free Christmas.
Bronwyn is due to have her baby in early March and we cannot wait to meet the little one.
Bec (now Dr Rebecca Webber) and Dr Lauren Barclay have now both finished with the quacks team, we miss them already and wish them all the best for the future.
Dr Elizabeth Dawson is our new registrar, Elizabeth is in her final year of training and is sitting her exams in Late February of this year. Good Luck Elizabeth!
We have a new medical student as the JCU term commences, medical students will be with us throughout the year and we would like to thank all of our patients for allowing them to learn by being a part of your care.
December 2016 - January 2017
We would like to congratulate Bec for completing her medical degree!! She has been with us since she was a first year medical student. We would also like to congratulate all the JCU graduates as they start the next chapter of their lives.
Dr Lauren Barclay will also be leaving the Quacks Family in January and will be moving her own little family down to Sydney!
Both Bec and Lauren will be missed and we wish them both the best with their future endeavors.
Special congratulations are in order for Dr Bronwyn Wakefield – who is pregnant and due in late February! Congratulations to Dr Bronwyn Wakefield and her husband, Phillip! We cannot wait to meet the little one!
In January we will have a new doctor starting with us, Dr Elizabeth Dawson. Elizabeth is GP Registrar on the training program and has been working in Ayr – more about her next issue!
With Christmas around the corner there are quite few people at Quacks going on holidays, Robyn is off to the Tablelands with her family for the holiday period. Karen is heading to Melbourne for an early Christmas with one of her daughters then off to Tasmania with her husband. Nitika and her family are going to India and Cassie is heading off to Egypt on a Contiki tour. We hope they all enjoy their trips! We will update you on how they went in the next issue.
Maggie has by now long returned from her trip to the UK, she went to three countries; Wales, England and Scotland; she had a good time and enjoyed great weather with the highlight being her nieces wedding at a 14th century farm house!
As we mentioned last issue we are now connected to the NBN – our free waiting room wi-fi has now been connected! Please talk to the girls at the front desk for the daily connection password!
The government is now funding shingles vaccines for patients between 70 and 79 – the initial supply is limited and we will be offering these to 79 year olds first as they are not available once people are 80 years old. We will be sending recall letters incrementally until full stock is available – if this applies to you, keep an eye out for your letter!
The NBN connection was a little rocky and our phone lines were affected - we would like to apologise for any inconvenience this may of caused our patients! It is seems to have resolved now, however if you are still having issues getting through then we would like to hear from you, so that we can do our best to fix the issue.
Townsville Summer is definitely back in full swing, with hot and humid days - we are crossing our fingers that this means rain soon!!
The Quacks Family wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We hope everyone stays safe and enjoys the holiday period.
October 2016 - November 2016
Bronwyn is no longer a registrar and has now fellowed with the Royal Australia College of General Practitioners - Congratulations Bronwyn!
One of our previous registrars Dr Penny Foreman has now had her first baby – Congratulations to Penny and Simon.
Maggie is heading off the United Kingdom for three weeks though October for a Wedding – we hope she has a fun, safe trip and look forward to her return.
Rebecca our casual receptionist has now gone to Innisfail for her final placement as a medical student and will be graduating Medical School at the end of the year! Keep an eye out on our website for photos!
The practice is now set up to the NBN, soon we will be offering free Wi-Fi to the waiting room to make your sometimes lengthy waiting times a bit more endurable – Keep an eye out for the connection details sign!
With Winter now over and Townsville’s warmer months coming remember to slip, slop, slap when in the sun and to stay well hydrated.
August 2016 - September 2016
Bronwyn and Phil enjoyed travelling around the coast of Tasmania on a relaxing and beautiful holiday.
Julie had a great time in Canada and Alaska; she saw a grizzly bear and got to stand on a glacier!
Robyn is back from her shoulder surgery recovery! We are glad to see her back but are very thankful to Eliza who did our relieving work! You will see Eliza more in the future I’m sure as she will be filling in where needed.
We say goodbye to Dr Jacinta Power who is off to work in Ingham, it has been a pleasure having Jacinta work with us and she will be missed!
Kym has done a very good job at installing the new server, the transition was very smooth with very few hiccups due to his hard work and preparation. We will soon have the NBN installed.
We now have an ABI monitoring device, which checks the circulation to your limbs, if you have diabetes or a heart disease; please ask your doctor about having this done.
If you are travelling overseas in the near future, remember to discuss travel medicine with your doctor as you may require vaccinations prior to your trip!
June 2016 - July 2016
Flu vaccines are now in full supply; if you have not had yours yet please speak to reception.
We have a few staff holidays coming up; Cassie is going to Airlie Beach for a wedding in June,
Bronwyn is going to Tasmania for a week and Julie is off to Canada for a month!
Robyn will be a grandmother again soon – Sharna tells us the baby is a girl.
Robyn is having shoulder surgery in May, Eliza will be working in her place while she is recovering.
Eliza has a sheep named Mary, they have just bought another sheep named Joseph, we anticipate the arrival of a lamb named Jesus around Christmas time!
Kym has been really busy with the installation of our new server. We are now attached to the NBN and will be able to provide free internet access for your mobile devices soon!
We welcome Neil McLeod to our complex. He is a clinical mental health consultant and has a particular interest in men’s health issues.
Remember that winter sun can still burn and remain sun safe!
April 2016 - May 2016
We hope you all have a happy Easter and stay safe on the roads if you are travelling anywhere for the long weekend! We are closed Good Friday and Easter Monday but will be opened on Easter Saturday for emergencies.
Our new doctor Nitika Chavan has now started and the practice. She specializes in women’s health and has an interest in skin excisions.
As you may have noticed, Courtney is no longer behind the front desk. She is now working for one of Townsville’s specialists, so you may still see her around. She will be missed dearly and we wish her all the best in her future employment.
We would like to welcome our new receptionist, Nicole, to Quacks. Nicole has two children and enjoys going to the movies! More about Nicole next issue!
Our current medical student, Mitchell has been working really hard since he has been with us and seems to be enjoying his time here. Thank you to all the patients who have allowed him to participate in their care.
Extra News February 2016!
We are delighted to welcome Dr Lauren Barclay back to our practice! Her son, Bon is now four months old and dad, Peter is providing child care while Lauren is working. Lauren is particularly interested in carrying out screening for skin cancers, minor skin surgery and is now an expert on managing minor problems to do with young babies!!!
Our current medical student, Sarah has been working really hard since she has been with us and seems to be enjoying her time here. Thank you to all the patients who have allowed her to participate in their care. Ps she makes “killer” chocolate brownies!
Dr Nitika Chavan will be starting in our practice soon. She and her husband have moved up here from Sydney with their two children. Her husband is the director of the paediatric intensive care unit at The Townsville Hospital. Nitika’s particular interests are in women’s health, she has a lot of experience in this area.
Hopefully the weather will cool down soon. Please stay well hydrated and we are praying for rain to fill our dam!!
February 2016 - May 2016
We hope you had a joyful Christmas and wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year!
Maggie and Kym cruised to New Caledonia and Vanuatu over the break. They went snorkeling, watched onboard shows and ate a lot! They also witnessed an emergency helicopter evacuation.
Courtney went down to Brisbane to spend time with her family. The weather was much cooler!
Dr Peter Kristensen has now finished at our practice. We enjoyed having him here and wish him all the best for the future!
We now have a new registrar starting at the Practice who will be working with us part-time. Dr Jacinta Power is a JCU Graduate, born in Bowen. She has a three year old son and enjoys exercise and going to the gym in her spare time!!
December 2015 – January 2016
Dr Lauren Barclay has had a baby boy!! Bonfiglio was born on 22/9/15, and both mum and bub are doing well.
Robyn is travelling to Melbourne in December to visit her sister. They plan to shop, eat and be merry!
Our Practice Christmas party this year was held at Zizzis Italian Restaurant. We all enjoyed the fantastic food and great company!!
The surgery toilets have had a transformation - you will now notice that both toilets are unisex easy access, each with a baby change table. As there is no inner door now, the lock is now on the entry door. Please make sure to use this when entering the toilets.
Summer is coming quickly – please make sure you SLIP SLOP SLAP and drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Mozzies will also be out and about, remember to cover up and use repellent.
All of the staff at Quacks wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year. Stay safe over the holidays!
October 2015 – November 2015
Dr Lauren Barclay will be finishing at this Practice on Tuesday 15th September. She will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best with the birth of her first child and the future to come!
We now have a new registrar, Dr Peter Kristensen who will be working with us fulltime. Peter is married with three beautiful children and in his spare time likes to play footy.
Dr Wakefield passed her exams and had a great retreat at Lake Eacham. Congratulations!!
The surgery had accreditation in July and passed with flying colours!!
Maggie has now been living in Australia for 40 years!! She celebrated with a trip to Ayres Rock and had a really great time!
If you are planning a not-for-profit fund-raiser or function anytime soon, we are happy to display your flyer on our waiting room TV screen. Please enquire with the girls at the front desk.
June 2015 – September 2015
Flu vaccines are now in full supply, so if you have not had it yet please speak to reception to get yours today.
