Mounties Group, the organisation that sprung from the Mt Pritchard & District Community Club, has made a move into health care on the Coast by purchasing a Wyoming medical centre.
Mounties Group has taken over several smaller Central Coast service clubs recently but this is its first foray into the provision of health services in the region.
The acquisition of ‘Invitation to Health,’ the Wyoming medical centre owned and operated by Dr Penny Caldicott and Eric D’Indy is the first step by Mounties to grow a new division of its Mounties Care business in the GP health service space.
As of this month, Invitation to Health will be owned by Mounties Care.
The medical centre opened in 2003 with a team of six health professionals: doctors, nurses, therapists, and businesspeople.
It now serves 4,000 people in the local area and houses 12 medical practitioners.
“We formed the practice in 2003 with a vision to provide a community of care to address the diseases of our times,” Caldicott said.
“This mission, along with our values, aligns with how Mounties have always operated – like us, they truly care about members of the community and improving their lives.”
The Wyoming centre will continue to operate as Invitation to Health for the foreseeable future and Caldicott and D’Indy will continue to be involved in the centre’s operations.
Wyoming is one of other planned Mounties Care clinic locations across NSW.
Mounties Group CEO, Dale Hunt, said the move had been a year in the making.
“Mounties Care has had an outstanding year since its initial launch and this move adds another ‘string to our bow’ for our members and local communities”, he said.
The acquisition of the medical centre comes at a time when a lack of access to GP services is under the spotlight.
A hearing of the Senate inquiry into GP shortages is expected to take place in Erina during December to try and establish the extent of the problem on the Coast.
Nicola Riches