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Mission Statement
To provide and deliver an exemplary level of comprehensive and easily accessible primary health care to the Wakatipu Basin in an equitable, financially sustainable and personally rewarding manner for all involved.
Queenstown Medical Centre was established by Dr Pat Farry in 1970. It then underwent rapid growth in a time of stable population, based on Dr Farry's vision of a practice based on a collegial and co-operative relationship between doctors and nurses. Original premises in Rees Street were abandoned in 1976 for larger purpose-built rooms in Stanley Street. The current central medical centre at 9 Isle Street was opened in 2001 to further pursue the vision of truly integrated primary care services.
"QMC" Isle Street now incorporates Radiology and Ultrasound, Phlebotomy services, Psychologist, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, a dedicated Accident and Medical clinic open daily 8am-8pm as well as additional community services including Asthma and Diabetes Education, Sexual Health Clinics, Dietician, Antenatal Classes, Travel medicine and Vaccination clinics, most nurse-led. The move also made it possible for QMC to accommodate visiting specialists providing various secondary level services.
QMC purchased Frankton Medical Centre in 2004 on the departure of its previous owner practitioners. This allowed an appropriate expansion of services to the ever-growing eastern part of the Wakatipu Basin and was further enhanced with the upgrade from the previous premises to a new facility within the Remarkables Park shopping centre in 2006. The demand for services in Frankton continues to grow.
Queenstown Medical Centre incorporated as a limited company in 2006. QMC Ltd now has 13 principal general practitioners who are the shareholding directors. Day to day governance is provided by an executive of 4 elected directors, one serving as Chief Executive Officer and the Practice Manager. The permanent workforce is completed by 3 General Practitioner Assistants, 21 Nursing staff and 19 Administrative and Reception staff. Working arrangements are flexible with high numbers of "part-time" employees.
During winter months, QMC Ltd, through its wholly owned subsidiary CoRe Medical Services Ltd, is contracted to provide medical care in the first aid rooms on Coronet Peak and Remarkables ski-fields. Extra staff are employed seasonally to provide these services. Staffing and hours at the medical centre are also extended to manage the increased workload of acute care during this time. QMC Isle Street operates as the main triage and treatment centre in Queenstown for all minor to moderate injuries.
The local rural facility Lakes District Hospital is now staffed by resident rural hospital generalists and provides Accident and Stabilisation services for major trauma and an increasing number of other presentations and in-patient rural hospital care. It is managed by Southland District Health Board within whose area, despite its position with in the Otago region, Queenstown is situated.
Local governance for primary health care is provided by the Wakatipu Primary Health Organisation (PHO) to which both QMC and the other local general practice, Wakatipu Medical Centre, belong.
QMC has been for many years and remains a "teaching" practice for medical and nursing students and for post-graduate trainees and registrars in general practice. In addition continuing professional development/education is fostered and QMC Ltd is a Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners accredited provider of general practice continuing medical education.
QMC Ltd sees enhanced co-operation between primary and hospital level services at secondary and tertiary levels with the empowerment of community based health organisation as the most appropriate model for future progress in health and service delivery locally in the Wakatipu and New Zealand as a whole.
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