RFDSSE Medical Services is proud to celebrate one year of providing accessible, quality healthcare to the community of Condobolin.
Since opening its doors in April 2024, the clinic has become a trusted service provider and now has more than 1,300 patients on its books.
“We’re very grateful to the people of Condobolin and surrounding areas for their support as we established the clinic in early 2024. We started from scratch with patient histories and medical records, so we have appreciated the assistance and patience the community provided as we got up and running,” said Jenny Beach, Executive General Manager Health Services Development for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section).
“A key reason why the Royal Flying Doctor Service became involved in rural GP clinics was to help communities where their clinics had closed or faced an uncertain future. At Condobolin, Gilgandra and Warren, without our clinics, people would have to travel several hours for even a basic check-up.
“We are pleased to repay the trust shown by the community by providing sustainable, accessible healthcare, whether it is chronic disease management, getting a flu vaccination ahead of what looks to be a bad winter for influenza or early intervention and prevention.”
A key focus when opening the practice was to recruit permanent staff who would become familiar to patients. The clinic now has a practice manager, nursing practitioners and administration staff, and two General Practitioners. Dr Sunita Thavarajadeva joined the practice in September 2024, and Dr Jessica Driver-O’Keefe, better known as Jet, joined in February this year.
Dr Sunita and Dr Jet come to RFDSSE Medical Services with a passion for rural and remote healthcare and have extensive experience in other regional and rural towns.
“It was really important to us that we created a clinic that was sustainable but was also part of the community. Whether it is walking to the front desk or going in to see a nurse or GP, RFDSSE Medical Services Condobolin has a team that is working for our patients and is a part of the community,” Jenny said.
“We’ve been very grateful to our partner, the Lachlan Shire Council, in addition to the Rural Doctors Network, RACGP and ACCRM, the Primary Health Network, Local Health District, Shortis and Timmins Pharmacy, and other health professionals and stakeholders in Condobolin for working with us.”
RFDSSE Medical Services was voted the Rural/Remote Health Employer of the Year for 2024 for the work in Condobolin, Warren and Gilgandra. Condobolin has also achieved Australian General Practice Accreditation Limited (AGPAL) Accreditation, a commitment to delivering safe, high-quality and ongoing continuous improvement in healthcare.
“We’ve achieved a lot in our first 12 months, but we’re looking ahead and we’re excited to be able to evolve to meet the ongoing needs of the community and continue to provide high-quality healthcare for the long term,” Jenny concluded.
