Melbourne Medical Deputising Service (MMDS) has won the top honours in the 2010 Telstra Victorian Business Awards.
MMDS offers a medical service to 650 general practice clinics to provide urgent after hours care to patients in their homes treated 113,000 patients in their homes or in aged care facilities throughout Melbourne and Geelong.
The Port Melbourne business was announced Telstra Victorian Business of the Year tonight at the 18th Telstra Victorian Business Awards after earlier winning the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award and the Sensis Social Responsibility Award.
MMDS was established in 1979, serving four GPs who did not want to be on call 24 hours a day.Today, the business has 3000 registered GP clients whose patients are diverted to MMDS which delivers continuity of quality medical care through its 75 part-time deputising doctors.
Telstra Business Group Managing Director and Ambassador of the Telstra Business Awards Deena Shiff said MMDS won in a hotly contested field.
“MMDS should feel a great sense of pride because the calibre of the 24 finalists in this year’s Awards was very impressive, reflecting the strength of Australia’s small and medium business sector,” Ms Shiff said.
Led by Executive Director and owner Josie Adams, MMDS is active on industry bodies working to improve health services and strongly focused on giving to the community through pro bono services.
Ms Shiff said that MMDS was a quiet achiever for more than 30 years, committed to its clients and integral to reducing patient numbers at hospital emergency wards.
Ms Adams said: “Our service ensures that the most vulnerable people in the community – people with disabilities, the elderly, financially disadvantaged people, residents in aged care facilities and single parents – are able to access medical care after hours when they need it.”
