HEALTH & WELLBEING FEATURE
SUNNY COAST ATTRACTS NEW DOCTORS TO OCHRE CALOUNDRA It’s been a big year for the team at Ochre Medical Centre Caloundra, with four doctors arriving to work alongside long-standing local GPs. First to join the practice was Dr Jeremy Duddridge, whose Canadian parents came to Australia on holiday when he was seven years old and never went home. That was a familiar theme for Dr
Cassandra Harris, who relocated from Canberra in January. “We came for a working holiday last year,” she says, “after all the lockdowns and La Ninas – and Canberra winters are not much fun to start with. The whole family fell in love with the area and we decided to move permanently.” They were joined in February by returning local Dr Aaron Lewis, who relocated with his wife to start their own family close to parents and siblings. The most recent arrival, Dr Andrew Hallier, was born in South Africa, grew
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up in New Zealand, and worked across NSW and Queensland before finally deciding to settle here. The new arrivals bring a wide range of skills spanning mental health, dermatology, women’s health, skin cancer, travel medicine and occupational health. They will benefit from the experience of veterans, including Dr Shane Carlisle, who’s worked full time on skin medicine since 201, and Dr Scott Masters, who regularly travels throughout Australasia to present research and educate other healthcare professionals about spinal and musculoskeletal conditions. The multidisciplinary Ochre practice of over 20 GPs is also home to Dr Anu Pathmaperuma, who focuses on chronic disease management, Dr Giselle Bell, with interests in Indigenous health and providing affirmative and inclusive care for LGBTIQA+ communities, and Dr Sri Kota, who works across areas including cardiology, antenatal care and paediatrics. The practice has a diverse and experienced array of medical practitioners across the board – without being in a large city. “There’s even a great team of psychologists here – a really caring community going above and beyond to
help people with their mental health,” Dr Lewis says. Dr Duddridge contrasts the set-up with his years spent in Monto in the North Burnett, a “two-doctor town” where emergency cases had to be patched up, then airlifted or driven by a friend, as there was only one ambulance in the area. Referring patients also was tricky, with few practitioners in town – a far cry from the Ochre Health Hub, where pharmacy, x-ray and ultrasound are all in the same building, as well as allied health providers from podiatry and occupational therapy, a dietician and hearing specialists. Built in 2020, Ochre’s Bradfield House is a purpose-built, state-of-theart facility that is even equipped with treatment rooms where GPs and nurses undertake procedures including iron infusions, skin excisions and ear suctioning. “We’re all aware of the quality and depth of our resources,” Dr Kota says. “I love the Sunshine Coast lifestyle – especially at Ochre. We are a very collegiate team and offer all of our patients a really good ‘safety net’ in case their own doctor is away.”
Book via ochrehealth.com.au or call the practice on 5491 1144.
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