Marysville Medical Clinic wins top prize

A medical clinic that was burnt to the ground during Victoria's Black Saturday
bushfires in February has been named the state's practice of the year.
The Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Dr Morton
Rawlin said the award to the Marysville Medical Clinic was "a celebration of triumph
over adversity".
Announcing the award at the conference for general practice in Perth on Saturday, Dr
Rawlin said the clinic had made a major contribution to the community's recovery
after the devastating bushfires.
The home of Marysville's only GP, Dr Lachlan Fraser, was also destroyed in the fires
on February 7.
A converted house in Buxton, 12kms from Marysville, was established and fitted out
where Melbourne GP Dr Margaret Dawson and radiation oncologist Dr Mike Dally
conducted clinics.
Weekly locum sessions to support Dr Fraser were held by Melbourne doctors Rod
Trevena and Stephen Trumble "who saw they had the capacity to help a colleague get
back on his feet".
Dr Rawlin described the rebuilding of the clinic as "an inspirational story of
professional and community support and co-operation".
"With this award the RACGP has an opportunity to recognise not only the work of an
outstandingly important community medical practice but to publicly celebrate the
resilience of general practice and the cohesiveness of our profession," Dr Rawlin
said.