One question Jesse Walmsley and Sarah Sharp get asked a lot is ‘Where’s your ambulance?’!
But the Extended Care Paramedics have no need for one as they are part of a multi-disciplinary clinical team at Hauora ā-Whānau Whaitara, one of Tui Ora’s two medical centres.
“Being a paramedic doesn’t necessarily mean you rush to emergencies with lights and sirens blaring,” laughs Jesse. “Extended Care Paramedics are specialist paramedics who have extra qualifications and experience in primary and urgent care, so we are very good at responding to urgent issues and problems but we’re also very effective at supporting people for something that is impacting them right now that wouldn’t be regarded as an emergency.”
“We are a really useful team to have at the medical centre because we think on our feet and can deal with anything that gets thrown at us.”
Jesse and Sarah run a daily acute clinic at the centre in Grey Street in Whaitara, which means people who need a same day appointment can get one.
“The acute clinic means we can take the pressure off our GPs as well as remove barriers for whānau accessing healthcare. People with an itchy rash that’s just come up, or are in pain and need help, perhaps they need support with sexual health needs or a wound that needs looking at – all things that need to be seen straight away and can’t wait for a GP appointment that may be some days away.” says Sarah.
“Normally paramedics are thought of as in the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, but in this case, we are the top of it, providing help to people before they get to the stage where they need to go to an emergency department.”
Mind you, that doesn’t mean they don’t deal with emergencies too, with people walking into the clinic in the middle of a heart attack or struggling to breathe because of asthma!
Sarah initially trained and qualified in an office-based career, but soon realised it was not for her. Volunteering and then working in the emergency sector identified a passion for helping people which put in motion further study, initially as a Paramedic and then into Extended Care Paramedicine.
Jesse worked as an ambulance officer for 20 years, manning ambulances in the Coromandel and Hamilton as well as four years in Scotland – where the biggest challenge was the accent! Three years ago, he moved with his family to Taranaki and then recently joined the team at Whaitara.
“I love working here – every single person genuinely cares about the whānau who come to us and the wider community,” he says.
“It’s great getting to the end of the day and knowing you have made a difference to someone’s life.”
Hauora ā-Whānau Whaitara is currently accepting new enrolments – just call 0800 TUI ORA (884 672) or pop in to see us!