Yvette has been to Sydney on holidays. She had a great time.Maggie had a great trip to Edinburgh, Paris and the south of France. She spent two weeks walking in the Mountains where there’s still snow and glaciers present!
Julies possums are now ready to be released into the wild. She is really missing them.
Karen and Helen and both away during August and September, we hope they have a blast during their time off, even though Karen may be spending her break moving house!!
There was an article in the last newsletter about Shingles. A vaccine is currently available for this although currently rather expensive. It is recommended for over 50’s and hopefully will be government funded soon.
Just a reminder that we accept all credit and debit cards including AMEX and can arrange online claiming so your Medicare rebate is paid directly to your account.
April 2015 – May 2015
You may have wondered why our practice is called “Quacks”. We owe this to Shaun Maloney who wrote our original front desk program in the early 90’s and though this was an apt program name! Shaun died recently after a prolonged fight with cancer. Our thoughts are with his wife, Kathy and their family. His memorial is the practice name.
Flu vaccines should be in full supply by mid-April so if you have not had it yet please speak to reception to get yours today.
We are missing some of our “loan out” home blood pressure machines. If you are guilty of having one of these at home, please return it as some as possible?.
We welcome back Julie as our part-time receptionist. She will be here three days a week, we are delighted to have her back.
We will continue to host medical students in our practice this year. They are very appreciative when patient’s allow them to be involved in consultations. Thank you!
February 2015 – March 2015
We hope everyone enjoyed Christmas and New Year; I know we all did (some a little bit too much!). Most of us managed to get away at some stage over the break, travelling to Brisbane to see the Outback Spectacular, to Magnetic Island for the theatre restaurant or going camping.
We would like to welcome a new team member. You may already of met our new RN Karen Walton, who has five adult children, loves going to Magnetic Island and make delicious rum balls.
Bec, our casual receptionist, past all her exams and is now a fifth year medical student, Congratulations!
Dr Karyn Charles has been transferred with the RAAF to Tindal in the Northern Territory – we’ve enjoyed having her here for the past 18 months and wish her all the best with her new posting.
December 2014 – January 2015
Robyn has returned from her road adventure through South Australia and Northern Territory, had a great time and did a few self-directed tours around Ayres Rock, Barossa Valley and more.
Courtney went to Brisbane to visit her family, got to catch up on some shopping and went to the beach.
Cassie also went to Brisbane due to her nephew’s heart surgery, he has recovered well and is happy to have acquired a new puppy from the experience.
We would like to thank you for welcoming our medical students and allowing them to take part in your care, this has contributed towards Quacks receiving the award for outstanding teaching throughout North Queensland.
Dr Kym has recently been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Australian College of Tropical Medicine. Congratulations!
Kym and Maggie are going to Paluma for a 3 day course about identifying rain forrest plant at the end of November.
We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year, stay safe over the break.
October 2015 - November 2015
Bec, our casual receptionist is back from almost three months away. She spent 4 weeks in America on holidays, had a great time and enjoyed amazing food before returning back to Australia to go on her fourth year medical placement in Bowen for 8 weeks.
Courtney’s mum came to visit for a weekend, they went to the Cowboys vs. Broncos game and caught up with a lot of family.
Helen will now be back from America, we hope she had an amazing time over there!!
Nurses Robyn and Kim’s Birthdays are both in October, Robyn will spend her birthday travelling between South Australia and the Northern Territory. They hope to do many interesting tours on their trip.
We now have the Meningococcal B vaccine for adults and children as well as the vaccine for shingles for anyone who is over 50 who has previously had chickenpox or shingles. Please ask at reception for pricing if interested in either vaccine.
August 2014 - September 2014
Sister Kim Osgood had a fantastic trip to New Zealand visiting her family. Her husband dreams of moving there and breeding Alpacas, we will keep you updated with his progress on this.
Bronwyn by this time will have moved into her new house, we hope the move goes well and they settle in quickly.
Robyn went camping at Crystal Creek with her grandchildren over the school holidays and discovered a swimming area she was not aware of.
Leandra placed 2nd and 4th in her horse competition in July.
Courtney will be back from her trip up the cape by the time you are reading this. Ask her of her adventures!
Helen and Yvette are doing a twelve day tour of the Kimberly region, we hope they stay safe and have a great trip.
Rebecca has returned from America safely, she enjoyed her three week trip especially the food!!). She is now on a med placement in Bowen before returning back to Townsville in September.
We are enjoying having our medical students here for more time during the week and thank you very much for allowing them to participate in your consultations.
June 2014 – July 2014
Winter is definitely here, don’t forget to get this year’s flu vaccine.
Courtney was a bridesmaid at her friend’s wedding in Airlie Beach – the weather was perfect and it was a beautiful wedding.
Robyn spent Easter on Magnetic Island with her family and grandchildren – she had a great time.
By this time Sister Kim Osgood will be back from New Zealand. She has gone over for a three week trip to see her family and we hope she is having an amazing time!
Great News! Dr Karyn Charles will be staying with us for a further six months past July. We look forward to having her here for that extra time!
January 2014 - April 2014
This year’s flu shots are now available. Please ask at reception about yours today.
We welcome Leandra to the team, our new part-time receptionist. She loves spending time with her three kids aged 5 – 10 and enjoys horse riding.
If you would like a full skin check please consider as appointment with Dr Lauren Barclay, who spent 6 months in a specialised skin clinic.
All the women in the practice attended the International Women’s Day Breakfast together again. This year we heard guest speaker Jeff Buchanan (UN Women) who spoke of the violence against women in PNG and what they have achieved in making it a safer place.
A 91 year old lady has an interest in repairing and doing up dolls and giving them to charity. If you have any dolls you are willing to give to a good cause, please give them to reception.
October 2013 - January 2014
Dr Bronwyn Wakefield has been here for a couple of months already. She and her husband Phil enjoy car racing and have a maltese called Annie.
Dr Lauren Barclay is now an expert on skin cancer treatment, having worked for six months in a specialised clinic. She spent a months back in Canada recently and missed out on New Years Eve as she was flying!
Dr Jade Acton (Former medical student and receptionist) got married in Perth recently and has finished her specialist obstetric training.
Dr Tracey-Belle Ballais (also former medical student and receptionist) is planning her wedding in May!
Robyn has spent a month in Vietnam and Cambodia, we are waiting to hear her tales.
Courtney survived sky diving in Brisbane and Cassie survived water boganning at New Year (ask her for details).
March - May 2013
Julia (one of our very part-time RN’s) got married recently in Emu Park. Lovely wedding in a really old church – Maggie and Kym were delighted to attend.
Julie lost her pet bird but was ecstatic when it was returned – ask her for details!
Dr Kate Gibson has recently had her third daughter, Grace Charlotte. Congratulations Kate and Pete!!
This year JCU have changed medical student placements – currently Skye is with us for six weeks – she is an ex-national level swimmer (breast stroke) and now teaches swimming.
Courtney is now a skilled wake boarder after her trip to Brisbane.
January - Febuary 2013
Maggie and the practice staff attended an International Women’s Day breakfast in March. This years event was about violence against women, Sally Sara was the guest speaker, it was interesting to hear about her experiences in Afghanistan and the women and children experience of everyday life.
Cassie and Courtney both had a week off in January. Cassie went to Magnetic Island, had a great time at the beach or in the pool. Courtney travelled to Brisbane to see her family. She went to Keith Urban’s concert while she was there and loved it.
Dr Chloe Aquilina is our GP Registrar. As mentioned in previous issue, Chloe is from Innisfail and loves baking. She has two guineapigs named Pepper Pig and Sophie, and has a cat named Max. Chloe is available to see you for consultations and may have a shorter waiting list than the other doctors. Please consider this option when calling for an appointment.
Flu vaccines are now available – the actual vaccine is free if you are 65 or older or have certain medical conditions. Please ask one of our RN’s for details.
November - December 2012
Maggie has returned from her cooking tour in India, she enjoyed her trip, her and Dr Katrina Gmach learnt some amazing recipes and did quite a bit of shopping.
Kim the nurse would have received her RN’s by now, congratulations Kim!!
Courtney, Julie and Yvette have all had great holidays and they were all missed in their absence and we are glad they all returned safe.
Robyn has a new granddaughter, Olivia she is doing well and is extremely cute! Congratulations Carly.
Courtney has purchased a new car and is very excited about its arrival. It should well and truly be here by the time this newsletter comes!
Dr Lauren Barclay finishes her placement with us in late January, it has been lovely having her here and she will be much missed. Taking her place in January will be Dr Chloe Aquilina, more details about Chloe in the next issue!!
Summer has well and truly arrived – make sure you are sun safe, that you drink sufficient fluids and go easy on the booze. Have a wonderful and very safe holiday period!
-Xmas trading hours: We may open for limited hours over the Christmas period – please check the notice on door and answering machine message closer to the time.
September - October 2012
Kim our nurse is back from her placement at the cardiac clinic at TTH and is now an expert on ECG’s, she will soon be an RN. Kim also has a new granddaughter and a grandson on the way!
