Local healthcare focus: New doctors & midwife for Casey
It can be a rough ride without Smoothing the transition to a trusted GP! motherhood
As a 14 year old growing up on a farm in Gilgandra, Dr Madeline Burrell studied hard to get into Medicine. She has never looked back. “I enjoyed the hospital system so much I stayed an extra year at Calvary ED to develop my emergency skills. I loved the variety, seeing things I hadn’t seen before and learning. For some cases, I still find myself saying ‘Aha, I’ve seen this in hospital, I know what it is.’” Dr Burrell particularly values relationships: “that feeling when someone trusts you enough to talk about how they’re feeling and what’s going on in their lives.” “On my third day as a GP registrar, a man was brought in by his girlfriend for a last-minute
emergency appointment. He was suicidal and at his wits’ end. Over the next year, he developed strategies to handle his mental health and started medication. Seeing him go from the lowest of low to getting back on track was so rewarding.” Dr Burrell’s advice to people is to find a GP you connect with. “Then when you do have issues, you have someone you can trust and you don’t have to look around in a panic.” Once settled in, she’s keen to get back to her childhood love of horse riding. “It’ll be good to have hobbies again rather than studying all the time!” Dr Burrell is available Mon - Thurs at Ochre Casey
Loving Canberra life Originally from England, Dr Rosalind Marshall is enjoying settling in Canberra after working in Brisbane, on the Gold Coast and in rural Queensland. “I love it here,” she says. “I explored the National Museum before lockdown and I’m keen to spend time at the National Gallery when things open up again.” Dr Marshall is fresh from six months in Toowoomba working at an Aboriginal health clinic and its associated refugee health clinic. “My time was split between the two clinics. It was a lovely clinic,
with great health workers and receptionists. They really wanted the best for their mob and were working hard to make that happen. But the refugee clinic was challenging work!” she says. “The patient would be in the room with a translator on the phone, so everything took twice as long and little things could be mistranslated.” Dr Marshall is completing a Masters degree in Islamic Studies and Classical Arabic. Dr Marshall is available Tues - Thurs at Ochre Casey
Midwife and lactation consultant Anne Endres’ life’s work is to build stronger, better relationships and a better start for life that goes way beyond the delivery of a baby. “Women often put a lot of emphasis on the birth itself, and they think less about breastfeeding or the challenges of life with the baby.” “Recently I helped a woman with feeding her premature baby. She was separated from the baby when she was discharged and the baby remained in neonatal care. It’s hard to build and maintain your milk supply in those circumstances and premi babies are also often sleepy, without strong sucking behaviour.” As well as advice around when and how to pump or supplement, Anne has tricks up her sleeve. She might suggest a “supply line” to give the baby a top up at the breast. “It’s like using a straw - a very thin silicon tube to provide extra milk. The baby learns to suckle and mum knows enough
nutrients are available, so it’s very reassuring.” Six weeks on, Anne is delighted by the pair’s progress, but she won’t take any credit. “I’m just a cheerleader! We all need somebody to point us in the right direction when we feel a bit lost. I’m always blown away by how well mums do once they have the right support.” Anne Endres is available at Ochre Kippax (Fri) or Ochre Casey (Tues) or by appointment as required. Some of her services may be eligible for Medicare or private health fund rebates.
Our practice offers a wide range of family medical services as well as being particularly strong in skin medicine. All doctors offer skin checks, while Damien Bezzina and Shiromi Liyanage also offer dermatology, including complex rashes. Procedures available at our practice: Therapeutic skin procedures including: • Biopsies • Removal of benign skin lesions (eg. cysts & warts) • Skin cancer excision • Cryotherapy (or “freezing off”) Cosmetic skin procedures including: • Mole removal • Scar revision • Anti-wrinkle injections • Dermal fillers Micro-needling and Collagen therapy
Dietetics | Midwifery & lactation support | Physiotherapy Podiatry | COVID-19 vaccinations | Flu vaccinations Video and phone GP appointments Ochre Medical Centre Casey 15 Whitrod Avenue, Casey | P. 6163 4200 | ochrehealth.com.au
