Stratfords Health Centre opens

The new Stratford Health Centre which opened last week is a one-stop health facility ahead of the times.

Stratford Health Trust (SHT) chairman Brian Jeffares says the Stratford Health Centre (SHC) is a model for the provinces where communities will more and more take charge of their health through integrated health services.

When the Stratford Hospital was pulled down in 1999, Taranaki District Health Board's (TDHB) intention was to retain district and public health nurses, radiology, specialist services and mental health, and in 2001 built the centre to house these services.

Two years ago the TDHB planned to expand its services to include community oral health.

TDHB services planning manager, Warwick Gilchrist said the health board and the SHT looked at including the community oral health centre in to the SHC design. Mr Gilchrist said the SHC was a fabulous facility with the inclusion of commmunity oral health that sees children aged 1-17 years.

Over the past 10 years and during his reign as Stratford mayor, Mr Jeffares said the need for the community to provide other primary services became apparent. As with other towns and cities throughout New Zealand, Stratford also had difficulty attracting and retaining doctors.

``They were not interested in moving here and buying and setting up practice.''

The SHT went that step further with architect Jenny Goddard's state-of-the-art design on the site of the former hospital. Ms Goddard met with the clinicians and doctors and in the process there was quite a bit of tinkering, Mr Jeffares said.

An audiologist, two midwives and a physiotherapist now have their rooms in the new SHC; a third doctor is expected to relocate from the UK, and there are consulting rooms for two more doctors.

The doctors who are part of the Midland Health PHO have long-term leases in the centre, and one room leased by the TDHB is for specialists who can now walk in to one of the consulting rooms, plug-in and be ready to go. There is a shared nurses' station,  equipped minor surgery rooms, and wide corridors for easy access for beds, wheelchairs or mobility scooters.

There is also a new gym for rehabilitating clients and three waiting/reception rooms; one for those clients wanting to see a general practioner in the Avon Medical Centre, one in the specialist area of midwifery and physiotherapy, and another for audiology clients which has an entrance on Romeo St.

A two-bay ambulance station is housed at the rear where patients can be brought into the centre. There is also secure parking for staff.

The rent for each of the service professionals was better than having to build or buy their own practice, Mr Jeffares said.

The SHC project was given a kick- start with a grant of $700,000 from the Stratford District Council's Community Development which are funds paid by Contact Energy into the levy.

The TET and the TSB Community trust also gave funds and Transpower chipped in with a large-sized grant.

The  council loaned $400,000 to the SHT, though only half that amount was required. The remaining $200,000 was refunded.

Rents paid by the clinicians and doctors to the SHT will cover the annual $20,000 loan repayment over the next 10 years, Mr Jeffares said.

Contacts for the Stratford Health Centre, 765 7189; Avon Medical Centre, 765 5454; Community Oral Health 765

8845