Julia our casual RN has had her baby boy, he is very cute! Congratulations.
Yvette went down to Brisbane to see Jersey Boys and was very impressed with the show. Lauren traveled to PNG to visit a friend and received her recreational dive certificate and now has her permanent residency in Australia.
Maggie, Yvette, Courtney and Julie all have holidays coming up over October and November – all the details of those trips will be in the next issue.
Past registrars Dr Penny Foreman and Dr Kate Gibson have both completed their clinical exams and achieved their fellowship through RACGP, Penny received two awards one for the highest result in Queensland and the second for the highest result in Australia! Congratulations Penny who also recently married Simon, we are awaiting wedding photos for our website.
Both Cassie and Kim’s partner were involved in nasty motor vehicle accidents – his truck and Cassie’s car are both write offs but luckily neither received any serious injury. Please take extra care on the road!
July - August 2012
Lauren and husband Pete bought a unit, Giorgio the cat is very comfortable there. We are delighted to welcome back Julie as our part-time receptionist. She already knew the ropes! Julia our very part-time RN is now obviously pregnant – congratulations, bump is going well. Our current and past staff enjoyed a breakfast together recently, Maggie made a delicious meal!! Yvette had some well deserved time off and Robyn has her house back to herself again – her daughters house is finally finished. We have had both first year medical students and work experience students in the practice as well as our regular fifth year students. All the students comment on how the patients make them feel welcome – thanks everyone! Martin (Deuble – final year medical student who did an 8 week placement with us earlier in the year) got married – his wedding dance is very impressive – should be on our website soon.
May - June 2012
Dr Lauren has married Pete - she spent two weeks before the wedding with family members from Canada. Pete and Lauren went sailing in the Whitsundays for their honeymoon. Congratulations - wedding photos are on our website.
We enjoyed having Martin Deuble (a final year medical student) for an eight week elective placement - he has done some work on our website, helped move furniture and made a yummy lunch. He really appreciated seeing patients independently and feels he learnt a lot.
Flu needles are still available - please ask any of our staff.
Our new practice nurse is Kim who has five children and helps run a family business - busy lady - we hope you enjoy working with us.
If your receive an SMS reminder for your appointment and need to cancel or reschedule this please PHONE as we do not receive SMS replies.
March - April 2012
Flu vaccines are now available - we are gradually sending out recall letters but if you are reading this and have not yet had your annual vaccine please ask one of our nursing staff. Lauren is getting married on 14th April to Peter who is an engineer and hails from the Burdekin - they are also buying a flat and looking forward to moving in with their cat, Giorgio. Maggie has a final year medical student for an eight week elective - Martin is a Townsville local and is also getting married soon. By the time you read this Cassie will have had her tonsils out - at last! Courtney went to Brisbane, did lots of shopping and spent time with family and friends. Maggie enjoyed a short trip to Sydney and went to the Picasso exhibition - she and Kym also went to the Gold Coast - for a diabetes workshop rather than leisure@ We are continuing to get some really impressive results from the "wave chair" - please ask for a leaflet about this - trial treatments are available on request.
August - September 2011
After the cyclone we hope you all survived the "V8s" and the Townsville Show.
Jo, our new practice nurse is a car fanatic and really enjoyed the V8’s. She is also a whiz at putting up drips.
Dr Penny is off to Ayr for the next six months and we are delighted that Dr Kate Gibson is returning to our practice. She has been working at TTH doing psychiatric and palliative care, we are looking forward to picking her brains on these matters! She has just had a holiday to Tasmania – hope she didn’t freeze.
Our fifth year medical students Robert (with Maggie) and Kevin (with Kym) are moving onto other practices – their places will be taken by Lauren (with Maggie) and Laura (with Kym). We’ve also hosted some first year medical students, many thanks to all the patients who have allowed them to participate in their care.
Maggie and Kym are off to UK and Portugal in September for three weeks and Robyn, Cassie and Karen have also booked holidays in this time.
Please remember GP Management Plans if you have a chronic, complex condition(s) – these allow you to access medicare rebatable allied health professionals.
April 2011 - May 2011
We hope that everyone has recovered from the Brisbane floods and cyclone Yasi. Our thoughts are with all the people affected by the recent disasters in New Zealand and Japan.
Jessica is going well, she likes to spend her time shopping (maybe a bit too much!) She recently passed her driving test, watch
out Townsville!
Dr Penny recently got engaged - and you should see the ring; congratulations Penny and Simon! She recently spent a year working in Ireland and said it was a great experience! Her waiting time is currently shorter than Maggie's so please keep her in mind when making appointments.
Maggie's fifth year medical student is Robert, who was an engineer prior to doing medicine and sings as a hobby.
Kym's student is Kevin who is really enjoying his time here and appreciates patients allowing him to participate in their care.
We all (all the females that is!) attended the International Women's Day Breakfast at Jupiter's and enjoyed hearing the guest speaker Unity Dow.
Maggie went to Sydney for a Women's Health Conference and also saw the Terracotta Warriors. She also went to
Brisbane for an Implanon Training Course and managed to do some shopping whilst she was there.
Carol has moved on to fulltime employment ? her replacement is Josiane who has worked at various places in Townsville and enjoys classic cars.
February 2011 - March 2011
We hope everyone had a great Christmas and that your New Year resolutions include getting fit, quitting smoking and moderating alcohol intake!
Regretfully we have bid farewell to Michelle who is looking for new adventures- she has done a brilliant job teaching Cassie ?the ropes? over the past two years. Cassie is now acting practice manager and is currently half way through a Diploma of Management ? the course is hard work but is going well.
Carol is our new nurse and is fitting in well with our team. She has 5 children who keep her on her toes ? her daughter Talesha is our new casual junior.
Jessica has just joined our staff ? details next time!
Dr Kate has finished her current placement with us ? thanks Kate for all your hard work ? we hope your hospital placement goes well and look forward to your return in July.
Dr Penny has joined us ? her partner is a podiatrist and they have moved here from Brisbane ? more next issue!
If you are planning overseas trips this year we'd like to remind you to see us to organise vaccines, prescriptions and travel letters well in advance.
We still have the Wave Brilliance Chair which has been giving excellent results with both male and female urinary problems Feel free to tell your friends about this ? information is available from Helen or any of our nursing staff.
We are now providing routine SMS reminders for appointments ? please let us know if you do NOT want these.
October 2010 - November 2010
Maggie is back from her holiday ? she had a great trip to Macchu Picchu and the Galapagos and has come back with lots of photos and knees that still function! For her birthday the staff put together and bought her a voucher for a flying lesson ? she said she has always wanted to learn how to fly! Kym and Kate ?ran the show? while Maggie was away with some great assistance from Dr Karen Yuen. We are hoping Karen will come back and do further locum work down the track. Big thanks to everyone for their help while Maggie was away. Karen (receptionist) is off to Adelaide for a family reunion soon and will be meeting some family members for the very first time! Kym's current medical student Richard has both an older brother and a father who are both doctors ? big shoes to fill! Maggie's student, Craig, is from Canada ? he has been assisting Kate while Maggie was away.
August 2010 - September 2010
By the time that you read this Kate will have settled into the practice. She has worked for nearly two years in accident and emergency and is looking forward to experiencing general practice and continuing care of families in the GP setting rather than ?emergency? reactive medicine. Maggie leaves mid August for her trip to Machu Picchu ? she will spend her birthday with her family members there. She returns mid September. Dr Karen Yuen will be taking her place for part of this time. Karen grew up in Townsville and was Maggies first ever medical student ? she now works in Brisbane and her daughter is also a doctor! We have said goodbye to our 5th year medical students Peter and Rachel who we have enjoyed working with. We wish them well in their future studies. We welcome the new 5th year medical students Craig and Richard ? more about them next newsletter. We have also had visits from 1st year medical students ? thank you for allowing them to sit in on your consultations. Robyn went camping at Lawn Hill National Park, did lots of walking and saw some interesting indigenous rock art. She has also welcomed a delightful new grandson. Congratulations Carly and Richard. We say goodbye to Anna who has moved on to her next training position in Ingham. We have enjoyed having her here and wish her all the best. Due to numerous ?missed? appointments we will now be charging $15 if an appointment is not cancelled at least 3 hours before the appointment time. You will not be given another appointment until this fee is paid. Obviously this does not apply in emergency situations.
June 2010 - July 2010
Julie is a grandmother again ? the baby had a bit of a rough start but is going well now ? Julie also has a third grandchild due soon! Dr Anna will be moving to another practice in July to continue her post-graduate training ? we have enjoyed having her here. Her place will be taken by Dr Kate who is a JCU graduate (one of the first graduates of our local degree) and who hails from a property outside Hughenden. She has two small children and has previously done a general practice placement when she was an intern. More about her next time! We'd like to welcome Julia as a very part-time RN ? she works in a non-nursing role most of the time but is enjoying working here to maintain her nursing registration Maggie's boarder, Steve, ran a Japanese cooking class which went very well ? it was great to see Dr Chris and his partner there ? we are trying to arrange another class so that those who missed out can learn to cook sushi, tempura, teriyaki chicken and other delicacies. Karen has been on holidays to the Gold coast and did plenty of shopping and walking on the beach with her dogs. She also went to the markets at Mt Tambourine ? it is a lovely place! The revamp of Maggie's room is now complete ? Kym's room is still to be done. We are finding our new height adjustable beds very convenient. Now the weather has cooled down and the rain has stopped it is time to get out and exercise ? see you on one of the various walks around Townsville!
