Waniora Parkway Medical Centre’s ongoing commitment to education and training
The Waniora Parkway Medical Centre has had a long-term commitment to the ongoing training of their practice management staff. Since 2003, they have supported eight staff through UNE Partnerships’ Professional Practice Manager Development Program.
Dr Robert Clarke, principal of the practice, actively encourages his staff to undertake training. According to the practice manager, Lita Connell, “we are lucky to have such a supportive owner, who understands the direct benefits training brings to the practice. Dr Clarke recognises the importance training plays in developing the right skills for our staff, to operate a more efficient and effective business.”
Lita has observed a growth in confidence both in staff themselves and in their ability to deal with others. “As trained staff, we know how to deal with people in a more professional manner, how to make their transactions with us easier and satisfy their needs to make them come back to us again.
“At the end of the day, if our clients don’t return, there is no business, and we have no jobs.”
The practice also employs a new trainee each year, completing their Certificate III in Business Administration (Medical). “Frontline reception work is a fantastic way for a person entering fulltime work to develop good customer skills. Balancing the needs of sick people within the organisation is hard. All our trainees have excellent people management skills and have matured personally also” commented Dr Clarke. Their current trainee, Klara Tasner, works as a receptionist at the practice. “Introducing new staff into the practice is always a good way of reviewing the existing systems and brings in new ideas” said Lita.
Lita has also completed the Certificate IV in Practice Management and the Diploma of Practice Management, so is well qualified to understand the benefits as a student and as the practice manager. These industry relevant qualifications have been specifically designed, introducing industry best practice for healthcare practices, through UNE Partnerships’ long standing relationship with the Australian Association of Practice Managers Ltd (AAPM). The programs are designed so assessments are practical, undertaken within the practice and can be directly applied within the workplace.
The Waniora Parkway Medical Centre’s practice team consists of administrative staff, manager, nurses and assistant, plus six doctors. They function as a cohesive team, because all staff work on the front desk at some stage, giving them a hands-on approach to understanding direct contact with their customers. “This approach has helped solve many issues that are often overlooked particularly in the peak periods of surgery. We talk about problems as a team, and work out how to practically apply a solution to avoid the same issue again. Thinking and working as a team is essential, and understanding how we interact is an important skill that we have gained from our training” commented Lita.
