§§ June 2019 News §§
A warm welcome to the Millhouse Community and to other readers.
During the last couple of weeks the wind and rain has intensified so remember to take protective measures, which I have often spoken about, to decrease exposure to cold viruses and ensure your immune system actively responds to any infection. Eat wholesome food, avoid excessive stress, have quality sleep, arrange a vaccination if you are susceptible to colds and flu, and supplement with Vitamins D & C, zinc and turmeric.
On 20th June 2019 the Millhouse Integrative Medical Centre will have given 25 years of service to the Howick and Pakuranga community, and to others across Auckland and from more distant places. A big thank you to all who have journeyed with us, sharing your stories and life experiences, challenging us to learn, and enriching the life of the clinic. More about the history and future of Millhouse follows.
Do have a healthy winter.
Millhouse News
EAR SUCTION for the removal of ear wax is now available at Millhouse and can be booked directly with reception. Practice Nurse Michael performs this procedure at 130 Millhouse 2-3 days each week and will ask a doctor for advice if he has any concerns.
SCRIPT REQUESTS WHEN NEEDED TO BE SEEN: At the time script requests are received, our practice nurses check whether screening recalls are due and the last consultation date seen, which should not be beyond one year for those with stable chronic conditions. Please don't be offended if we ask you to attend for a clinical review; we will provide an interim script, so this can be at a time of your convenience.
OUR MEDTECH COMPUTER SOFTWARE SYSTEM will be updated later this year to EVOLUTION. We will keep you informed of this change which includes a new online booking system and convenient online access to your investigation results. This change will ease the increasing non-clinical workload doctors face when all results are emailed, but we will continue to contact you immediately if we have any concerns.
DOCTORS ON VACATION: Doctors Ric and Alet are on vacation during July and August. We have been unable to find locum cover and Dr Dan has agreed to increase his hours during this time. The Practice Nurses will actively triage patients when health concerns are present.
PLANNED PROACTIVE CARE (PPC) subsidised programme now only includes free practice nurse consultations for those needing complex medical general practice care, but continues to allow free doctor and nurse visits for those needing palliative care with advanced cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.
DID NOT ARRIVE (DNA): In the last newsletter I expressed concern about the increasing numbers who do not turn up for their appointments without notifying Reception. We are now charging a DNA fee when doctor and nurse appointments are missed or not cancelled within two hours, but the fee will be waived if an untoward event has been experienced.
In this issue...
- Healthy practices for winter
- Clinical review needed for some script requests
- Drs Ric and Alet on vacation; no locum but Dr Dan increasing his hours
- new computer system which will allow online checking of own results is to be installed
and this month Dr Ric writes about the Centre's
twenty-fifth anniversary
and thanks the wonderful people who have partnered with us in health and healing.
25 years - a brief history:
Following the 1987 share market crash, New Zealand was plunged into the financial doldrums till the Government in the early 90's stimulated the domestic economy through migrant growth. North Park, Botany and later Dannemora benefited as immigrants arrived and purchased new houses. Infrastructure services that were established included the erection of a strip shopping complex on Millhouse Drive. Near its completion, pharmacist Wilson Lau placed a conditional order to buy one unit provided a medical centre was established, an opportunity which realtors advertised.
At about the same time, in 1994, my wife Viv was appointed Assistant Minister at St Andrews-Howick Presbyterian Church and we moved to Auckland. After 17 years in Dargaville, I was transitioning from being a rural GP to an urban medic, and began exploring opportunities for independent medical practice. I was introduced to Doctors Mark Denekamp and Serene Hu and we partnered together to create the Millhouse Medical Centre which opened on the 20th June 1994......
Want to read the full newsletter? Download it here....
Dr Ric goes on express his thanks to all our dedicated past and current medical-nurse-reception personnel, and especially to Lisa Leat, who came as Practice Nurse and now leads the practice. He thanks all for their contributions to help Millhouse become an effective, caring and leading primary-care centre.
Want to read other articles by Dr Ric and the team?
Yours in good health
Dr Ric Coleman and the Millhouse Team