HERE - Crafter Medical Centre

NEWSLETTER
July 2014
CRAFTER MEDICAL CENTRE
140 Belair Road, Hawthorn, South Australia. 5062
Telephone: (08) 8272 5533 - 24 hours
Facsimile: (08) 8373 4419
Website: www.craftermc.com.au
Welcome to our Practice
This newsletter is our way of keeping in touch.
Staff changes: Tineke our Registered Nurse who ran the Diabetes Clinic as well as working Clinical
Shifts has resigned to take up a new position teaching Nursing. We wish her well in her new venture.
.
Doctor changes: Our new AOGP Registrar Doctor commenced in February 2014, her name is Dr
Vanessa Hughes. Dr Hughes will be with us until February 2015. We would also like to welcome
back Dr Jillian Gardner (nee Lovell) to Crafter Medical Centre. Jill has returned from her time away in
Canada, and will consult here on Monday’s and Thursday’s beginning the 4th August 2014.
Other changes:
•
Our Diabetes Clinic will now be run by our Registered Nurse Martin on a Wednesday
afternoon. At this visit you will have your height and weight checked. Martin will also check if
and when you have had a doppler ultrasound and ECG done. An appointment will then be
made for you to see your usual doctor.
•
We have had a change of artwork on the waiting room wall. This new initiative has invited
artists who are patients here to display their artwork. The artwork will change every 3
months. All the work is for sale and you may contact the artist direct for prices and
availability. Currently on display is a range of quilts created by Julie Haddrick.
Accreditation: Our Practice will undergo the Accreditation process in August this year. This
process occurs every 3 years, and ensures that we are following RACGP Standards for General
Practice. This is conducted by GPA Accreditation Plus. GPA Accreditation Plus is the premier
provider of Accreditation services to Australian General Practices and is an independent body that
comes out and reviews all of our processes and procedures.
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Student Doctors: We will also continue with 3rd year student doctors from the OCEP Program. We
will have one doctor for the first half of the year and another for the second half of the year. They
will be in the surgery on Tuesdays and will work with the doctors and nurses to gain hands-on
experience.
We have another group of 3rd year student doctors from Flinders University who are with us on
Fridays for 16 week terms to sit in with the doctors to gain experience in General Practice.
Patients will be asked if they agree to have the student doctor in the consulting room during their
consultation. If a patient is not happy for this to occur, it is ok to say no.
Crafter Medical Centre is dedicated to inspiring young Doctors to consider General Practice as a
career to ensure the community is well taken care of in the future.
Signage: For your convenience we have placed signage in the foyer of 140 Belair Road and on the
front door at 130 Belair Road, advising which doctors are consulting on that day, and where they
are consulting. You can also phone in advance and the friendly reception staff will advise you as to
where your doctor is consulting on the day of your appointment.
Updating information: While we appear to constantly ask for updated information each time you
visit our practice, this detail does reduce errors and inaccuracies that may hinder
payment/reimbursement of accounts by Medicare. Incorrect contact details also create a problem if
we need to contact you at any time.
WE ASK THAT YOU TURN OFF YOUR MOBILE TELEPHONE WHILE ATTENDING THIS
PRACTICE
THANK YOU
Historically, there has been a medical practice at this address for over 100 years, and during this
time 24 hours a day, 7 days per week cover has always been provided.
The present practice’s aim is to provide total primary care for our regular patients, this includes
curative medicine. Various members of our team also provide care in special areas.
The services we offer include after-hours care, either by consultation at the Clinic or by a home
visit. These can be arranged by telephoning the practice on 8272 5533.
In an attempt to provide continuity of care the Clinic is organised into four units, each comprising
two doctors. One member of each unit, or a covering doctor, is always available during office
hours.
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The four units are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dr. Dianne Walker and Dr. Linda Lamb
Dr. Sam Smart and Dr. Johanna Kilmartin
Dr. Wendy Murchland and Dr. Vasant Lagiseti
Dr. Kerry Vlahos and Dr. Geoff Stranks
We have two Associate doctors: Dr Russell Shute and Dr Jillian Gardner who have joined our
team of health care professionals. They will assist with all units and are a valuable addition to our
team.
GP Services:
The doctors of Crafter Medical Centre provide a full range of primary medical care services.
Services include:
• General Medical Care
• Obstetric Share Care
• Men’s Health
• Paediatric Care
• Adolescent Health
• Aged Care
• Palliative Care
• Skin Care / Full Skin Checks
• Surgical Excision & Cryotherapy for Skin Lesions
• Travel Medicine
• Immunisation for children / adults / travel
• Chronic Disease Management
• Preventative Health Care
• Mental Health Care and Counselling
• Acute Care for Minor Lacerations and Fractures
• Home Visits especially for Aged Care & Nursing Home Care
The practice is supported by a team of experienced receptionists and registered nursing sisters.