April 2010 - May 2010
Tracey Belle (Part time receptionist and Medical
student, see under staff link to the right) has now completed her rural
placement in Mt Isa ? she spent most of her time in the emergency department
gaining valuable clinical experience (she is now in the final year of her JCU
medical course). She also went on some ambulance trips which she enjoyed.
Karen is travelling to the Gold Coast in April to visit family and go to some of
the theme parks. Take care at ?Wet and Wild? Karen!
By the time you read this Michelle may be back from her trip to the States.
She has featured on the ?Dr Phil? show and I am sure will have lots of tales
to tell.
Maggie has a boarder who is a vet student ? his father trained with the 'Iron
Chefs' in
Maggie and the staff all enjoyed attending the International Women's Day
breakfast recently. Kym was noticeable by his absence! The guest speaker was
from Afghanistan and it made us realise how lucky we are in Australia
Our new medical students have settled in well ? Rachel (with Kym) is showing
great skill in suturing ? her father is a GP on the Tablelands. Peter
(with Maggie) really likes small children and babies and has already got a
series of young admirers! He is from Tully and hopes to practice rurally.
The seasonal flu vaccine is now available ? if you had one last year you will
get a recall letter. We are sending out recalls for those at high risk and over
65 initially. If you have had a dose of swine flu vaccine you still need
the yearly flu needle ? there should be a gap of at least 4 weeks between
these vaccines ? the seasonal flu contains ?swine flu? as one of its three
components this year.
January 2010 - March 2010
Dr Chris has left us to move onto his next training position and will be very much missed. Dr Anna has taken his place – she and her new husband Graeme are settling into their house. Graeme, who is also a doctor, is currently working in Ingham but will also be spending a week every month on magnetic Island – sounds like hard work!! Anna plans on taking up sewing again – she is still waiting for her new machine which is/was a Christmas present from Graeme!
We have new 5 th year medical students joining us in late January – Rachel Mclellan and Peter Roach– more about them next issue. Helen has returned from her trip to Italy and Europe and had a fantastic time and brought us all chocolates back from Paris. Tracey Belle and Karen did a brilliant job keeping the wave chair running while she was away – many thanks! Tracey Belle is now on her rural placement in Mount Isa until March. Ashley Blyth, one of our work experience students from last year has been accepted into medical school at JCU. We wish him all the very best for his journey through university. Michelle is going to USA in March and is busy collecting US dollar notes – all donations at front counter please! Maggie is planning a trip to Machu Pichu in South America in August for her birthday !! Congratulations to Robyn’s eldest daughter Carly, who had a delightful wedding in December – about time too Carly, after 10 years with Richard.
October - December 2009
We will be opening for restricted hours between Christmas
and New year ? at this stage between 9.30am amd 3.30pm each day ? please check by phone.
AHGP (see "After Hours in the side bar to the lefy of this page) will be open from 8am to
10pm on all public holidays.
Lesley has left her position as practice manager due to family and other commitments but
is still helping us out when needed. We very much appreciate all the work she did to help
us get through accreditation. She will be running the wave chair (with assistance
from Tracey-Belle) for five weeks while Helen enjoys a trip to Italy with her family. Michelle
is now practice manger but will still be very much present at the front desk.
Dr Chris is currently growing a ?mo? as part of ?Movember? ? this involves awareness of
men's health ? if you are a guy and reading this consider seeing us for a routine
check-up ? if you are a female consider gently bullying the man in your life to attend!!
Chris will be moving on to his next training position in January ? we will miss him but hope
to see him in the practice again down the track. His place is being taken by Dr Anna Catchpole
who is moving to Townsville from Rockhampton ? she recently got married in New Zealand
and spent her honeymoon in Canada.
Tracey-Belle (currently completing the fifth year of
her JCU medical degree) will have finished all her exams by the time you read
this ? she is currently studying hard!
Our practice now has the assistance of Paul who is a mental health nurse funded
by the government through the Townsville General Practice Network. He will be working
one half day a week ? please ask one of the doctors about his services ? there is
no cost involved if you see him.
If you have not yet had your ?swine flu? vaccine please ask about this ? it is
currently available at no out of pocket cost for everyone 10 years or older.
Have a great Christmas and New Year and stay healthy !
August - September 2009
We are half way through the year already - we
hope that 2009 has been a happy and healthy year for you so far - now that Dr
Chris has joined us it should be easier to get appointments !
We are now into cold and flu season - remember that the best treatment for the
common cold is COMMON SENSE. Frequent handwashing is your best method for
reducing your risks of becoming infected.
Robyn had a week off to visit the Undara Lava Tubes and Yvette enjoyed a week on
the Ghan (Adelaide to Darwin). Michelle spent her time off relaxing and
finishing settling into her new house.
By the time you read this we will have completed accreditation - all seemed to
go well. Our 5th year med students (Sneha with Maggie and Jamie with Kym) have
now finished their time with us - we wish them all the best in their on-going
studies. Peter (with Maggie and Chris) and Kavitha (with Kym) start soon and
will be with us for two eight week terms. You may have noticed some 1st year med
students with Maggie recently - this is just their introduction - many thanks
for allowing them to participate in your consultations. If you have problems
with your "waterworks" (this includes the guys!) the "wave
chair" may help - please ask for a brochure and details.
June - July 2009
If you have not yet had your annual flu vaccine please consider having this now! Our practice is due for re-accreditation soon – this occurs every three years and we have “passed” on the three previous occasions. Thanks to everyone who filled in a survey recently – this is a part of the requirements.
In mid July Dr Chris Stelmaschuk will be joining us – he is a “local” and a JCU graduate and has been doing advanced training in mental health at TTH. He is working towards his general practice fellowship and is keen to consolidate his procedural skills.
Congratulations to Maxine on the birth of her baby boy - she will be back at work mid-July. We have a new psychologist working out of our rooms – Naomi has over 10 years experience in this field and is happy to help with a wide range of issues. She and her husband recently relocated from Cairns. Doreen is back seeing clients after spending some time with her daughter in Sydney and with her son in Hong Kong – lucky duck !
Cassie’s studies are going well.
If you have problems with urinary leakage the “wave chair “may help – ask for an information leaflet or discuss this during your consultation.
The government has recently introduced a “Healthy kids check” to be done at the time of the four year old immunisations. If your child missed this please ask one of our nurses – they are carrying out the checks and can be done up until the age of 6.
April - May 2009
Kristi has now finished her "gap" year and has left Quacks to start her university course – we wish her well with her studies. We have organised a staff Thai cooking course at “De Studi” soon to formally say au revoir to Kristie – we are looking forward to enjoying our culinary efforts at the end!
Kristi's replacement is Cassie Lewis, a Townsville local who will be doing "Junior Certificate III in Business" at Jobtrain as part of her initial training at Quacks. Her favourite food is chicken cacciatore and she has a 7 year old “puppy” called Rex.
Our new medical students are settling in well – Sneha comes from a medical family and her suturing is improving rapidly – she takes very good histories! Jamie is local and is fluent in Chinese which confuses kym when Kym cannot understand the conversation! He is also becoming very good at suturing.
Helen is enjoying the job and lerning heaps! She has recently been off to the Townsville Hospital learning all about bladder and continence testing.
All the staff went to breakfast before work at a recent Women’s Day function held Jupiters.
The flu vaccine has arrived early this year and we have plentiful supplies – if you did not get a recall letter and would like to receive the vaccine please ask at reception. The vaccine itself is free for everyone aged 65 or over – we will write a prescription if you are under this age and have a pension or health care card. If you are not over 65 we have supplies in the vaccine 'fridge available to purchase, so you don't need to get a prescription and go to the chemist.
Various staff members (both from “our side” and from the “other side”) have been spotted with hair of weird colours or extremely short – this was in aid of “shave for a cure” for the Leukaemia Foundation. Maggie had a bright blue patch. To date we have raised over $2,500. Further donations at the reception desk would be very welcome!
January 2009 - March 2009
We hope you had a joyful Christmas and wish everyone a safe and healthy New Year.
Robyn took some time off and went camping ? she is also getting fit riding her new bike. Michelle is now a proud aunt ? her niece is called Hunter.
Yvette also had some time off. Kathy (Pietas mother) helped us out over the holiday period as did Pieta and Tracey-Belle ? many thanks to you all.
Both Pieta and Tracey-Belle passed all their university exams ? congratulations ? Pieta is in the second year of her engineering degree ? Tracey Belle is now a 5th year medical student. Kristi has been accepted into JCU and starts at the end of February ? we are currently recruiting her replacement.
Our new medical students are Sneha with Maggie and Jamie with Kym ? more information next time.
