Primary healthcare reform: learning from Philadelphia

10 June 2011Public health nurses at the 11th Street Family Health Services Center are committed to developing long-term relationships with the community, reports Melissa Sweet in Inside Story

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MUCH of the debate about the future of primary healthcare in Australia has been dominated by unseemly professional tussles over the roles and influence of GPs, nurses and pharmacists. So it’s not surprising that one of the major points of contention surrounding the new primary healthcare organisations known as Medicare Locals has been the question of who will run them, with the Australian Medical Association agitating loudly for a “leadership role” for GPs.

Those interested in developing a more community-centred approach – and it’s to be hoped that this group might include those involved with the first batch of Medicare Locals announced this week – could do worse than take a trip to the tough northern suburbs of Philadelphia, just a short train ride from New York City…

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Photo shows Patricia Gerrity, director of the 11th Street Family Health Services Center.

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