Practice makes centre just about perfect

By Glen Atwell
IN the same year it celebrated its 30th birthday, Cranbourne’s Casey Medical Centre was recognised as one of the best general practices in Australia.
At a glitzy presentation dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne, the popular High Street clinic was listed in the nation’s top 20 practices, and also won the nation-wide Safety and Quality Award.
More than 1500 practices across the country were scrutinised by the Australian General Practice Accreditation company (AGPAL) before the winners were revealed.
Every aspect of the Casey Medical Centre’s operation was assessed as part of the process, including patient needs, education and practice management.
Staff at the centre specialise in all aspects of medicine including women’s health, mental health, sports medicine, paediatrics, natural medicine, acupuncture and men’s health.
Dr Sam Auteri, who still practises at the Casey Medical Centre, opened the facility in December 1978.
From its humble beginning, the practice has expanded and developed into one of the largest state-of-the-art general practice facilities in Australia.
Today, the centre has an 8-bed emergency treatment area with fully qualified nursing staff and is equipped with vital emergency equipment.
Nearby pathology and radiology services, a pharmacy and other specialists have worked with the practice staff for a number of years.
Dr Auteri said with staff from many backgrounds, the practice could accommodate non-English speaking patients.
“We have staff with Italian, German, Russian and Chinese backgrounds, so the medical centre is able to meet the needs of the multi-cultural nature of the Casey community,” he said.