We'd like to welcome Helen Lazzaroni to our team. She is mainly responsible for looking after patients using the ?wave chair? but may also do some general reception work. Helen is a local and has three teenage boys.
The wave chair is going well with some impressive results ? ask for an information pack.
We're also pleased to announce that ?Townsville PhysioCare? has commenced operations next door. Katharina Dallmeyer is working with Amanda Campbell and Keirra Lamb ? bookings by phone or on line www.bookitlive.com.au/physiocare_townsville_kirwan . Their rooms look great - pop in and have a look!
October - December 2008
The practice has acquired a “Wave Brilliance” chair which is used to treat problems such as loss of urinary continence. Although this equipment has been in Australia since 2000 it has not been available north of Rockhampton until now. Treatments (normally three times a week for 5-6 weeks) last 25mins - the patient sits on a comfortable chair fully clothed. Please ask for a brochure or speak to one of our practice nursing staff who have all been trained to use “the chair.”
All the staff recently enjoyed a flower arranging class courtesy of Peg Holborn from “Silver Wattle” – watch for impressive Christmas centrepieces!
You may have noticed lots of building activity next door – Katharina Dallmeyer, an experienced physiotherapist, is opening a practice at the beginning of December with two new graduate colleagues. More information next time.
We hope you have a healthy and happy Christmas and New Year – we will remain open throughout this period apart from Public Holidays. Out of hours care will continue to be available through After Hours General Practice.
August - September 2008
Maggie and Kym had a wonderful trip to the Amazon and managed to catch piranhas rather than being caught. We are really grateful to both Dr Katrina Gmach (from Sydney) and Dr Jenny Pryor for “holding the fort” so ably while we were away. Katrina really enjoyed seeing a variety of problems – we are trying to persuade her to make regular trips up here!
By the time you read this Michelle should have (finally) moved into her new house – we hope it has been worth the wait and the hassles.
Lesley’s husband, Les, recently received the Ambulance Service Medal for his work with the QAS from the Governor General – all his proud family travelled to Brisbane for the presentation.
Robyn is a doting grandmother again – Jack is a little brother for Lucy and Tegan – congratulations to Todd and Caroline, Jack’s parents.
Julie is delighted that her daughter and new grand-daughter (from Darwin) are returning to Townsville for 9 months while her son in law is deployed to E Timor.
We’d like to welcome Kirsten as a casual receptionist – she is a first year medical student and did a recent placement with us.
Claire Wohlfahrt is Kym’s fifth year medical student. She seems to be enjoying her general practice exposure and is already managing to produce care plans.
Ian Condon (with Maggie) is from the Tablelands, very tall and likes fishing. He enjoys the variety of patients and clinical problems that he is seeing and his suturing is improving rapidly – we are still working on pap smears!
On line claiming from Medicare (see under billing arrangements) is going very well – we also now accept payment via American Express. Please remember that accounts can be settled over the phone using a credit card – the receipt (or on-line claiming notification) will be posted to you.
Waiting time for routine appointments is still longer than ideal. We do try to leave space each day for urgent matters – if you are unable to get an appointment and feel that the matter is urgent please ask to speak to the sister on duty. It is often impossible to sort out multiple problems during a routine 10-15 min appointment - you may be asked to return for another appointment. Procedures such as excisions or fitting of IUD’s require extra time as does the completion of Centrelink forms and insurance reports – please let reception know when you make your appointment. To allow us to give optimal care to the patient we are seeing the doctors do not take direct calls from patients – our experienced nursing staff will take your queries and we will return your call as necessary.
June-July 2008
Maggie and Kym are on leave for three weeks from 4 th August. Dr Katrina Gmach (from Sydney) will be doing a locum for the first two weeks and Dr Jenny Pryor will be available during the mornings only for the week beginning 18 th August. Please talk to reception about available appointments – we are trying to not pre-book for these weeks so that we do have appointments available for urgent matters.
Robyn has been away again – this time she went to the Northern Territory including Katherine Gorge. Julie’s younger daughter recently got married – she looked absolutely stunning!
Our medical students (Alex with Kym, and Adam with Maggie) are moving on to another practice after spending half a day a week with us for the last 6 months. Our new students are Ian Condon (with Maggie) and Claire Wohlfahrt (with Kym). Details about them next newsletter.
Maggie has also hosted three first year medical students for their introductory general practice sessions. Many thanks to all the patients who have allowed these students to take part in consultations and procedures – they really enjoy the clinical exposure – in the “olden days” medical students did not see live patients until the 4 th year of their course !
April - May 2008
We have said goodbye to Dr Jenny Pryor who is taking a break from general practice – thanks for all your help Jenny. Robyn and Julie have returned after their trips away – Robyn spent a month in Europe travelling in a campervan with her daughter – she brought us back yummy Belgian chocolates! Julie went to Darwin for the birth of her first grandchild – a beautiful little girl called Talleaha. While Julie and Robyn were away, Lesley Steel very ably filled in and we are delighted she is staying with us in the role of practice manager – all complaints and bouquets to her now please!! Many thanks Yvette for all your extra hard work while the others were away – now you can spend some time getting your new unit into shape. We now have another psychologist working out of the rooms next door – Maxine Capner is skilled in all areas of psychology with particular expertise in adolescents and children. Some of you may remember Dr Derek Bell – he was posted to Brisbane with the Army and his wife has just delivered another little boy, Patrick. Michelle’s house is well underway – it now has a roof! We have recently updated our computer system – we will soon be able to offer both on-line claiming from Medicare and SMS reminders. We do however need accurate details so please be patient while we collect Medicare numbers and contact phone details.
February - March 2008
We hope you had a happy and healthy time over the Christmas and New Year period and have made resolutions to loose weight and exercise more! There is a new Medicare item number which provides a generous rebate for a health check for both males and females between the ages of 45 and 49 ? if you are in this age group and would like an overall health review please ask for a double appointment.
You may be planning your holiday for the next year ? please remember to see us a couple of months before your trip so we can arrange any necessary immunizations and provide any prescriptions required.
Flu vaccine will be available soon ? the actual dates vary from early February to early April depending on how quickly the manufacturers are able to ?grow? it. If you had a vaccine last year you will automatically be sent a recall letter ? if you would like flu vaccine this year please tell our reception or nursing staff so we can add you to our list.
Please note that repeat prescriptions are only available in certain situations ? our guidelines will be provided at the front desk on request.
As you are aware we are short of medical staff and would ask for your tolerance if there is a delay for routine appointments ? if you feel the matter is urgent we do try to fit you in but this is not always possible in the interests of providing optimal care.
Our new medical students are Adam Parr (with Maggie) and Alexandra Stalewski (with Kym) ? more details next time.August - September 2007
Michelle Anderson has joined our practice as
senior receptionist ? she is originally from Townsville and has spent time
both in Melbourne and Darwin. Her partner is in the Defence Force and they
are building a new house.
Julie Redhead has taken on the role of part-time practice manager as well as
continuing to work as one of our practice nurses.
Yvette has spent four weeks cruising in
Alaska and Canada with her mother and her niece. We're looking forward to seeing the
photos.
We have said ?good bye? to Sheree who has left us for a full-time position.
Claus is also leaving us as from mid October to return to hospital based intern
training - his place will be taken by Dr Julia De Boos.
Dr Fifi spent three weeks doing volunteer work in West Timor? the suturing skills she learnt with us were very useful.
Maggie learnt lots about osteoporosis on her trip to Thailand, she also managed to fit in some shopping.
If you are planning an overseas trip please make an appointment a couple of
months before so any necessary vaccinations can be given before you leave. We do not carry yellow fever vaccine but will arrange for another local practice
to provide this.
We are busy giving Gardisil (the vaccine for cervical cancer) to all females
between 18 and 26 as well as girls over the age of 13 who have ?missed out?
on the schools program. Recall letters are being sent out progressively
but we are also giving the vaccine when patients attend for other matters.
Dr Jade Acton (previously a ?junior? here and now an intern in WA) is
getting married in mid November ? congratulations Jade and Max.
June - July 2007
A few changes have happened ! Dr Alan Nelson has gone to Charters Towers for six months to continue his post-graduate training and Dr Fifi is off to Proserpine Hospital. In her place we welcome Dr Claus Bader who is from Germany but did his medical training at Otago in New Zealand. He is looking at a career in either palliative care or rural general practice and enjoys tennis and fishing. All advice about good fishing spots will be appreciated !
We also welcome Dr Jenny Pryor who is an experienced GP who previously worked for the army and has done lots of surgical assisting.
We have a change of medical students – we have really enjoyed having Karen and Chris in the practice. For the rest of the year Ian Campbell (with Maggie) and Nicholas Williams (with Kym) will be at the practice for one day a week each
Our special “immunisation clinic” is now up and running on a Monday afternoon. Julie (RN) is available just for childhood immunisations by appointment and this should remove any waiting. Immunisations will continue to be available at other times.
We also carry stocks of most vaccines needed for overseas travel – please make an appointment a couple of months before your planned trip so all necessary vaccinations can be given before you leave. We do not carry yellow fever vaccine but will arrange for another local practice to provide this.
