Pittwater Life December 2018 Issue

Health & Wellbeing
New clinic’s healthcare
Health & Wellbeing
An innovative new medical
clinic where patients
pay an annual membership
of $150, have longer,
more frequent GP consultations
and access a dedicated
team of other health professionals
under the same roof
has opened on our doorstep.
Osana in Narrabeen is one of
a handful of modern clinics trialling
a new model of general
practice where each patient is
assigned a GP, Care Manager
and Health Assistant with the
aim of focusing on prevention
rather than symptom relief.
Founded by Australian GP
Dr Kevin Cheng, the Osana
mission is to keep patients
healthy and out of hospital –
its aim is to see patients when
they are well, not just when
they are sick.
“Our proactive approach
focuses on preventing health
issues before they arise and
keeping patients healthy,
happy and well,” Dr Cheng
told Pittwater Life.
Dr Cheng, who has a special
interest in chronic disease
management, explained that
under our current health system,
GPs were under pressure
to see more patients to fund
the running of their practice
and this could affect the time
they would like to spend with
their patients.
“With Osana’s model, GPs
are on a salary instead of
being paid per consultation,
which allows them to spend
more time per patient,” Dr
Cheng said.
Patients also have access to
allied health services on site,
such as dietary advice, physiotherapy,
exercise physiology
and psychology with complimentary
video, phone, email
support, home visits, and transport
to the clinic when needed.
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Dr Kevin Cheng, founder of innovative new medical clinic Osana at Narrabeen;
inside the modern practice on Pittwater Road; health professionals will complement care given by GPs.
The clinic operates on a
membership model, with an
annual fee of $150 (concessions
apply) – and no additional
out-of-pocket costs for
patients.
GP and allied health consultations
are charged to
Medicare, and membership
includes the Care Manager
and Health Assistant, as well
as educational workshops and
community activities.
The clinic will also host
weekly education classes and
group activities to encourage
locals to be active in their
health.
52 DECEMBER 2018
The Local Voice Since 1991