Health Hub Development project manager and Specialist and Medical Centre practice manager Sophie Ashton told the Goulburn Post about the business.

Nominated for: Young Entrepreneur, Excellence in Innovation

GP: How long has your business been operating?

SA: Two years.

GP: What is the purpose of your business?

SA: To provide primary health and specialist services to Goulburn and surrounds.

GP: What does this nomination mean to you and your business?

SA: It certainly provides acknowledgement and recognition for the hard work we have put in and reinforces the need and appreciation from the community for the additional services they have been able to access. 

GP: How many staff members do you have and what do they do?

SA: The specialist and medical centre has nine staff members including receptionists, nursing staff, accounting staff and practice management. However, within the building there are more than 30 other staff members who work within the allied health centre, compounding chemist, counselling service and cafe which are all leased out. Also, while we don't employ the doctors, we have five GPs, 24 specialists and seven specialist services who all visit the centre.

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GP: What is the secret to your success?

SA: Certainly taking a risk, perseverance, application and thinking outside the box. We built The Health Hub with a belief that there was a need for an integrated medical centre and once it was up and running we hoped that the doctors, health professionals and patients would come. Two years later I can certainly attest to this fact.

However, we always have to be flexible and think on our feet. The contrast between what we planned from the outset and the service we now deliver is greatly different. We recognised a demand, such as the lack of visiting specialists to Goulburn and started trying to attract these people. Cold-calling is never fun but it’s a lot easier when you believe so passionately in the outcome. 

Keeping both patients and doctors happy is our priority and generally the two align, but it can often be a juggling act. Ultimately, we are in the service industry and I think we do a good job of keeping the majority content.

GP: What is something not many people would know about your business?

SA: Many people aren't aware that last year The Health Hub won the Master Builders Association award for Best New Commercial Project in its category. It truly is a beautiful building with an uplifting, light and welcoming ambiance. It’s worth coming out to take a tour, especially of the Allied Health Facility which with its state-of-the-art rehab gym and hydrotherapy pool is the best of its kind in rural NSW.

There is the perception that accessing many of our services is financially prohibitive. Some of our services such as ultrasound, hearing aids for the elderly, lung function tests and sleep studies are bulk-billed. Many of our specialists have reduced fees for pension card holders. For financially constrained patients, we are also able to charge the gap. All of our systems are setup so that patients instantaneously receive the medicare rebates. Our GPs bulk-bill all pension and health care card holders, people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander decent and children under 16.

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