MOUNT Isa is preparing to say goodbye to one of the city’s longest serving GPs, Leanne Francis.
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Dr Francis said she was sad to be leaving the city and the practice she lovingly built during the past 12 years. “It’s actually really heart-breaking to be leaving and saying goodbye to the patients,” she said.
The born-and-bred Mount Isan studied at the University of Queensland before moving to Townsville where she trained at the hospital for four years.
She then moved back to her home town to go into general practice, where she eventually started Leanne’s Family Medical Centre.
At the time, she was home sick and dragged her partner to the Isa. He agreed to give her 10 years before they would move on.
Little did he know it would be 19-and-a-half years before they moved on to their next adventure.
“This is my home town, I was home sick and I wanted to come home,” Dr Francis said. “I could start my general practice out here.
“I knew at the time that I was interested in setting up a practice for myself and running it the way I wanted to run it.
“I think one of the advantages with working out here is that you can get involved with your patients and you can do as much as you want to do.”
Establishing a practice in the bush is no easy feat, and finding other GPs to train and stay is only part of the challenge.
The work can be both challenging and rewarding, but the most challenging is getting workers to the city – a challenge many businesses in Mount Isa are aware of.
For the future, Dr Francis hopes to look after her family and maybe herself a little more.
“I am leaving a practice that I absolutely love and I hope Michael [Dr Michael Mbaogu, who is taking over the practice and making a few changes] is going to take good care of it,” Dr Francis said.
“I’ve worked pretty hard over a long period of time.
“I am getting tired and I think it is time for me to take time out, recharge the batteries and maybe start looking after myself a little bit more.
“I love the scope of general practice and what it can provide.
“You can see anything walking through the door from newborn babies to elderly people.
‘‘The experience of working with people over time and getting to know them, that is the part I love most in general practice.
‘‘I just can’t see myself giving that up so I’m sure I will be back in general practice, it’s just a matter of where and when.”
Dr Mbaogu plans on taking over the practice and extending the opening hours and services.
He has a passion for rural health rural health.
