It began with an entrepreneurial seizure in Portugal.
We were young, had plenty of energy and were passionate and idealistic.

Our intention was not to change the landscape of healthcare- even I don’t have that much hubris! All we wanted was to have a little more control on how we were delivering health to a community that we had grown to love. Little did we know that running a business is a continual process of letting go and trusting others.
We wanted more control and ultimately had less- but O-health, the community, and Lisa and I are much better for it.

It was an incredibly inauspicious start.
No patients in the first two days.
One on the third day and a total of 5 for the week.

The first ever patient of Osteopathy on Young remains a patient to this day. We regularly speak with her about where we started and both of us are shocked at how far we’ve come (Patient 1 is wonderfully honest!). We both agree that the first consult at Osteopathy on Young, whilst perhaps not one of our best, was certainly memorable. Buy me a coffee one day and perhaps I’ll tell you the story…

I am incredibly proud that we’ve retained a relationship with Patient 1; and 2; and 3; and their families. Our passion has been to deliver extreme care to every patient. We’ve always wanted to deliver care to our patients with the same passion and intensity that you’d like shown to your own mother, and to have fun while we are doing it- your health is serious, but we don’t have to be. O-health has always been a fun and socially engaging place to work and visit- it helps our patients recover faster and our team love it.

Throughout the growth, development and rise of O-health, the constant has been care for our patients. This sense of community and depth of relationship is the achievement of which we are most proud. We have had the privilege of working with families for 17 years. Over that time we’ve helped them in innumerable ways and been a part of their lives- births, deaths, marriages, trauma. We’ve celebrated wonderful achievements and felt the pain and loss with our patients. They’ve supported us through our challenges, as we have supported them.

We’ve managed to work with wonderful people, and help them to grow and develop by creating a fantastic environment and culture. We didn’t always get it right, and we haven’t always managed things as well as we could; but we’ve continually improved and our team are a reflection of this. O-health has an incredible group of excited, knowledgeable, ethical and passionate people. Watching their communication skills and the influence they have over our patients’ lives has been incredibly rewarding. The future of healthcare is in incredibly safe and capable hands.

Whilst not our intention when we began 17 years ago, O-health has changed the way healthcare is delivered. We have managed to create an environment where exceptional therapists of all disciplines can come together and co-manage patients. There has been a lot of work in the background to make this a reality. There is nowhere in Australia (that we’ve seen or heard of) who so successfully integrates multiple disciplines in case management, who has the scope of practice/services/facilities/technology ALL working together for the common good of the patient.

O-health is a model for how healthcare should be delivered.
We ensure timely, ethical, proven and practical ways to create the changes that our patients need. We’ve scaled into one of the largest single allied health practices in Australia without losing the personal touch and care that got us here. The scale has allowed us to invest in our facility, our technology, our systems and most importantly, our people. That we continue to grow and challenge ourselves daily is a testament to all of those wonderful people who have chosen to work with us.

Throughout a pandemic, we’ve managed to care for our community. We’ve also provided employment and security of work to nearly 30 people, all of whom have trusted us with their professional and financial security. It is incredibly humbling and we are so proud to have been a part of their journey. This is one of our proudest achievements.

I know how much better O-health is now than when it began. I am so excited to see where our great team of people can take it in the next 17 years. But wherever we go, and whatever we do, I promise that we will never lose our passion to help everyone and to treat everyone the way I want my mum to be treated.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of the last 17 years to get here. We’ve learnt something from all of you. Please keep letting us know how we are performing- we want to be better tomorrow than we are today, and the only way we can know that is if you tell us.

Finally- to my partner in crime… Lisa.
It is always fraught for couples to work together- I couldn’t work without her.
Her capacity is extraordinary.
Lisa’s passion and energy is what makes O-health what it is.
If anybody personifies what this place is about, it is her.
Thank you for tolerating me, I hope you can keep tolerating me as we roll into the next phase of O-health because this place is going to keep getting better.

 

-Tom Barry
Director/Osteopath