Nick Loveridge-Easther, Neil Volzke, Carl Bates, Shane Reti, Brent Anderson, Shaun Butler, Brian Jeffares and Ngāruahine kaumātua John Hooker at the formal opening of the new facility on Thursday, November 28. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Nick Loveridge-Easther, Neil Volzke, Carl Bates, Shane Reti, Brent Anderson, Shaun Butler, Brian Jeffares and Ngāruahine kaumātua John Hooker at the formal opening of the new facility on Thursday, November 28. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Stratford’s newest healthcare centre got a ministerial seal of approval on Thursday, when the newly renovated Stratford Health Centre was formally opened by Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti.
Reti, Whanganui MP Carl Bates, Stratford mayor Neil Volzke, clinical directors Dr Brent Anderson, Dr Shaun Butler and Dr Nick Loveridge-Easther, staff, iwi representatives of Ngāruahine and Ngāti Ruanui and key stakeholders, attended the formal opening of the centre’s walk-in clinic.
Reti said it was a privilege to be there, acknowledging the work put into the project.
“You and your team, you are my clinical tribe. I have my Māori tribe and you are my clinical tribe.”
He said the new building was an “exciting development” for the people of central Taranaki.
“You should all be proud of the work you’ve done which brings us to this position today. Sitting across from the Stratford Health Centre, people will now have greater access to GP, nurse practitioners, prescribing pharmacists, extended care and position associates.”
The new facility includes rooms with beds for patients. Photo / Alyssa Smith
The $750,000 facility was funded by grants from the Taranaki Electricity Trust (TET) and Toi Foundation alongside funds from the Stratford Health Trust, said chair Brian Jeffares.
“We’ve got 35 to 36 staff here now. We’ve developed a new model which works for everybody. It’s a collection of work that started in late June and finished in early November. We had also been planning for six to eight months before that. The staff have been amazing and it’s well worth it.”
TET chair Mike Davey said the trust was happy to get behind the project.
“We brought forward the applications to help bring this vital community service to around 7300 clients.”
The facility was built by Nick Childs New Style Homes and Childs said he and the staff were excited to be part of the project.
“It’s a fantastic facility and we’re proud to be part of it as the project managers. It’s a good community facility that puts the care directly in Stratford.”
Loveridge-Easther said the Stratford Health Centre was a growing general practice.
“It is actively enrolling new patients. We have an acute care service behind us run by a team of skilled extended care paramedics seeing between 30 and 50 patients every day that would have otherwise clogged up the emergency departments and urgent cares.”
He said the centre also has a high-quality general practice service.
“We’re in the position now where the Stratford community can access care whenever they need it.”
Health care was a team effort, he said.
“Somebody once told me it takes a village to raise a child, but at Coastal Medical we truly believe it takes a team to look after the community.”
Bates said the new facility was a credit to the community.
“The significance of this opening for those of you who will work in this facility to have the Minister of Health come to Stratford to formally open the building today is a credit to the significance we put on the mahi you do for our community here in Stratford and across Taranaki.”
Stratford district mayor Neil Volzke speaks at the formal opening on Thursday, November 28. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Volzke said the formal opening celebrated the hard work put into the project.
“It’s great to have the Minister of Health opening the new area and hearing his words of praise for the health model service delivered by the health centre. This was a significant complex building project and I acknowledge Brian Jeffares who has worked hard to get this going. To the funders, it was your generous grants which enabled us to do what we do.”
