A new purpose-built health clinic at Werribee is giving Victoria University students hands-on training in their chosen fields.
The Interprofessional Clinic (VUIC) works within a coordinated care philosophy, aiming to offer a one-stop shop for specialist allied health care run by student practitioners.
The centre, which is still in its pilot phase, is offering osteopathy care and treatment services on Monday afternoons and dermal science services on Tuesdays.
Clinical director Andi Jones expects VUIC to be fully operational next year and says it will give senior students across nine health disciplines the chance to treat patients from Wyndham and the west, all under supervision of expert clinicians.
Speciality areas include nursing, midwifery, nutrition, exercise science, osteopathy, social work, psychology and dermal science.
Mr Jones said the interprofessional clinic model was increasingly becoming the way of the future in health care.
“One of the key things around inter-professional practice is having disciplines learn from, with and about each other.
“This is very important for the purpose of achieving true client and family-centred services,” he said.
“We’re training the next health professionals in interprofessional practice, which is focused on client-centred care.
“We’ll also be getting the students to reflect on the way they operate, based on information from consumers, to help them continuously improve.
“The reciprocity between helping families be as healthy as they can be while allowing community members to participate in the up-and-coming health workforce is a beautiful symbiosis.”
Mr Jones said the clinic also aimed to partner with other health services in the community.
He said the aims were to forge partnerships that meet community demand for health care services and start up specialist programs in nutrition and other areas.
For more information about VUIC, call 9919 8199.
