Rural Northwest Health wishes to congratulate Dr Donald Liu and his wife Wendy, who celebrated 30 years of providing friendly, dedicated service to the Warracknabeal and district community on April 3.
Working at Sale Hospital in 1995, Donald noticed an advertisement in the Australian Journal of Medicine and decided to check out a town called Warracknabeal.
Recalling that the then-Warracknabeal Hospital was, at that time, in crisis and on the verge of closing due to losing patients and funding, Donald said that then-CEO Wayne Miller shared that, should a doctor not arrive soon, the hospital would shut down within months.
“He was pleasantly surprised when I came, as every other candidate had been unable to make it for one reason or another,” Donald said.
Starting his general practice, for the first few years Donald was a one-doctor operation, recalling that he saw 18 patients on his first day alone and, thanks to talking to so many people, losing his voice altogether by day three!
Recalling some of the changes he has seen over his time in Warracknabeal, including introducing previously long-absent services like maternity care and a surgical theatre, Donald said it is “incredibly rewarding to see the hospital standing strong 30 years later”.
“Throughout these years, I have had the full support of Wendy, who has taken on many roles including practice nurse, manager, IT support, and recruitment officer,” he said.
“Together, we have recruited and trained numerous doctors, helping them become fully qualified GPs to serve rural communities, with the community often expressing how fortunate Warracknabeal is to have a consistent team of multiple doctors at our clinic,
“This, as well as hearing newcomers to town say that our strong medical services were a major factor in their decision to move to Warracknabeal, has been heartening,
“Over the years, we have also kept up with the major changes in general practice. When we first started, everything was done manually, from paper records to appointment scheduling. Today, our clinic is fully computerised, improving efficiency and patient care,
“We have also maintained full accreditation every three years, ensuring that we continue to meet the highest standards in general practice. Adapting to these changes has been challenging but necessary, allowing us to provide modern, high-quality healthcare to our community”.
Donald said, however, that when looking back over the couple’s past three decades, their most meaningful achievement has been raising their family in Warracknabeal.
“Our son, known as by locals as Dr David, has been working alongside us for the past two and a half years, and
our daughter, Amanda became a registered nurse,” Donald said.
“As parents, we are incredibly proud that they have chosen to continue serving the community, and the country, we love,” he said.
Wendy added that it has been “overwhelming to know how many people we came to know throughout our 30 years and the friends we have made”.
Rural Northwest Health CEO Jenni Masters expressed her thanks to Donald and Wendy, not only for their dedication and for the services they have provided to RNH, but also for their commitment to the health and wellbeing of the community and their engagement and collaboration with RNH staff over the last 30 years.
“Primary care is vital to maintaining the health of our rural communities. To have a dedicated doctor provide consistent, proactive care for the past 30 years is a significant milestone, and one we are proud to recognise and celebrate,” she said.
“Thank you, Donald and Wendy, for all that you have done over the decades, and congratulations”.
– Left image: Dr David Liu (back right) congratulates his parents, Dr Donald and Wendy Liu, on 30 years of dedicated medical care to the Warracknabeal and district community.
– Right image: RNH Board Chair Dr John Aitken (back right), together with the RNH executive team of (from back left) Joseph Bermudo, Glenn Hynes, Paula Noble and CEO Jenni Masters, presented Dr Donald and Wendy Liu with certificates of appreciation in recognition of their milestone on Thursday.