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday – Friday
Saturday
8.10 am – 6.00pm
8.10 am – 12 noon
AFTER HOURS CONSULTATIONS:
After Hours consultations are for urgent matters only and are for regular patients to the
Crafter Medical Centre. This service is provided by our after hours locum service who are
able to offer home visits. Access to this service is via our telephone number - 8272 5533
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after office hours. There has been some recent advertising for the National Home Doctor
Service, this service is our locum provider, and if you telephone our number, you will be
connected to them.
APPOINTMENTS:
The time allotted for a standard appointment is 15 minutes. If more time is required
e.g. Multiple issues PLEASE BOOK A DOUBLE APPOINTMENT (30 MINUTES) to avoid delays
to other patients.
CANCELLATION OF APPOINTMENTS:
Please notify the Crafter Medical Centre as early as possible so that your cancelled appointment
can be offered to others. If an appointment is not cancelled a fee may be charged.
HOUSE CALLS / HOME VISITS:
House calls are provided for patients who are too sick or frail to attend the Crafter Medical Centre. An
early booking and an indication of the urgency is appreciated so that the day can be planned and
delays are kept to a minimum. .
TELEPHONE ACCESS:
Doctors in the practice may be contacted during normal surgery hours. If the doctor is with a patient,
a message will be taken and you will be advised by the reception team when it is likely that the doctor
will return your call. In an emergency your call will always be directed to the doctor or practice nurse.
Telephone contact with the doctor may attract a fee.
INTERPRETER AND OTHER COMMUNICATION SERVICES:
Our practice provides for the communication needs of patients who are not proficient in the primary
language of our clinical team/and or who have a communication impairment. Our practice has a list of
contact details for interpreter and other communication services including the Translating and
Interpreter Service. If you require any of these services please ask our friendly reception team.
REFERRALS:
It is a requirement of the Medical Health Act that an assessment of the patient by the referring doctor
take place prior to specialist rebate rates being paid. Retrospective referrals can only be written if the
referral has previously been discussed with the Clinic doctor. Patients are advised that gap payments
may apply on specialist, x-ray and pathology services. Information regarding this may be sought from
the relevant specialist. Please be aware that Private Hospital Emergency Departments charge a
facility fee. Ambulance transport fees are the responsibility of the patient.
PRESCRIPTIONS:
In the interests of better health care, repeat prescriptions will generally not be issued unless a
patient/doctor contact is made. All patients are encouraged to request repeat prescriptions (for long
term use of specific medication) at the time of their consultation, thereby avoiding the need for an
additional consultation.
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PENSIONER, REPATRIATION AND HEALTH CARE CARD HOLDERS:
All holders of the above cards are requested to present their cards to the receptionist at the time of
the consultation, along with the Medicare card to check if details are up to date. Co-operation in this
area is very much appreciated.
TEST RESULTS:
Please telephone between 10am and 3pm.
This avoids congestion with the
telephones, both early in the morning and late in the day.
CONFIDENTIALITY:
All consultations and medical records are held in strict confidence and no information is released
without patient written consent. At times clinic doctors are involved with clinical audits with the
National Prescriber Service. This involves your own doctor reviewing case notes. No patient
identifying material is released. If you do not wish to have your notes reviewed for audit purposes
please let the reception team know and your wishes will be noted.
PAP SMEAR TESTS, COLONOSCOPY, MAMMOGRAPHY:
A reminder system is available for the above health care checks. Please discuss this with the doctor.
PATIENTS IN DISTRESS:
On occasion, due to physical or emotional distress, you may feel the need for extra privacy prior to
your appointment. Please feel free to use the garden waiting area located off of the general waiting
area, or ask to use one of our treatment rooms. While these are not always available for general use,
your request will be accommodated where possible.
CAR PARKING
Parking in George Street, close to the practice is time restricted by the Mitcham Council. Please
ensure you park within the guidelines set down by the Council to avoid car parking fines. Please also
be mindful of people’s driveways when parking your vehicle. On occasion driveways have been
blocked, causing access difficulties for residents in this street.
PATIENT FEEDBACK / SUGGESTIONS / COMPLAINTS
Patient feedback and suggestions are encouraged and welcome. Patients have a right to be heard,
and provide feedback about your health service.
The Practice Manager, Kate Ricardo or any one of the doctors would be interested to hear from you
at any time. A suggestion is to write a note or contact us via the telephone.
If you have a complaint about some aspect of the care you receive from the practice, we encourage
you to deal with the matter here, within the practice as suggested above. However, should you have
a problem you wish to deal with outside the practice; For a complaint against a specific doctor, this
can be done through the Australian health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Call 1300 419
495 Mon – Fri 9am - 5pm www.ahpra.gov.au For a complaint against the practice contact the
department of health and Ageing (SA Health) 8226 6000 www.sahealth.sa.gov.au
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PRACTICE SURVEYS
Practice survey take place from time to time as part of re-accreditation of this health care practice.
Surveys are aimed at collecting your views on the practice so we can continually improve our
services. All data collected is confidential.
