Bridge Clinic

Practice Name Bridge Clinic
ABN 29 605 176 751
Address 8 Standen Street, Murray Bridge SA 5253 - View Google map
Phone number (08) 8532 2322
Fax number (08) 8531 0732
Email Address information@bridgeclinic.com.au
Web address www.bridgeclinic.com.au
Principal contact name Jill Coombe (Practice Manager)
ASGC-RA Classification 2
Outer Metropolitan No
Training Accreditation (RACGP) renewal date March 2012
Accreditation Status GPT1 / GPT2 / GPT3
Practice Location
a) Description of practice location THE RURAL CITY OF MURRAY BRIDGE Just one hour along the South Eastern freeway from Adelaide is a major rural regional centre. Rich in indigenous history and culture, it also boasts modern government resources and excellent medical and educational services. View Map Located adjacent to the River Murray, Murray Bridge offers a diverse range of water and other sporting and social activities. With a Mediterranean style climate of hot dry summers and crisp mild winters, the average daily maximum temperatures range from 25-33 degrees in the summer to 15-17 degrees in the winter. (for more information go to www.bridgeclinic.com.au)
b) Health and medical information about the region The Hills Mallee Southern region is the most populous country health region in South Australia, with an estimated resident population of  160,000 people. This represents 9% of the estimated resident population of South Australia and 26% of the estimated resident population of country South Australia.

Geographically, the Hills Mallee Southern region covers a large (over 30,000 square kilometres) and is a diverse region that includes the Adelaide Hills, Murray Mallee, Southern Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island areas of the State. Murray Bridge is a major rural regional centre, rich in indigenous history and culture, providing modern government resources and excellent medical and educational services. The population of the town is approximately 19,000 (and the district about 30,000). Murray Bridge is adjacent to the River Murray and offers a diverse range of water ad other sporting and social activities.
c) Practice type and size Bridge Clinic is a Partnership of 12 full time GPs and 5 part time GP's, one Intern on placement from Flinders Medical Centre, 1 part time Registrar and 2 medical students on placement for 12 months through the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum program (Flinders University Rural Clinical School). The practice has approx 19 administration/ reception staff per day on site and 4 registered nursing staff to provide support for the GPs. We have approx 400 patients per day visit Bridge Clinic and Southside Clinic (small branch clinic approx 3 km away) and of these 80–150, are seen by the emergency doctors on roster for the day (that is no appointment). The practice provides all emergency after hours services at the Murray Bridge Soldiers Memorial Hospital. The practice is open 5½ days/week (8.30am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 8.30am – 11.30am on Saturdays). More information is available at www.bridgeclinic.com.au.
Bridge Clinic has 5 anaesthetic, 5 obstetric and 3 surgical GPs, providing a wide range of services for the local and regional population. In addition to these mainstream services, GPs at Bridge Clinic offer accident/emergency, minor procedural and basic x-ray services on-site, acupuncture, mental health and relationship counselling and on-site pathology services. There are approx 30 visiting specialists each month and details of the services offered are available on our web site.
Services Available
a) Access to specialists and other health professionals Visit our website at www.bridgeclinic.com.au for details of the 30 visiting services at Bridge Clinic each month and other community and allied health services available in Murray Bridge.
b) Aspects of medicine in your practice that will be a feature of registrar training Bridge Clinic is an extremely busy rural practice and on any given day there can be up to 16 GPs working at two practice sites, doing hospital ward rounds, procedural work in anaesthetics, surgery and obstetrics, along with 30 visiting specialists in all specialist fields. This creates an ideal opportunity and wide range of learning experiences for registrars. All doctors at the clinic are involved in teaching and will oversee learning experiences and tutor registrars during their placements. Ambulances visit Bridge Clinic during the day with emergencies and a greater part of the registrar’s experience in the initial weeks at the clinic will be working side by side in these emergency situations as well as opportunities to sit in with specialists to observe and learn procedural skills. There is ample opportunity given to work in a multi disciplinary approach with community agencies e.g. Aged Care, Disability Support and Palliative Care teams. Bridge Clinic is accredited as an obstetric training post.
Working Environment
  Frequency / details
Normal work hours  8.30am - 5.30pm, 5pm - 8pm emergency
Home visits By arrangement (as determined by the GP)
After hours 2 week nights on-call per month
Weekends 1 weekend on-call per month
Hospital One assisting session minimum per week
Nursing home visits One session every 6-8 weeks
Supervision & Support
Names /qualifications / experience of teachers / mentors
Dr David Butler Practice Chairman, Executive. GP Obstetrician. Coordinator of CPD program. Obstetrics, paediatrics, cardiology, coordinator Q Fever program, immunizations, RACGP Supervisor.
Dr Martin Altmann Executive. GP Obstetrician/Surgeon. Involved in the Sturt Fleurieu GP Education and Training Program. Coordinator of GP training (registrars). Computer Committee, RACGP Supervisor/Mentor.
Dr Fiona Altmann GP Anaesthetist. Coordinator of Intern training. Anaesthetics, emergency medicine, acupuncture. RACGP Educator and Lecturer, APLS Instructor, St John Division Surgeon.
Dr Michael Beckoff GP Surgeon. Board Member of Murray Mallee Division of General Practice. Anxiety disorders, sexual therapy, aviation medicals. RACGP Supervisor, Computer and Building Committees.
Dr Roger Martin GP. Psychiatry services, Mobilong Prison Medical Officer.
Dr Andrew Mills GP. Mental health and counselling services.
Dr Elisea Nicholls GP. Women’s health, youth services.
Dr Mark Nicholls GP Obstetrician/Surgeon. Obstetrics, sigmoidoscopies. Computer Committee, RACGP Supervisor.
Dr Graeme Nicholson GP Obstetrician/Anaesthetist. Obstetric and anaesthetic services. AMA Council, RACGP Supervisor and Examiner.
Dr Peter Rischbieth GP Obstetrician/Anaesthetist. SA Vice President, Rural Doctors Association. RACGP Supervisor and Examiner.
Dr Giuseppe (Joe) Scalzi GP Anaesthetist. Property Committee.
Dr Peter Seals GP. Methadone prescriber.
Dr Suzann Seals GP. Women’s health, Aboriginal Health clinics.
Dr Robert Thompson GP. Sports medicine. Computer Committee, RACGP Supervisor.
Dr David Trenam GP Anaesthetist. Geriatric care, Lerwin Board, Resthaven Medications Committee
Dr Din Sidik GP Principal Medical Officer, Murray Bridge Soldiers Memorail Hospital.
Dr Ati Hanafiah GP

 
Facilities offered by practice Bridge Clinic offers 16 consulting rooms and Southside Clinic 4. All are fully equipped with computer, printer, x-ray light screens, electronic examination beds, etc for the convenience of the GP and patient. Nurses are available to assist with immunizations, asthma education, etc. GPs are provided with dictaphones for recording of specialist referrals and other correspondence and a full time typing service is provided to support this. The Registrar will receive an orientation booklet and tour prior to patient contact (including tour and orientation at hospital) and access to all education and training opportunities at the clinic and  GP Network. Assistance with sourcing accommodation is available through our Practice Manager and Registrars are encouraged to relocate to the Rural City of Murray Bridge and immerse themselves in the riverside lifestyle.
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