Unlike Emergency Departments that operate within public hospitals and some private hospitals, a Walk-in Specialist Emergency Clinic is located in the community and designed to provide comprehensive, coordinated acute care – from initial consultation and diagnostic services, to treatment and specialist referral if required – without the patient having to visit a hospital.
The first WiSE Clinic opened in Macquarie Park (North Ryde), New South Wales in early 2017, delivering immediate medical care when accidents or emergencies require more than a GP visit and are considered non-life threatening or unlikely to require admission to hospital.
Australian health journal spoke to the visionary, founder and CEO behind this WiSE Specialist Emergency clinic, Dr Pankaj Arora.
Dr Arora talks about the origins of his journey in emergency departments working in four continents as an Emergency Room physician for the past 28 years. His passion is to develop health care systems to help acute care in the community.
Stating 70% of people presenting at Emergency Departments in Australian Hospitals, not getting admitted, 7 years ago Dr Arora modelled these patients presenting to ER but breaking away from the hospital setting. This break away setting would deliver treatment by a team of doctors, allied health specialists, radiology, fracture clinic, chest pain clinic, TIA clinic, early pregnancy clinic and pathology services all co-located in the single facility.
Since putting the model in place and opening in 2017, the Macquarie Park WiSE Emergency Specialist Clinic has treated over 70,000 patients. Dr Arora sees it as a very efficient and cost effective model, where the patient is seen by a specialist in a multidisciplinary team within half an hour and receives results within an hour. He emphasises the clinic has not replaced General Practice nor the Emergency Department in hospital.
From the success of the Macquarie Park, NSW clinic, last year Dr Arora set his plans in motion to open a 2nd WiSE emergency specialist care clinic, this time in Queensland. This happened only after 3 years of planning and modelling prior to the opening of the new centre in September 2022. However since opening in Robina, Gold Coast, the new WiSE clinic has been treating on average 20 patients per day – a faster rate than the first 6 months of the Macquarie Park, NSW clinic.
In closing Dr Arora talks about the differences between the WiSE model and urgent care clinics. Scaled down versions of emergency care departments in urgent care centres fail to address the treatment required for patients between General Practice and at hospital emergency departments.
His plans now include opening 10 clinics in the next 5 years, with an expectation that 20-50 clinics would be needed across Australia in the medium to long term.
-
Recognising service in health regulation
In April 2023, Professor John Skerritt retired from his position of Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation Group, a role he has been in since 2012. During his time at the TGA he had line responsibility for over 1200 staff involved in the regulation of therapeutic goods, regulation of gene technology and industrial chemicals and control of drug import, export and production.
At this year’s ARCS 2023 Conference, ARCS Australia CEO Dr Shanny Dyer paid tribute to Professor Skerritt and his service to the Australian health industry. She led a tribute with fellow industry heads, Elizabeth de Somer, CEO, Medicines Australia, Anne Harris, Managing Director, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand, Deon Schoombie, CEO, Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, Ian Burgess, CEO, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Arthur Brandwood, President ARCS Australia.
-
Physiotherapist, exercise physiologist support for management of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is commonly managed medically and typically with treatment. Exercise is also essential in the management of osteoporosis but tends to be under-utilised due to lack of knowledge and unfounded concerns about the risk of injury. In fact, optimal care of people with low bone mass, osteoporosis and/or increased risk of falling can and should include targeted exercise to help prevent osteoporotic fracture.
In early 2024, Healthy Bones Australia released a summary of the principles of osteogenic loading and fall prevention, the translation of those principles into clinical practice, evidence-based recommendations for exercise prescription, and special considerations, along with links to several relevant resources for people with or at risk of osteoporosis, falls and fractures.
-
Nurse led micro-suction earwax removal service continues success
At the 2024 Telstra Best of Business Awards in February, Earworx was recognised as the National Championing Health Award winner. Lisa Hellwege, the Clinical Director and Founder of Earworx, expressed her gratitude to the entire team and their patients for their trust and support. Earworx specialises in providing professional earwax removal services led by trained nurses using a procedure called microsuction.
