Morgans Merimbula works with Creators of Community Ownership to get more appointments at Eden Curalo Medical Clinic

While finding the right financial model to maintain a much-needed rural GP clinic wasn't easy, it's no secret that finding another GP for Curalo or any other rural practice, is very challenging. Recent Medicare changes have been welcomed but doctors say there is still more to do.

But the team at Creators have found a solution which they are calling reverse telehealth. While telehealth is well-established, Creator's plan is to have the patient come into the clinic to be seen by a doctor who is offsite.

"Not only does this take away the worry of doing things online on your own but it allows us to check in on the patient's health and wellbeing during their visit," Creators co-founder Belinda Morris said.

"This is especially important for our more vulnerable patients whose health needs are invariably the greatest," she said.

Creators co-founder April Merrick said reverse telehealth would allow them to connect GPs who lived in a metropolitan area with a rural clinic.

"There are many doctors who care about the need to improve access in rural communities but for personal and professional reasons are resistant to making the move," Ms Merrick said.

"Our hope is that once connected to the community they would consider a locum placement and discover how great it is to live on the Far South Coast.

"Not only will the people of Eden get greater access to a doctor in the short-term but this could be a cunning way of recruiting medical staff to our, and other rural areas," Ms Merrick said.

Creators has been assisted in its plan to get another GP at Curalo by Morgans Merimbula who have made a donation of $5000 and a commitment to donate further.

The donation of $5000 will help Creators facilitate online GP consultations at the Curalo Medical Clinic which will mean more appointments and improved access for patients.

The money will be used to upgrade the equipment and create a dedicated space where, after being checked by a nurse, the patient can be at comfort and ease as if the doctor was physically in the room itself.

Clinton Bush of Morgans Merimbula said the project was really important for the Bega Valley which could struggle to recruit professionals to the area.

"Our office is really behind the Creators of Community Ownership team and we have been really impressed with the energy that Belinda, April and Damien are bringing to this not-for-profit enterprise," Mr Bush said.

"More importantly we see this as a long-term project that we plan to donate towards on an annual or bi-annual basis," he said.

"We believe access to medical services is something everyone has a right to. The staff at Morgans Merimbula understand while we live in a beautiful part Australia, in regional areas this often brings long wait times or difficulties accessing medical professionals and health services," Mr Bush said.

"We look forward to seeing the progress of this initiative and will continue to support Creators keep vital services in the Bega Valley."

Morgans is not the only local company to support Creators; in June the Bendigo Bank Pambula and Bega, made a donation.

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The people behind Creators are Bega Valley-based April Merrick and Belinda Morris plus Damien Hickman and the model was inspired by the Bendigo Bank community ownership model, where a community would be able to own and operate vital local services and save them from closing.

Mr Hickman said it all started when they saw the ACM story in May 2022 about the looming GP crisis in the Bega Valley and thought about what they could do, to help.

Dr Michael Pentin at Curalo Medical Clinic and other Bega Valley GPs have warned of the impending closure of GP services in the Bega Valley due to lack of doctors and financial difficulties.

The resulting development of a not-for-profit charity-based social enterprise won Belinda Morris and April Merrick Best Social Enterprise in the Bega Circular Valley Challenge October 2022.

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