CENTRAL General Practice (CGP) in Mansfield has been named a finalist in the 2025 Victorian Rural Health Awards, recognised for its work as a multidisciplinary health team providing innovative care to the local community.

Now in its 20th year, the prestigious state-wide awards celebrate individuals and organisations making outstanding contributions to rural and regional healthcare across Victoria.

CGP is one of eight finalists in the Outstanding Contribution by a Rural Multidisciplinary Team category, acknowledged for its collaborative model of care and commitment to improving access to health services in the Mansfield region.

Practice Principal Dr Ben Nally said the clinic was thrilled to have reached the finals.

"It is great to be acknowledged for the work we do," said Dr Nally.

"With a growing town, we have needed to be innovative to keep up with the demand for care.

"We really pride ourselves on being a strong team that always strives to provide the best care to our patients and community.

"The CGP team has grown significantly over the past few years and we have tried to stay true to our history and values shaped over almost 40 years.

"Providing care to the Mansfield community requires a multidisciplinary team and a large number of support staff.

"All our staff are dedicated and come to work every day with a sense of pride, but also an element of fun."

The practice has steadily expanded its clinical team in recent years, incorporating programs tailored to meet the growing needs of the town.

"We have a fantastic GP group, but despite some recent success, recruiting GPs to country towns is notoriously difficult," Dr Nally said.

"To help improve access to care we have developed nurse-led care models.

"We have a Nurse Practitioner and one in training, and an Endorsed Midwife who can independently assess and treat patients within their scope."

But the standout initiative, Dr Nally said, is the Health Optimisation Program (HOP).

"This is a program for people with chronic or complex health conditions to have free (bulk billed) regular long appointments with our HOP nurses and their GP," he said.

"Through this program we collaborate and refer patients to local allied health professionals and the MDH Primary Care Centre to receive Medicare-subsidised care.

"We are very proud of our Health Optimisation Program (HOP), which aims to help those with chronic disease achieve the health goals they set for themselves.

"We are a growing team with the most number of GPs we have ever had and we are always looking for ways to improve.

"CGP really is a collaborative and family-friendly environment.

"It is not unusual to have multiple kids in the staff room (taking Dr Friday's Tim Tams), and we hope this inclusivity spills into the way we care for the Mansfield community."

The winners of the Victorian Rural Health Awards will be announced at a formal ceremony next month.