WORKING IN PRACTICES WITH CONTRASTING POPULATION NEEDS AND ALTERNATIVE FUNDING MODELS GP runs population relay between practices
People In Health Care Series
Dr Jaspreet Saini, GP
Clinic Director, Healthicare &
Practice Owner and Principal GP, Rosedale Medical Practice
Filmed in Rooty Hill, New South Wales | October 2024
Dr Jaspreet Saini is a GP with a decade of experience, practicing in West Pennant Hills and Rooty Hill, New South Wales. He began his medical journey at Monash University, followed by internships and residency at Blacktown Hospital, in Western Sydney. Instead of confining himself to a single specialty, he pursued general practice to explore various facets of medicine.
His career philosophy centres around addressing frustrations within the healthcare system and advocating for multidisciplinary care. This commitment led him to travel to the United States, where he studied diverse healthcare models, particularly in underserved areas. Recognising the potential for improving primary care in Australia, he and his wife purchased a practice in West Pennant Hills in 2019, which has since received multiple awards for its innovative care approach.
However, Dr Saini felt a strong urge to work in a more underserved community to tackle health equity issues. He has been actively involved in a clinic in Rooty Hill since February 2024, focusing on redesigning healthcare delivery in an area characterised by socio-economic challenges and high rates of chronic conditions like obesity and diabetes.
His typical workweek has evolved to blend clinical practice with leadership and management. Three days a week, he coaches healthcare teams, guiding GPs, nurses, and medical assistants to enhance their clinical skills. Additionally, he engages in research related to health equity and models of care, seeking grants and writing papers.
Collaborative partnerships are pivotal to his approach. In Rooty Hill, his practice works closely with organisations like the Western Sydney Diabetes team, adopting proactive strategies to manage patients’ chronic conditions effectively. Through teamwork, they aim to provide holistic and efficient care, recognising that silos within healthcare hinder optimal outcomes.
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Patient-paramedic trust can help free up emergency departments
Dr. Robbie King is a Senior Advanced Care Paramedic with the Queensland Ambulance Service and a community paramedic. He is also a lecturer at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane. After studying paramedicine and working as a student paramedic since 2009, he recognised that most patients attended by ambulance services did not require emergency interventions.
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Calls for National Social Prescribing Scheme
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Consumers Health Forum of Australia (CHF) and Mental Health Australia are urging the government to implement a national social prescribing scheme to tackle Australia’s mental health and wellbeing crisis.
Mental ill health is a growing problem in Australia and has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2017, GPs across Australia have rated mental health as the most common presentation they see as part of the RACGP’s annual Health of the Nation survey. Approximately 20% of patients consult their GP for what are primarily social problems.
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New treatment options under investigation for pelvic organ prolapse
Dr Shayanti Mukherjee, Research Group Head, Translational Tissue Engineering at the with her team at Hudson Institute of Medical Research is developing new ways to prevent and potential cure pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The technology aims to ultimately lead to safer and more effective treatment for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using a woman’s own stem cells to boost the effectiveness of a degradable mesh.
