Welcome to our Spring Newsletter. This month we are featuring our annual over 75 health assessments and focusing on men’s health to coincide with Father’s day. When making an appointment with our doctors, are you unsure which appointment type to book? Please read our tips on booking standard vs long consultations. We also introduce our new doctor, Dr Renee Pope, and it’s time to get stepping again with #MoveAgainstCancer 2023 so we can improve our health and raise money for the Cancer Council at the same time .
STANDARD CONSULTATIONS VS LONG CONSULTATIONS
Doctors are renowned for always running late but believe it or not we really do try our best to stay on time. Reasons for running late are usually beyond our control as some medical conditions require more time, such as medical emergencies, complex medical conditions, breaking bad news and mental health consultations.
One way to help us run to time is by not only arriving to our practice at the scheduled time but also booking the correct appointment type. When making an appointment to see your doctor or booking online you may get the option to book a standard or long consultation. Standard consultations are scheduled for 15 minutes with the doctor as is most appropriate for dealing with one medical issues. If you have multiple concerns, you would like to discuss or you require more time we recommend a longer appointment. A long appointment is scheduled for 30 minutes and is more appropriate for dealing with 2 – 3 issues, if you have a few things ‘saved up’ or the management of mental health and complex conditions.
Our short and long appointments have a similar out of pocket fee.
Our staff with endeavour to let you know when you arrive if we are running late and you can also call prior to your appointment to see if your doctor is running on time.
Please refer to our website for more information re our fee and appointment schedule.
https://yourfamilydoctors.com.au/hours-fees-bookings/
Over 75 Health Assessment
An annual Health Assessment is available to all patients over the age of 75 and is an in-depth look at all aspects of your health. This assessment provides a great opportunity to review your overall health and your physical, psychological and social function and discuss with your doctor any concerns you may have.
Each year, Your Family Doctors at Erina invites our over 75-year-old patients to attend the practice to have their Health Assessment completed. A Health Assessment consists of an appointment with our practice nurse, followed by an appointment with your GP. Our goal is to help you maintain your independence at home.
To book in, please call Kiara our Care Co-ordinator on 4365 4999 and ask for a Health Assessment
For more information go to …..
https://yourfamilydoctors.com.au/over-75-health-assessment/
A Focus on Men’s Health
Father’s Day is just around the corner and is a time to celebrate the contributions and influence of fathers in our lives. It is also a time to highlight the importance of men’s health. Men have an average life expectancy 4.5 years shorter than women and for mainly preventable causes. Let’s delve into various aspects of men’s health, to help promote a healthier and more fulfilling life for fathers and all men alike.
Please read more in Dr Page’s blog article …….
https://yourfamilydoctors.com.au/a-focus-on-mens-health/
MOVE AGAINST CANCER
Move against cancer is back again for September 2023!
#MoveAgainstCancer 2023 is back for the fourth time and has raised over $165k to date. And we want participation this year to be the most it has ever been!
The #MoveAgainstCancer step challenge encourages participants to join up in teams and record their number of steps over the whole month. There are prizes to be won for top steppers, and all fundraising goes to Cancer Council to ensure nobody faces a cancer diagnosis alone.
Emergency doctor Ash Bowden, also known as Dr Do More, says: “It’s such a simple, achievable challenge for people to participate in. When asked ‘How do I get more active?’ the best answer is to start with a walk.”
The challenge starts on Friday, September 1st and will run to Saturday 30th September.
Your Family Doctors have entered again so we can practice what we preach and keep our community active. We invite our staff, family, friends and patients to join in the fun.
You are most welcome to join our team by following the link ……
http://domoresteps.com/events/move-against-cancer-2023/teams/clkuvo37j0017gc9p17ba0h8e
Or create your own team…..
https://domoresteps.com/events/move-against-cancer-2023
ORAL ANTIVIRAL ELIGIBILITY UPDATE
Most cases of COVID-19 are mild and manageable at home. However, getting COVID-19 can be serious for some people. If you’re at higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness, oral antiviral treatments are available to help you recover faster and stay out of hospital.
Some oral antiviral treatments are now available to more people, including those aged 50- 69 years with one risk factor for developing severe disease.
You’ll need a prescription to get the medicine, so make sure to speak with a health professional before you get sick about which treatment is right for you. If you test positive for covid you should contact your doctors for a script as soon as you test positive. If you are unable to contact your doctor or it is after hours you can call HealthDirect’s free helpline on: 1800-022-222
Find more information at: health.gov.au/oral-treatments
All adults are eligible for a 2023 COVID-19 booster dose if they have not had a COVID-19 booster or a confirmed case in the past six months.
Patients of the practice can book an appointment for our Pfizer Bivalent Omicron-specific Booster online…. book here
STAFF NEWS
FAREWELL DR KELLY
We recently said farewell to our lovely GP Registar, Dr Kelly Hawkes. Not only is Dr Kelly amazing at creating medically themed cakes with jelly filled syringes and urine jars, but she has been an incredible asset to our medical team
We wish Dr Kelly all the best in her next GP rotation and we hope to see her working back with us on the Central Coast soon.
We look forward to welcoming our new GP registar Dr Renee Pope. The pressure will be on regarding her cake decorating skills!
WELCOME DR RENEE POPE
Dr Renée Pope is working as a GP registrar at Your Family Doctors. After growing up on the Central Coast she graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 and has worked across the Local Health District for the past 3 years including across Emergency and Critical Care Medicine.
Prior to this she completed a Bachelor of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney (2013) and worked as a Clinical Pharmacist at both Gosford and Royal North Shore Hospitals.
She has many developing interests including preventative care, chronic disease management and women and children’s health and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma of Child Health (2023).
In her spare time, she enjoys ocean swimming, water skiing and exploring the beaches of the Central Coast with her young family. A big welcome to the YFD team Renee!
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Thanks for reading our Spring Newsletter – keep healthy, and we will be back in a few months with more news. In the meantime, like us on facebook or instagram to keep up to date with the important health information and to see what the YFD team has been up to. Our website is also a great source of information, so please check out our blog for health information written by our team. Stay well.
Love Team YFD xx