Business Central February 2021

6 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Feilding Health Care New centre meets growing demand Karen Phelps Feilding Heath Care has extended its offering since moving to purpose-built premises four years ago. P: 06 357 9079 | E: BRL@BROADWAYRADIOLOGY.CO.NZ | WWW.BROADWAYRADIOLOGY.CO.NZ Locally Owned & Operated We have been servicing our community within the Feilding Health Care Centre since 2015 Broadway Radiology Feilding Located within Feilding Health Care 7 Duke Street, Feilding X-Ray and Ultrasound Services available by appointment T he chief executive of Feilding Health Care, Nicky Hart, says the 3 ½ years she has been in the role have been excit- ing and very rewarding as the large primary health care provider has extended its offering since moving into purpose-built premises 4 years ago. In her role, she has oversight of the general practice’s day to day service as well as the landlord of tenant community health services and specialists. “It’s been a wonderful thing to have this large space to now work from. It’s meant our range of patient care services has expanded which gives people often a one-stop-shop for health care needs,” Nicky says. Feilding is a rapidly growing community and today the general practice employs about 70 staff, across general practitioners, nurses, health care assistants and the administration team. Feilding Health Care has 20,000 patients registered and though this sounds like an enormous number, with the rate at which the district is growing, there is always demand from new people to register with the practice. Traditionally the mid-central region has struggled to attract new general practitioners but recently that situation has turned around, with several approaching the clinic to discuss future possible employment. “Since the move to where we are we have put importance on becoming a leader in the application of virtual technologies to assist staff and patients to access health care. Many of our team, during COVID worked from home given this.” In the past two years 15,000+ consultations have been through using technology such as phone, video or secure message to link patient and clinician. Feilding Health Care has a radiology service, a community pharmacy, phlebotomy service, and the DHB supplies dis- trict health nursing and a community mental health service as well. “The Primary Mental Health Service has been transformational for those in distress and along with this a new service, available four days a week known as Kaiwhakapuaki (Health Improvement Coaches), are there to help patients find meaningful pathways to improved health.” Other meaningful initiatives include engag- ing with Maori men to improve cardiovascular health, increasing cardiovascular risk assess- ment coverage recently from from 60% to 90% of Maori men aged between 35 – 45. Feilding Health Care was a finalist in this year’s Primary Health Care Awards in the Total Healthcare General Practice category, something Nicky feels rightfully recognises the contribution and achievement the centre has made. Nicky also says that working in a multi-disci- plinary environment is something health pro- fessionals enjoy, providing them with a range of responsibilities and ways of working. Feilding Health Care is owned by eight GP’s and is governed by a Board of Directors made up of three GP shareholders and two inde- pendent directors who Nicky reports to. A future plan is to open a currently unused space in the facility to physiotherapy and other allied health services. While this year has tested the capacity of the centre to cope with the restrictions Covid placed, Nicky says the team got through very well. “We’re fortunate to have a capability to switch to different ways of delivering health care as required through the lockdown levels.”