By Mara Pattison-Sowden
YARRA Glen has welcomed a new health centre, complete with five general practitioners, who are in it “for the long haul”.
It has been four years since Yarra Glen has had a dedicated medical practice, and this will be a ‘one-stop shop’ for a variety of professional medical services.
The township of more than 3000 has wanted a new doctor since the Healesville-based Yarra Valley Clinic closed its Yarra Glen rooms in 2007.
Valley Primary Health Centre was officially opened on Saturday 8 January at Symmonds St, where medical professionals and townspeople were invited to have a sticky beak and meet the practitioners.
Practice manager Julie Grant said there would be five GPs, a podiatrist, psychologist, two practice nurses – one who is a paediatric nurse and is trained in all areas of women’s health – and pathology services on site.
She said there was also room for a physiotherapist and diabetes educator.
“It will make a huge difference to the town, not just for the medical side, but also the shops,” she said.
“People will be more likely to use the other services in town when they need to see the doctor.”
General practitioner Alex Murray said Valley Primary Health has been located in Healesville but competes with three other practices.
“I’ve been working there for seven years, and we’ve been looking for bigger and better premises,” she said.
In December, the Federal Government gave the service a $446,556 funding boost to help extend the building to fit more patient rooms and increase the car park.
She said the building had been purchased and renovated, and the idea is “it’s a health centre, rather than just a doctor’s surgery.”
“We’re absolutely in it for the long-term,” she said.
The closure of Yarra Glen’s clinic in 2007 forced Yarra Glen Medical Precinct Group president Dorothy Barber and Chamber of Commerce past president Marjorie Woollands to extensively campaign for a new doctor.
On more than one occasion doctors proved unsuitable and it took two years before they were able to get a doctor on board.
Yarra Glen had a service for a short time in June 2009, but it was also forced to close.
