Ramsay Street General Practice will now provide essential health care to Cloncurry and beyond, following a recent sale of the business.
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Formerly known as Flinders Medical Centre, Dr Leonie Fromberg has taken over sole ownership of the practice along with its doctors and staff.
Dr Fromberg is the superintendant at Cloncurry Hospital and started work at the general practice nine years ago as a registrar.
"I did my training here under Dr Bryan Connor who was a great mentor for me," she said.
"It has always been discussed that the clinic would be set up so it could be handed down to the up and coming registrar as they gained fellowship.
"Doctors Bryan Connor and Chris Appleby had been out here for about 12 years and when that wound up it was the idea that it would be taken over by general practitioners who were working in the practice.
"At that time however, it was quite difficult because we had practitioners who had to leave town for health reasons, and I couldn't take it over at the time due to our little boy being so unwell after having cardiac surgery at the age of ten months."
Dr Fromberg said due to the circumstances at the time, the practice was temporarily run by a management service.
"There was always the vision that the practice would be transitioned to a local general practitioner, I put my hand up last year and said I was ready to make it happen," she said.
"I am hopeful with the support that we receive from parties like Cloncurry Shire Council, the Primary Health Network and North West Hospital and Health Service, that we can continue to offer a service that has been nothing short of excellent.
"We will continue to offer training positions for registrars and hope that a portion of those will stay on and be a part of medical services in town."
Dr Fromberg said staff turnover was the biggest challenge for the business.
"General practitioners at any general practice will say that every year produces more and more challenges," she said.
"It's never something that is easy to predict because your workforce does change, in regards to nurses, administration and especially your doctors.
"It does change overtime, so each year you need to reevaluate how you will make a business work and that is the biggest challenge."
Dr Fromberg said the response from community was overwhelmingly supportive.
"Of all of the responses that I have heard, it has been resoundingly positive which is really pleasing to know that the community does see you as one of their own and is really supportive of a local GP taking over the local business.
"It has been overwhelmingly supportive, not just community but also the Primary Health Network, NWHHS, local council and Ernest Henry Mining."
Ramsay Street General Practice is open 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday with the Respiratory Clinic open on site in the afternoons.
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
