Three dedicated and long-term members of a local medical centre have retired.
Dr Denis Lee, 64, retired from Pakuranga Medical Centre after 33-years of service to the community and clinic in December. Lee has worked with multiple generations of families, caring for hundreds of patients.
He told the Times that he’s proud of his time there.
“The people are great,” he says. “I loved working with them.”
His former patients, he says, are “very loyal and have become friends”.
Lee’s father was a general practitioner (GP) in Pakuranga. Following in his footsteps, he joined the practice as a GP in 1988.
In addition to his GP role, Denis has worked in obstetrics, conducted aviation personnel medicals and has been “instrumental in mentoring younger staff”. In his aviation medicals,
Lee examined and assessed pilots who required specialised pilot medicals. Lee was the also chairman of the East Health Trust PHO for 10 years. The Trust is a group of primary health care providers including doctors, nurses and other professionals who work together to coordinate and improve health care in the community.
“I developed a good relationship with other GPs in the area,” Lee says. “We provided services for many local communities.”
His recent retirement is, he says, partly due to a number of things.
“I’ve had health issues and there was an option to sell the practice. This occurred at an opportune time.”
Late last year, Pakuranga Medical Centre was bought by Tend Health, a primary healthcare provider which offers GP services online and in-clinic.
“I’ve been sitting back and enjoying myself,” Lee says.
“I’ve started to do voluntary work for KiwiHarvest.”
KiwiHarvest collects surplus and donated food and distributes it to communities in need.
Fellow GP Dr Ken Chin also retired from the practice. He joined in December 2010 and was registered as a travel doctor in 2015, “helping patients plan for healthy and safe international travel”.
Chin retired at the end of the year with the intention of spending more quality time with his family and pursuing personal goals.
Dale Shepherd retired earlier this year after 20 years as the centre’s general manager. She is moving to Australia to be near her grandchildren and her daughters.
“She is having a lot of fun in Perth and we all miss her already,” Lee says.
Lee and Chin’s patients will continue to be well-looked after by Pakuranga Medical Centre’s team of doctors.
Meanwhile, a new GP, Nigel Tay, has also joined the team.
