The family owned Canberra City Health Network (formerly Canberra City Osteopathy) opened its doors in 2004, with Dr BJ Field (Osteopath) at its helm. The practice was founded with a seemingly simple goal.
After reflecting upon experience as a locum clinician, BJ struggled with the difference between the university style clinics where he was trained and how private practice operates. On one hand you have a group environment where you learn by discussing, on the other is the often-solitary practice where you know what you know.
It was the idea of closing this difference which drove the goal of CCHN – To build a multi-disciplinary practice where practitioners could come together as a team to discuss and deliver the best care for their patients.
Achieving this wasn’t as simple as putting a bunch of professionals in a room. To make the practice succeed it needed a very specific culture. It had to be a culture where practitioners are open to a second opinion, both figuratively and literally. So the now famous CCHN open-door policy and second opinion policy were born.
The practice was originally just osteopathy with massage therapy quickly coming on board. From there CCHN took on students who progressed and became both osteopaths and physiotherapists. This was the chance to prove that private practice could play a bigger roll in education.
By 2008 it was clear CCHN had outgrown its five-room location. So, in December 2009, 10 rooms were opened on London Cct. This space gave the opportunity to grow into a larger field of diverse clinicians, including physiotherapists, exercise physiologists and nutritionists. This finally delivered the truly multi-disciplinary practice BJ had been working toward.
It wasn’t long before parking became challenging in the city, and it was clear the practice needed a standalone practice. A second location was opened in Casey in 2016 allowing for easier access by patients with more serious mobility issues.
Since then CCHN has established a reputation in supporting the education of the next generation of practitioners.
None of this journey would have been possible without the ongoing support of our loyal patients, staff and partners. From all the team here at CCHN we want to thank you and we hope you’ll join us for our next chapter.