Find out how you can take part in improving local health services at a public meeting in Tweed Heads on Monday night to mark the launch of North Coast Medicare Local.
The North Coast Medicare Local (NCML) is aimed at joining with the community to provide improved community health care outcomes.
According to Tweed GP and NCML board member Dr Diane Blanckensee, the North Coast Medicare Local is a not for profit organisation set up to respond to the local health care needs of the community.
Focused on primary health care (or out of hospital care), Medicare Local is funded to improve services at community level and make it easier for patients to navigate the health service.
Dr Diane grew up on a pineapple farm in the Mary Valley in south-east Queensland before studying medicine at Queensland University. In her second year after graduation, she was sent to Mt Isa.
“It was full of miners and cowboys but it taught me clinical self-reliance and introduced me to my future husband, a vet,” she said.
She missed out on the position of Medical Superintendent at Cloncurry because the local hospital board was dominated by conservative, elderly graziers not ready to accept a female doctor but, as she explains, it was really the community that missed out, as they could have found themselves with a new vet as well.
Diane is pleased to say that the glass ceiling for women in medicine is fast disappearing.
After spending time working overseas and raising three daughters, Diane and family returned to the Tweed Valley in 1994 where she was a principal in a general practice in Banora Point and Kingscliff.
Diane is about to start a new phase of her career, as she and two other GPs were successful in tendering for the Tweed Heads Super Clinic which is due to open in May 2013. She is passionate about teaching and mentoring students, and the new clinic will have the space to train the next generation of GPs.
“It’s exciting to have the chance to create a state of the art GP clinic with many disciplines under one roof, including pathology, radiology, pharmacy and dental services,” said Diane.
When she’s not working, Diane, a self-confessed Bluesfest tragic, enjoys dancing of all kinds (including salsa and jazz), family time and hanging out with friends.
She is looking forward to working with North Coast Medicare Local to improve community health.
“Over the past 18 years I have seen a marked improvement in health services and I often tell patients how lucky we are. But we can do better. We need to focus on better co-ordination of services and better communication of patient information. In five to 10 years I hope to see some real improvements. I am looking forward to working with North Coast Medicare Local to make a real difference in the health of our community,” Diane said.
One of the first tasks of North Coast Medicare Local (NCML) is to find out the gaps in services and work to address these. That is why this new organisation is going on the road to visit 14 locations and speak to the community at public meetings.
NCML’s Chief Executive Officer Vahid Saberi said, “It is so important to the community to come and talk to us. We want to know where the health care needs are, so we can do something about them.”
Everyone in the community is invited to a meeting in Tweed Heads to find out more about how to get involved with North Coast Medicare Local.
These meetings will also give the community an opportunity to see the services the Medicare Local is currently providing, meet some of the staff and hear about some upcoming funding and programs.
What: Public Meeting
Where: Twin Resorts Club, Level 3, Twin Towns, Wharf Street, Tweed Heads
When: Monday, June 4 at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.
