Long-awaited health centre opening its doors
"It is great for the population of Roslyn." Chiquita Hansen, Central PHO chief executive
After four years of planning and late nights, the Kauri Healthcare centre is finally a reality.
On Friday the integrated family health centre on Featherston St will be officially opened by Health Minister Jonathan Coleman, but it has taken several years of work to get to that point.
Kauri Health Care director Dr Anna Skinner said planning and design of the services and building began about 2012.
‘‘It is the culmination of years of late night and weekend meetings and workshops to have reached the point of opening the new centre.
‘‘[In 2012] a group of local GPS began to think about the future of general practice in Palmerston North and wonder how to integrate services to provide the best possible care to the local community.’’
The centre now has 17,500 patients, which came from Albert St, Grey St and Vivian St practices
Skinner said the community was delighted with the centre.
‘‘We had over 1000 people through our open day recently and have enrolled many new patients. We are very excited to bring our commitment to excellence in healthcare to our new facility.’’
The centre offers general practice care, as well as care for chronic conditions, such as diabetes, respiratory and cardiovascular disease. It also runs a sleep clinic for people with sleep apnoea, insomnia and other sleep concerns.
Skinner said they were delighted to have Life Unlimited Hearing Therapy and dermatologist Louise Reiche co-locate with them.
Kauri Healthcare also provided skin checks and minor surgery, such as vasectomies.
Skinner said the centre meant the beginning of working in a new way with Midcentral DHB and Central PHO to broaden services to the community. The centre has just under 60 staff employed, including doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, health care assistants, reception and administration staff and housekeeping.
Central PHO chief executive Chiquita Hansen said it was fantastic. ‘‘It is great for the population of Roslyn.’’
Hansen said the community had high health needs, while the centre itself had potential to expand.
‘‘They are a really innovative and passionate group of clinicians.‘‘