Head to Docklands Health to get expert care from a passionate team of allied health professionals.
Led by Dr Michael Edgley, Docklands Health has gone from strength to strength over 10 years, helping patients access treatment that is as fast, holistic and cost-effective as possible.
‘At first it was just two of us in a tiny room. Ten years on, we have about 13 practitioners across all sorts of disciplines, including chiropractic care, physiotherapy, psychology, nutrition, podiatry and pilates,’ Mike said.
‘When people injure themselves they often go to the GP, then somewhere else, and somewhere else, trying to get better. Then they start the whole process again.
‘Working together with all sorts of practitioners under one roof, we can get people better faster, cost them less money and get them back to life. That’s what we strive to provide – streamlined health care.’
Mike said he loves running his business so much that it almost feels like it isn’t a job.
One of his favourite things has been seeing the local community grow up alongside Docklands itself.
‘Over 10 years, I’ve seen families grow up and workers progress up the corporate ladder. We know couples who’ve got married and had children who now attend Docklands Primary School, which didn’t even exist a few years ago. I really appreciate this aspect of the job,’ Mike said.
‘If the pandemic had occurred eight years ago, Docklands really would’ve struggled, but the community groups – like those formed through Library at the Dock, Probus and Rotary – are now quite well established. This helps people feel more connected.’
Like all businesses, Docklands Health has felt the impact of COVID-19. However, alongside all the challenges of the pandemic, there have also been some silver linings.
‘COVID-19 has affected our business dramatically, especially last year. We used to see lots of corporate people and that changed overnight. But now we see many more local people, which is great,’ Mike said.
‘During the second lockdown, we were often the only people our patients would see and so we became a bit of a hub of communication.
‘We’d be treating people who lived in different towers and passing on bits of news. It has been a real privilege to be there as a resource for the community through the pandemic.’
Running Docklands Health during COVID-19 has also presented some opportunities for local collaboration.
Mike recently arranged a get-together of local health practitioners to mark Men’s Health Week and plans are underway for a women’s health talk featuring experts in fields like occupational therapy and mental health.
‘It’s great to be able to collaborate like this for the community. It would’ve been more difficult to do pre-COVID. Nowadays people really want to make connections and widen their reach,’ Mike said.
‘Looking to the future, our plans are to continue to grow and provide the best service we can, and hopefully expand. Having more locations, more practitioners and more disciplines will help us serve people even better.’
Docklands Health has been recognised in this year’s Lord Mayor’s Commendations, a program that celebrates the vast contributions small businesses make to our city.
‘Thank you so much to the City of Melbourne for this recognition in the Lord Mayor’s Commendations,’ Mike said.
‘I think the council has been fantastic through the pandemic. The resources and individual support they provide for small businesses to help us stay connected to the community are great.
‘The experience has reminded us that we’re all just people, working together and doing our best.’
To find out more, visit Lord Mayors Commendations.