DOCTOR – REGISTERED NURSE WAITING TIMES
As you are aware there are often times that your Doctor is running late for your appointment. There
are many reasons for this ranging from an emergency that requires the immediate attention of the
Doctor and/or Nurse, calls from Nursing Homes requiring an immediate telephone response to
computer glitches that can often create delays in printing of prescriptions, referrals and most
importantly, access to patient clinical information.
How can you assist?
By being aware that all routine appointments are scheduled for 15 minutes.
If you require a longer appointment, please ask. We are happy to make these available. Longer
appointments may be required for insurance examinations; detailed medical check up; smear
tests when another medical problem requires review; excisions; personal issues that require
additional time.
by refraining from requesting that another member of your family, along with your appointment,
be seen – this obviously takes additional time and creates time delays
By being aware that if you are unable to attend your appointment that you provide us with
adequate notice, thereby providing this appointment for another person.
DETAILS OF THE CRAFTER MEDICAL CENTRE TEAM –
Principals:
Dr. Geoff Stranks M.B.B.S., Dip. Obs., R.A.C.O.G., F.R.A.C.G.P.
Dr. Kerry Vlahos B.M.B.S., F.R.A.C.G.P. Post Grad Dip Musc Med
Dr. Vasant Lagiseti M.B.B.S.
Dr. Dianne Walker M.B.B.S., FPA Cert., I.B.C.L.C.
Dr. Sam Smart M.B.B.S., F.R.A.C.G.P.
Dr. Johanna Kilmartin B.M.B.S., F.R.A.C.G.P., D.F.F.P. (R.C.O.G.)
Dr. Linda Lamb M.B.Ch.B., Dip. Obs., R.A.N.Z.C.O.G.
Dr. Wendy Murchland M.B.B.S., D.R.A.N.Z.C.O.G.
Associates:
Dr. Russell Shute B.M.B.S.,F.R.A.C.G.P., DCH, Clin. Dip. of Pall. Med.
Dr. Jillian Gardner M.B.B.S.,F.R.A.C.G.P., Dip Child Health
Registrars:
Dr Vanessa Hughes (until February 2015)
Practice Sisters:
Amanda Magaletta RN
Ruth Bennet RN
Nicki Somerville RN
Annie Coghlan RN
Martin Dowell RN
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Practice Manager: Kate Ricardo
Finance Manager: Wendy Tiller
Receptionists:
Terry, Lee-Anne, Amanda, Pam, Jeanette, Bronte and
Sandra.
FEES
Current - Please note: The federal government has chosen not to review the Medicare
rebate until the end of financial year 2014. Our fees are adjusted annually in line with
the CPI Index.
CONSULTATIONS
Level A
$ 33.60
Level B
$ 73.00
Level C
$124.55
Level D
$184.00
PRESCRIPTIONS
Pensioner
i)
Collect $10.30
Collect $6.90
Posted $11.60
Posted $ 8.10
Fees charged can vary in keeping with the length and complexity of a consultation and with
the discretion of the individual doctor.
ii)
In normal circumstances, Pensioner and Health Care Card Holders will be bulked billed. Bulk billing of
Commonwealth Seniors Card holders and children under 16 is at the discretion of the individual doctor.
Repatriation patients are bulk billed under the L.M.O. scheme.
iii)
Each Doctor is able to discount their fee in special circumstances. If such circumstances exist, they
should be discussed with the doctor.
iv)
Procedures performed in this practice such as ECG, Spirometry, Vaccinations, 24 Hour Blood Pressure
Monitor, Doppler Ultrasound and stitches (suturing) etc attract separate fees.
v)
Payment at the time of consultation is required. The reception team will assist in processing and
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submitting Medicare refund claims online directly to Medicare. If you provide your savings bank account
details to Medicare the refund will be put in your bank account with approximately 48 hours. This
reduces the waiting time considerably for a refund of your rebate from Medicare by cheque.
vi)
This practice accepts payment by cash, EFTPOS, credit card or cheque. Payment by credit card over the
telephone is also accepted, our team will happily post a receipt of this transaction.
vii)
Gap payments for general practitioner (GP), specialist, radiology and pathology services can be counted
towards the Medicare Safety Net.
Explanation of Fee Structure
Level A:
Level B:
Level C:
Level D:
Professional attendance by a Vocationally Registered GP for a simple straightforward task. eg: Tetanus
immunisation.
Professional attendance by a Vocationally Registered GP where a selective history, examination and
management plan are completed in relation to one or more problems. eg: ear infection.
Professional attendance by a Vocationally Registered GP where the attendance involves the taking of a
detailed history, examination of multiple systems, arranging investigations and implementing a management
plan, or multiple Level B type problems.
The consultation time involved is over 20 minutes but less than 40 minutes.
Professional attendance by a Vocationally Registered GP where the attendance involves the taking of an
exhaustive history, examination, arranging investigations and the implementation of a management plan for a
complex problem, or multiple level B and/or C type problems.
The consultation time involved is in excess of 40 minutes.
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