Happy 2023!

Happy 2023!

We are excited about 2023. The crisis around General Practice is getting more attention in the press and hopefully this will be a turning point for the better. The beauty of primary care is to be able to look after a patient holistically and hopefully prevent many health problems. It has been an absolute joy to have our registrars, Dr. Lisa Hong and Dr. Natasha Nointin with us. We feel they could experience the excitement and love we all have for our profession here at Eleanor Clinic.

Is is a true privilege to be a General Practitioner. Sharing the hard and sad moments with you, and also the joy. Sometimes there’s a lot of things we can do and organise helpful interventions. At other times, it is being there with you in difficult circumstances. Having build up such an excellent referral net work with allied health practitioners, psychologists and psychologists often allows us to get our patients seen by the right people in short time. A big Thank You to all our wonderful network partners for the excellent collaboration last year.

Dr Natasha will be continuing her training as a Specialist General Practitioner in Moonee Ponds and will hopefully return to Eleanor Clinic after she concludes her training.

Dr. Lisa has finished her training and is expecting her second baby – so double congratulations are in order! We are delighted that she will return to Eleanor Clinic at the end of the year as a Fellow of the Australian College of GPs.

Let 2023 be the beginning of a great year for all of you and the people you care about, our team, General Practice in Australia overall and excellent health care. Thank you to all of you for your support and palpable excitement for our little local clinic that could, right here in our Inner West.

Skin Cancer Awareness Week 2022

At Eleanor Clinic we are strong supporters of the skin cancer awareness week.

All year around we offer dedicated skin checks, where you doctor checks your skin from head to toe for any suspicious skin lesions. Early detection of skin cancer can be lifesaving. So if your skin check is not up to date, please book one in now.
Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, with approximately two in three Australians diagnosed with skin cancer during their lifetime. Sadly, around 2000 Australians will die from this disease this year, and it is estimated that almost twice as many men as women will die from melanoma this year alone.
Yet research shows that many Australians, particularly men, aren’t regularly using all five forms of sun protection. This year, Cancer Council Australia in partnership with the Australasian College of Dermatologists, is urging all Australians, especially men aged over 40, to be SunSmart and reduce their risk of developing skin cancer.
Over-exposure to UV radiation causes 95% of melanomas. In every region across Australia, it is likely to reach extreme levels of UV over the summer months. We encourage Australians to check the UV before you head outside, on the SunSmart app, via the Bureau of Meteorology’s website or your local weather forecast.
Fortunately, most skin cancers can be prevented by using all five forms of sun protection when the UV level is 3 or higher:

  • Slip on sun protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
  • Slop on broad spectrum, water resistant SPF30 (or higher) sunscreen.
    Apply 20 minutes before going outdoors and every two hours afterwards.
  • Slap on a hat – broad brim or legionnaire style to protect your face, head, neck and ears.
  • Seek shade.
  • Slide on sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian Standards – ‘What’s Okay At Home’, for children

Update on heart health

We’ve been receiving many enquiries about both men’s and women’s heart health in the last weeks. The good news is there’s lots of things we can all do to look after our hearts. ❤️

 

Don’t wait – make a change today!

 

✅ See your GP for a check up. People aged 45 years and over (or 30 and over for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples) are eligible for a rebate for a Heart Health Check. You’ll find out your risk of a heart attack or stroke, and most importantly, what you can do to manage your risk. Anyone of any age who is concerned about their risk factors for heart disease should speak to their GP as soon as possible 👉 https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-health-education/heart-health-checks

✅ If you’ve got five minutes… check out our Heart Age Calculator to work out your heart age compared to your actual age. Your risk of heart attack or stroke might be higher if your heart age is greater than your actual age 👉 https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-age-calculator

✅ If you’ve got two minutes… learn the warning signs of a heart attack and feel confident you can act by calling Triple Zero (000). Learn more 👉 https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/conditions/heart-attack

Preventing memory impairment and Dementia

Our practice is currently participating in a research project that is looking at ways to reduce potential risk factors for dementia in middle-aged adults (aged 45-65years). This research project is being conducted in collaboration with Monash University and other partners.
WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH INVOLVE?

In 2020, there was an estimated 459,000 Australians living with dementia and this number is expected to increase to more than one million Australians by 2058. While there is currently no cure for dementia, there is evidence that some health conditions and lifestyles may increase the risk of developing dementia. Some of these risk factors for dementia can exist in mid-life, well before a person may start to show signs or symptoms of dementia. The aim of this research project is to evaluate a new approach for assessing dementia risk and reducing dementia risk factors in middle-aged adults in the primary care (e.g. general practice) setting.