The government is supplying Guardisil (the vaccine for cervical cancer) to general practices for all women between 18 and 26 as well as anyone over the age of 13 who has “missed out” on the schools program. Limited quantities will be available initially and we are concentrating on those women who are 26 as the vaccine is not funded for people who have turned 27..
We have a new psychologist working out of our rooms next door – Gos Shahinper moved to Townsville from Sydney with his wife and 3 year old son at the end of last year. He believes in empowering his clients and unlocking their potential so they have fun. Ask us about the use of mental health plans so that a Medicare rebate is available for counselling sessions both with Gos and with Doreen Tracey.
April 2007 - May 2007
The practice building turned 30 recently – the same day as Tori, Dr Fraser’s daughter, was born. Tori herself recently gave birth to a daughter, Jessica, congratulations to Ian and Liz on becoming grandparents again.
We recently said “goodbye” to Maree and welcome Sheree in her place as our part-time receptionist. Sheree is returning to the workforce now her children have started school and enjoys music and spending time with her family .
We are considering holding a special “immunisation clinic” when one of our registered nurses will be available just for childhood immunisations – this will be by appointment and should remove any waiting. Immunisations will continue to be available at other times. We have been offering non-subsidised oral vaccination against rotavirus since late last year – we are delighted that this will now be government funded for all babies born after 1st May 2007.
The government has also announced funding for Guardisil (the vaccine for cervical cancer). The school program started in April - we will be able to provide this vaccine after 1st July for all women between 18 and 26 as well as anyone over the age of 13 who has “missed out” on the school program. We will be sending out recall letters but please ask one of our staff or doctors about this at the time of your appointment.
The other good news is that a Medicare rebate for testing for osteoporosis by doing a bone mineral density is now available for everyone aged 70 or over, male and female. Previously there was a fee of approx $70 unless certain criteria were met. If you are 70 or over and would like this test carried out please ask during your consultation.
June 2007 - July 2007
We have not had an intern for the last three
months but welcome Dr Fifi who is rotating out of Townsville Hospital as part of
her intern training. Fifi is originally from East Java in Indonesia. She spent
10 years in Melbourne and graduated from Melbourne University. She enjoys
singing, cooking and Tai Kwon Do. If you would like to know more about the
intern program please ask at the desk for an explanatory flyer which also
describes the role of registrars and medical students in the practice
The flu vaccination program started later than usual this year due to the late
arrival of the “government” vaccines – if you have not received the vaccine as
yet and would like to be immunised please ask any of our staff.
Dr Alan Nelson is settling well into the practice – he enjoys all facets of
general practice but is developing a particular interest in men’s health.
Dr Katrina Gmach was our first registrar in the early 80’s - she is now a GP in
Sydney but will be doing a brief locum for us in mid April – welcome back
Katrina !
Marianne Bonassi is now accepting patients for counselling – she is an
occupational therapist with extensive experience in mental health. Medicare
rebates are available for consultations with both Marianne and Doreen Tracey if
one of our doctors prepares a mental health plan – please ask for details. Both
Marianne and Doreen use our new rooms next door (reception is at our main desk)
Kym went to Mission Beach for a diabetes workshop and Maggie has been to both
Sydney (mental health workshop) and Melbourne (cardio-vascular risk workshop).
Julie has completed post graduate training in immunisation – we now ask her all
our questions !
If you have any suggestions about ways that we can improve our service please
speak to a staff member or hand in written suggestions to the front desk.
January 2007 - March 2007
Happy New Year!
Congratulations to Dr Darren Kennedy and his wife Tierney on the safe arrival of
Rohan in November – he weighed 3.37kg at birth.
Jade is now working as
an intern in a hospital in Western Australia.
Michelle and Shelley have both moved on – Michelle to
another practice to do the final preparation for her fellowship exams and
Shelley back to The Townsville Hospital to continue a Resident Medical Officer.
Our new registrar Alan is a Townsville
local and has three young children and an interest in sports cars. Welcome to
the practice Alan and also welcome to Shay who has taken
Melissa’s place on the front desk – Melissa has left to work in the
family business. Shay is from Melbourne and hopes to do pharmacy in the future.
She plays netball and her team has made the grand final!
Our new medical
students are Karen (with Maggie ) and Chris (with Kym) – they will be in the
practice for one day a week until mid July – more about them next time.
Maggie completed an 80km walk from Cradle Mt to Lake St Clare over Christmas –
it even snowed for her on Christmas Day !
Cassie has passed her driving
test – well done Cassie !
November 2006 - December 2006
We recently heard from Jade who is in India and
doing lots of suturing as well as seeing elephants. Claire has returned to
hospital based training and her place on the intern program has been taken by
Shelly. Shelly was born in PNG but has lived in Australia most of her life. She
is one of the first home grown James Cook University graduates and enjoys
diving, video making and bush-walking. She is looking at GP as a long term
career and particularly enjoys seeing babies and toddlers! If you would like to
know more about the intern program please ask at the desk for an explanatory
flyer which also describes the role of medical students.
Carly (with Maggie) is a 5th year student who is becoming expert at history
taking and suturing -she plays touch football and is considering obstetrics as a
future career. Daniel (with Kym) is also in 5th year - he enjoys fishing and
coaches an AFl team - his eventual aim is surgery.
Cassie has now finished her TAFE course and achieved a certificate 3 in Business
Administration -congratulations!
We are delighted to announce that we gained re-accreditation after our survey
visit in July. This is for three years but we do not intend to rest on our
laurels -if you have any suggestions about ways that we can improve our service
please speak to a staff member or hand in written suggestions to the front desk.
Maggie and Kym both learnt lots at the diabetes conference on the Gold Coast
recently- Maggie was fortunate to attend the GP Education conference in Hobart
as well. They are both off to Tasmania for 2 weeks over Christmas -the practice
will still be open with Michelle "in charge" - opening hours may be
slightly shorter during the holiday period. Have a great Christmas and watch
what you eat and drink !
July 2006 - August 2006
Lots of changes this month!
We recently farewelled Jade who has worked here on a part-time basis for 10
years. She is currently in her final year of the JCU medical degree and is off
to do a rural placement and an elective in India prior to graduation.
Luke has gone back to TTH to continue intern training - he found his time here
so enjoyable that he has applied to join the GP training program.
Darren has moved to another practice to finish his training and is busy studying
for exams. He and Tierney are also delighted to be expecting their first child
in November.
Michelle is well known to most of you - she is pleased to be back in Townsville
after her six months of "rural" practice in Maryborough. She will be
working full time - her partner Scott is helping look after Amy and Gemma.
Our new intern, Claire is a Sydney native and graduated from Melbourne before
heading north in 2006. She has just spent 3 months in Proserpine and has also
spent considerable time in Sri Lanka on a voluntary basis. She plays the
saxophone and guitar and (like Luke!) enjoys fishing.
We also have new medical students, Daniel Caines and Carly Pedersen - details
about them next time. If you have any queries about the various people working
in the practice check the laminated flyer (beside the box of newletters) which
explains their various roles and responsibilities.
We have gained extra space by renovating the old dental suite next door (behind
QML Pathology). This gives us three extra consulting rooms - initial reception
will still be at our usual front counter.
Latest news from Robyn "2" and Peter is that they have decided Whyalla
(in SA) is too cold at this time of year and are heading North again.
June 2006 - July 2006
We are please to welcome Yvette as our new
registered nurse. Maggie and Kym have both known Yvette “for ever” as
she was the sister in charge of labour ward when they worked at the old TGH!
She has spent several years in PNG and is a very experienced multi-skilled lady
– however she is still trying to “tame” our computer system!
Luke, our intern, has settled in well – he is a keen fisherman and appreciates
all hints as to good spots to take his boat. At this stage his eventual
career aim is surgery but he seems to be enjoying the variable challenges of
general practice.
Many thanks to all the patients who participated in our latest survey – this
was for accreditation purposes – our formal practice visit for assessment is
scheduled for July. If you have suggestions for any improvements to our
service please write these down and give to a senior staff member.
Robyn has returned from her trip to the
We have just received notification that there have already been four times as
many ‘flu” cases notified to date this year than average. Tropical
Public Health has suggested that ALL people consider vaccination this year.
We still have stocks of vaccine available.
Darren will be moving to another practice in July to complete his post-graduate
training (exams are due soon!) and we are delighted that Dr Michelle Vollmerhause will be coming back here after her six months in Maryborough.
April 2006 - May 2006
Our new medical students are settling in well and
beginning to do consultations on their own before being “signed off” by
Maggie or Kym. Clare (with Maggie) is from Innisfail and seems to
particularly enjoy seeing pregnant ladies and babies and helping with skin
surgery. Sharoz (with Kym) hails from
From April we will have an intern attached to our practice for three
months at a time. The interns are rotating from The Townsville Hospital
and our local general practice training program is only one of one or two other
programs in Australia to be involved. After their initial orientation interns will see patients
independently but their diagnoses and management will be confirmed by a
senior doctor. Dr Luke Craig will be our first intern – he is from Tasmania
– more details next time.
