By Carole Levy
More than 20 years ago, Dr Philip Wood chose Sunbury as the place to begin his dream of owning a medical centre. Not just your usual centre, though – he had bigger plans. What Dr Wood and his Sunbury Medical Centre went on to achieve not only makes the dream a reality, but also bestows an indispensable asset to his much-loved community.
With the opening of a new, purpose-built centre in February, there are now seven spacious treatment bays at Sunbury Medical Centre. Explaining their significance, Dr Wood says patients who normally had to go to a hospital emergency department now don’t need to.
“We have a team of highly skilled doctors here who can eliminate a trek to Sunshine Hospital when, for example, ‘Jack’ breaks his arm or ‘Jill’ needs an IV drip for pneumonia … or ‘Joe’ experiences acute asthma,” he says. “Anyone experiencing this type of incident is understandably anxious, especially children, and the last thing they want is a 30-minute ambulance or car trip.”
“If one of our patients does need an ambulance, there’s an ambulance bay right here. In fact, we offer almost everything a patient could need, from allied health services to laser cosmetic treatments. It’s a true medical hub with facilities I’m proud of.”
Recently, the centre won a state award for research.
“Our team assisted medical students from Melbourne University who successfully identified the benefits of aspirin to patients with bowel cancer,” Dr Wood explains. “This is a significant finding and it was exciting and rewarding to be a part of it.”
Apart from scientific endeavours and providing a range of medical services (listed on the website), the centre is also a highly regarded training practice.
Experienced registrars completing their GP fellowships attend teaching sessions lead by Dr Wood and his colleagues, GP Fellows Dr Foroughi and Dr Halliwell, who also practice at the centre.
“The registrars bring invaluable expertise to the centre. They offer a good mix of skills, the latest knowledge and a wealth of experience. We all benefit, most especially our patients.”
Sunbury Medical Centre, 38-40 Gap Road, Sunbury. Opens 7.30am-8pm Monday-Friday and 8am-4pm Saturday-Sunday. Inquiries: 9744 8999 or sunburymedicalcentre.com.au