After thirteen years Robyn 2 is leaving us at Easter to become a “not-grey”
nomad. She and her husband Peter are planning a round
Our new nursing staff member, Julie, is coping with the change from a hospital
environment brilliantly – I think she was surprised by the variety of problems
that are managed in a general practice setting. Robyn 1 is off to the UK
again to visit her younger daughter who is teaching in London – you may
remember that she had her first overseas trip a couple of years ago to visit her
older daughter, Carly, while Carly was teaching in Coventry.
January 2006 - February 2006
We hope everyone enjoyed their break (even if it was short!) over the holiday season and are keeping New Year’s resolutions to exercise more and worry less! The practice celebrated its 28 th birthday in January and we were delighted to have a visit from our first ever patient that week – he is now married with a cute baby and has been living in Japan.
Kathy has left us to work at a new practice at Bushland Beach – we will still see her around as her daughter, Pieta, continues to work here on Saturday morning. In her place we’re delighted to welcome Julie. She is an experienced RN who previously worked at the Mater and enjoys walking.
Cassie seems to have caught the “shopping bug” from our other staff – she is also busy with her new horse.
We’d like to congratulate Will, Peter, Dan and Annie (who were 5 th year medical students attached to our practice in 2004). Together with the rest of their year, they recently graduated as doctors and have already started work. Will spent his final year elective in Edinburgh and made contact with Maggie’s sisters – he has gone back to Melbourne for his intern year but we hope he will “see the light” and come back north later.
Our new students are Clare and Shahroz – details about them next time !
Our practice supplies all travel vaccines as well as advice about malaria prophylaxis and other health precautions necessary. Please try to see us 4- 6 weeks before your trip so that everything can be arranged.
November 2005 - December 2005
Dr Michelle, together with her new baby Amy, daughter Gemma and partner Scott, will be leaving in January to do her “rural” term in Maryborough . Hopefully we will see her back here after six months down south. We are delighted that Dr Darren will be staying with us next year. He is enjoying teaching our medical students as well as developing his skills in minor skin surgery and mental health.Maggie is off to Kuranda for a weekend in December to facilitate a workshop in mental health – she hopes to have a ride on Skyrail.
Maree had a great holiday – she explored the wineries of WA and saw the Melbourne Cup “live”. Our “Smith and Jones” team (Melissa and Cassie) ably held the fort while she was away.
Congratulations to Dr Ian Fraser and his wife Liz – they are now grandparents (William, a son for Jonathon) and their daughter Tori recently got married in Brisbane.
A new infant immunisation schedule was introduced at the beginning of November. Oral Sabin (polio drops) has been replaced by an injectable vaccine and all children born after 1/5/2004 are now eligible for free chickenpox vaccine at 18 months of age. For more information please speak to Robyn 1, Robyn 2 or Kathy. Our practice can also supply all travel vaccines as well as advice about malaria prophylaxis and other health precautions necessary. Please try to see us 4- 6 weeks before your trip so that everything can be arranged.
We now offer “Truscreen” to increase the accuracy of pap smears. Brochures are being sent out with smear recall letters – please ask any of our staff for details.
Have a great time over Christmas and New Year – the practice will be open although we may modify surgery hours slightly. Urgent care on public holidays will be available as usual through the After Hours General Practice.
August 2005 - September 2005
Congratulations to Dr Michelle and her partner Scott. Their second child arrived safely in early July. Amy is a little sister for Gemma.We were delighted to have Becky helping us on the front desk during her recent university holidays – she says her studies in Brisbane are going well – she is also playing touch football and has just recovered from a sports related fractured wrist.
Our practice recently hosted a medical student from Sheffield in England – Olivia says she really enjoyed her taste of Oz-style general practice – she also had the opportunity to stay on a cattle property and went to charters Towers on a coach trip organised by the Australian Chamber Music Festival. Maggie and Kym went to as many concerts as they were able to fit in and thoroughly enjoyed hearing world class musicians play both old favourites and new compositions.
Our fifth year medical students from JCU, Kierran and Tamara, have moved to other practices for the rest of the year – we enjoyed having them with us and feel they became useful members of the practice. Their replacements are – Aaron (with Kym), Lorraine (with Maggie) and Mahmoud (with Darren) – some details about them next time. Thank you again to all patients who allow medical students to become involved in your care – please remember that you can always ask for a student to NOT be present.
Please remember that all our doctors are very experienced at carrying out full skin checks for skin cancers and moles. Kym’s new digital camera will record any lesions of concern for future computerised viewing and we can also now provide high quality photos for a small fee.
We now have another psychologist and a counsellor working from our room- appointments can be made at our front desk – see flyers for details.
June 2005 - July 2005
We’d like to welcome Leta as our new part-time receptionist. Leta lived in Townsville until 1989 then moved all over the place. She saw the error of her ways and moved back here to marry Steve. She is an expert face-painter with five teenage children who have acted as willing guinea pigs. She likes bushwalking and mountain climbing – we’ll blame her for the traffic congestion on the Castle Hill goat track!
We’re delighted that Michelle will be working with us part-time for the rest of the year after her second baby arrives in July. We think she is very sensible planning her delivery in the cooler weather!
Some patients may remember Darren who is joining us in July. He spent over 10 weeks in our practice as a medical student and has been working in Charters Towers since January while completing initial post-grad GP training. He is married to Tierney who is also a “local lass.” The staff are looking forward to his on-going supply of Freddo frogs!
Toni (Weller) and her partner Raj have bought a house in Mundingburra and are learning all about the joys of renovation!
We have had some minor renovations to the landscaping around the surgery – these were done by James (Maggie’s nephew from the UK) and his partner Sophie – they did such a great job that he was asked for his business card 6 times in one day !
February 2005 - March 2005
We are already well into the New Year and hope every one is keeping their New Year resolution to do more exercise!We are saying “goodbye” to Becky in mid February – she is off to Brisbane to start Uni with a view to doing veterinary science in the future – you may see her helping us out during her university vacations.
We are pleased to welcome Dr Michelle Vollmerhause (see our last newsletter) and also Dr Derek Bell who will be working with us part-time. He is a member of the Defence Force and spent 13 years with them as an engineer officer – he then completed the post-graduate medical course through Queensland Uni. He has been working around Brisbane and has now been transferred to Townsville together with his wife Olivia who is also a doctor. His interests include bushwalking, canoeing and fishing.
Kym and Maggie have again accepted fifth year medical students from JCU who will work with us for one session each week throughout the year. We will tell you a bit about them in our next newsletter.
The After Hours Medical Service charges discounted fees to members – membership is now only available through participating practices – we can arrange this for you – just ask at reception.
September 2004 - October 2004
Our new medical students are Annie
Meyer and Dan Meyers. Despite both having red hair they are not related! Annie
is from Innisfail and enjoys sport being a member of a university netball team.
Dan is a local and has a particular interest in tropical aquariums.
Townsville has been full of 'flu' and lots of other infectious illnesses. We
sometimes have problems offering an urgent appointment - if the receptionist
cannot offer you an appointment that day and you feel the matter is urgent
please ask to speak to one of our trained nursing staff (Robyn 1, Robyn 2, or
Kathy!).
Dr Toni Weller is settling well into our practice and has a lot of personal
expertise in the management of babies - her daughter will be one year old in
December!
Dr Ian Fraser (from the other side) has now returned from a big trip overseas,
his locum Dr john White is staying on while Drs Kerry and Paul have a
break.
Becky (receptionist) has finished her TAFE course in record time
-congratulations Becky! Shannon turned 18 and had a great party - Maggie and Kym
certainly enjoyed it.
Cameron Mclnnes and his wife Leonie produced a second grandchild for Robyn 2 in
May. Haley is a little sister for Jack. Robyn 1's son Todd has finally married
his partner Caroline - great dress Caroline - you looked beautiful.
July 2004 - August 2004
We are pleased to welcome Dr. Toni Weller who will be working in our practice until next year. Toni graduated from the University of Queensland and was working in Townsville when she met her husband Raj. They have spent a couple of years overseas and have now returned to Townsville with their baby daughter Anna.
Dr. Rebecca Gilbert has left us to work at TAIHS (Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service). This is her last training term and she is busy studying hard for her fellowship examinations in September.
We'd like to congratulate previous registrar, Dr. Raylea Parkes and her partner Steve on the birth of Sophie in April. They have all now left Townsville for the Sunshine Coast.
Unfortunately JCU has decided to rotate our fifth year medical students to another practice so we are losing Will and Peter. We are however getting replacement students, Annie and Dan. We will tell you something about them in the next newsletter.
If you are planning an overseas trip please come to see us a couple of months before so we can arrange necessary immunisations and make sure you have enough medications to last while you are away. We keep supplies of most travel vaccines and can arrange for those we do not routinely stock. We can also give you a letter listing your medications to show customs.
June 2004 - July 2004
It is not too late for a “flu needle”
- please ask at the desk. We also suggest “Pneumovax” for those
at higher risk – this is only required every five years.
Jade recently turned 21 and had a great party. She is currently spending 8
weeks on placement at Atherton Hospital.
Our fifth year JCU medical students, Will & Peter, are settling into the
practice – they are rapidly becoming competent at minor procedures such as
taking blood.
Maggie had a great time at “Golden Door” which is a health retreat inland
from the Gold Coast. By 8 in the morning she had done Tai-Chi, 2 lots of
stretches and up to 7 kilometres of bush walking! This was all before
breakfast!
Congratulations to Tina at Dr. Fraser’s who recently became a grandmother for
the first time.
Please remember to support our after hours service – if you do attend here we receive a record of your visit and copies of any pathology tests that might be ordered. If this service is not supported it may need to close – we encourage you to continue attending. Please ask at the desk for a membership form which entitles you to discount rates.
December 2003 - January 2004
Congratulations to Dr Helena and her partner Chen on the safe arrival of Aiden on 29/9/03. Dr Zoe is leaving us at the beginning of December to travel to South America with her partner - they have a very exciting trip planned. On her return she will be working at Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Health Services for six months. Dr Rebecca Gilbert is joining us in January – she has almost finished her post-graduate training and just has the exams to complete! After nine years Felicity has left us and will be working for Dr Lun. We hope she still drops in some mangoes!
Our practice has been re-accredited for another three years – we don’t feel we can relax however as there are so many on-going changes. All nursing staff recently attended an up-grade workshop about sterilization. Maggie went to Brisbane for a youth mental health workshop and to Hobart for a menopause congress and both Maggie and Kym went to the Gold Coast for an update on cardiovascular health.
We wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy Christmas and festive season – if urgent medical care is needed please remember to use our After Hours practice (as above). We are working there over Christmas! Please ask at the front desk for a membership form to access discounted rates.
June 2002 - July 2002
Robyn 1 had a great trip to the UK and Europe but says she would not cope with the cold weather for long. Charmaine (ex-receptionist) got married in Brisbane recently - Felicity enjoyed the wedding. Maggie is off to the UK for five weeks to visit her family. While she is away we may shorten our surgery hours. Her school is 450 years old so she is also catching up with a few 'old' school friends. Prasani is moving to the practice at Bluewater as part of her on-going post-grad training and we are pleased to welcome Raylea who has been working at the TTH since coming to Townsville from Southern Queensland earlier this year. She has just been married - her husband is an Anaesthetic Registrar. We are all concerned about the current problems with insurance against medical litigation and are hopeful these will be resolved soon. It is still not too late for flu shots but get in quickly.
April 2002 - May 2002
Robyn 1 has been at the practice for over 15 years! She is taking some well deserved long service leave to visit her daughter who is teaching in Coventry (UK). The new Medical School at JCU now in its third year so there are more and more medical students around. We have also hosted 2 students from the University of Queensland recently - many thanks to all the patients who allow students to participate in their care. Local GP's will soon be providing emergency care after 10pm as well as staffing a second after hours practice on the Douglas Campus - watch for details. Flu shots are now available. The Queensland Government provides flu vaccine free of charge to every one over 65 years. We'd also encourage all those between 18 and 30 to consider a booster shot for measles.
February 2002 - March 2002
Congratulation to Dr Monique Flores who announced her engagement (to "Croc" Pat Reidy), to Jessica Brabon (junior until February 2000) who was a Dux at Burdekin Agricultural College and to Elise who has been accepted at the Wesley INstitute for dance in Sydney. Dr Prasani Ketheesan has joined our practice - she is from Sri Lanka, trained in Russia and has worked in the UK, Sri Lanka, WA and as an anaesthetist in Townsville. If you have a complex medical condition and two or more health care providers are involved, you may benefit from a Care Plan. The cost of preparation of this is government subsidised - please enquire for details. We now offer subscription to our newsletter - ask for a form if you would like to have all issues posted to you.
December 2000 - January 2001 News
Rebecca has joined the practice as a permanent Associate now and Dr Monique Flores has joined Kym, Maggie and Rebecca as a registrar for the next six months - although she graduated from Queensland Uni, she is a "local" and has recently been working both at TGH and Kirwan hospital.
We are delighted that the after hours practice is up and running. The standard fee is $70 - discounted to $50 for pensioners and health care cardholders. The enormous strain of being one of very few practices still providing our own after hours care, home nursing home and hospital care, and continuing to work through the day has been horrendous. See the link on the left for details of how to contact the service after hours.
Flu vaccinations will be available in late February or early March - we will send out our usual recall letters but if you would like a "flu shot" and have not had one before please mention it to any of the staff.
Jade has recently returned from a trip to the UK and Japan and has been offered and accepted a place at the new JCU medical school. Congratulations again Jade !
October - November 2000 News
We have recently completed all requirements for accreditation and are pleased to announce that both practices have been accredited for three years. If you have any suggestions as to how our service could be improved further please let us know. Jade has been awarded "Dux" of Ryan school - congratulations ! Both practices will be open during the festive season - please ring for details of surgery hours which may be somewhat different at this time. We wish you a happy and healthy Christmas and a prosperous New Year .
May - June 2000 News
Ex-Staff member Nadaer Zirkzee visited recently from her current base in Brisbane. She is currently working for Dr Karen Watson who specializes in Obstetrics, Gynaecology and IVF. Nadaer's children Tegan, Ethan and Jayden are now nearly 11, 9 and nearly 8. Husband David has passed his initial 20 year servitude with Coca Cola
March - April 2000 News
We have had an eventful couple of months! Dr Ian has had further neurosurgery and is recovering well. Dr Kerry Griffin and Dr Paul Patane have returned to do his locum.
Dr Maggie spent five weeks working in the hills of East Timor - she hopes to return there mid May.
Jessica Brabon is now at Burdekin Agricultural College and Rebecca Mathews is at university in Brisbane. She has also become an aunt - congratulations to her sister Sally and parents Doug and Pat. (Doug is the dentist next door!).
Dr Ooi will be joining our practice in April. She is joining her partner who has transferred here with the ADF.
Shannon Orchard and Elise Ireland (photos later) have recently joined the team and are our new juniors at the front desk on Saturday mornings.
January - February 2000 News
Dr Rebecca Stewart is back and will be with us all year. She is already busy with pregnant ladies, skin excisions and everything else as well as trying to study for her up-coming fellowship exams.
Anyone living outside Townsville might not be aware that James Cook University now has a medical school. The first intake of students starts in February and our practice will be taking part in teaching. We will also continue to take third year post graduate medical students from the University of Queensland.Katrina is on holidays - we hope she is having a great time and getting plenty of rest prior to coming back to work. Maggie will be away from the beginning of February until the second week in March. She has been accepted to do volunteer work in a medical clinic in East Timor. Watch this space for further news!!Dr Kerry Griffin and Dr Paul Patane are returning to work for Dr Ian Fraser at the end of February. Ian is having further neurosurgery - we all hope it goes as well as last year.
Sue is off to Europe and is counting down the days till she leaves - have a great time and don't chat up too many handsome Italians Sue!
December 1999 - January 2000 News
Sue Mitchell won a trip to Brisbane to see Pavarotti and took Tina with her. Many thanks to all the patients who saved Bulletin entry forms!
The Practice will be closed for the public holidays over Christmas and New Year. We hope you have a healthy holiday; if urgent medical attention is necessary details are available on the In hours and After Hours Link in the left pane of this page.
"Quacks at Bamford Lane" is well into the bowels of the practice accreditation process. This process entails assessment (both self assessment and assessment by trained surveyors) against professionally developed standards and further improving our caring service.
For appointments with Doreen Tracey (Psychologist), ask at Maggie and Kym's front desk.
The ultrasound scanner is finally fixed!
October - November 1999
Dr Paul Patane and Dr Kerry Griffin are now working in Vietnam and have let us know that all is well via e-mail.
Year twelve exams are now approaching for Rebecca Mathews: good luck Beck!
Melanie Crowley is now in her second year JCU and has come back to work with us on Wednesday evenings - a glutton for punishment perhaps!
Speaking of punishment, the surgery was treated to a demonstration of Georgian dancing by Dr Kym (complete with fur hat) after a staff outing to see the official dance troupe!
Kelly Fitzgerald is back from her S week holiday to Europe and UK and will be with us until early next year.
Please welcome Brian King who has taken over the chemist shop next door from Darryl who has moved down south to be with his family.
August - September 1999
Dr Sook Fun Soo helped Dr Maggie catch some fish on her visit to Thursday Island.
Dr Glen Ortega recently passed his GP College Fellowship exam. Congratulations Glen!
Karen Guianane has been working with us as a relief surgery sister while Meredith tripped through Europe. Many thanks for your help Karen. it was nice having you back.
Dr lan Fraser has had stereotactic neurosurgery in Brisbane for his tremor which was extremely successful. He is planning further surgery next year and Dr Kerry Griffin and Dr Paul Patane have promised to come back.
Dr Rebecca Stewart's new house is nearly finished. She is planning a great party!
Sue Mitchell, keen as she is on opera, won a trip to the Pavarrotti concert in Brisbane with the help of a number of patients and staff.