We Love Our Area and The People Who Live Here
The first thing I would like to say is just how proud we are to have been a part of your and our community over the past 16 years.
It has been an honour to hep look after the feet of families living in the Northern suburbs of Brisbane and the Moreton Bay Shire.
We live nearby and have always known how special this part of the world is.
There are so many opportunities to get outside and enjoy trail walking, running and cycling, as well as so many sporting clubs including netball, soccer, AFL, rugby league, rugby union, cricket, bowls, tennis and many others!
Northern Suburbs of Brisbane Cop a Hiding!
I believe that the sense of community and pulling together has never been more evident than following the 2008 “Gap Storm,” which ripped through The Gap, Keperra, Ferny Grove and Ferny Hills.
Almost immediately following that storm people were out and about with chain saws, brooms, rakes and a healthy appetite for getting stuck in and fixing up whatever they could.
Shortly after the event we were also helped by the SES and the army who are also a very big part of our community on this side of town.
Below is a link to a video taken by “indoorlightening” on Youtube who captured this amazing footage. To see the craziest part, start around 1:30 in.
So thank you to everyone. Everybody in this area who has been a patient of ours, who have worked with us, and who have been a part of our daily lives in Ferny Hills.
Where We Began as Podiatrists Brisbane North
It all began for us in 2005.
I (podiatrist Matt) was recovering in hospital following a laminectomy (back surgery) and my wife Vicki was visiting me with “For Lease” listings in the Northern Suburbs of Brisbane.
We had just decided that we needed to set up a podiatry practice in The Hills District.
Rewind six months – I had started working from a room in Keperra Family Practice after I approached Dr Trish Baker and practice manager Bernie with a feeling that there was a lack of comprehensive podiatry services in Keperra and the surrounding suburbs.
I’m happy to say that they welcomed me with open arms and I started working there on Thursday evenings between 4pm and 6pm. We owe a big part of our story to Keperra Family Practice.
Vicki, the kids and I walked around the suburb delivering a few hundred flyers to let people know that I was starting to practice in the area, and suddenly things went boom!
My appointment book was very quickly full, I only had 6 appointments available a week as I was still working in a practice on the other side of town at the time.
It was then that we decided we needed to set up a stand alone practice.
Vicki and I went for a drive around the suburbs including Upper Kedron where we saw a lot of new housing going in.
This meant that lots of young families would be moving into the area building on the already vibrant community.
One of my special interests as a podiatrist has always been kids feet, as well as helping people to maintain an active lifestyle free of pain and injury.
After looking at several premises we decided that the one at 135 Ferny Way was the best set up. That way we could service suburbs including Ferny Hills, Ferny Grove, Keperra and Upper Kedron where none of these areas had a podiatry practice.
We started to take bookings based on when our equipment should arrive and I’m telling you that was a very close call!
On the first day we had 7 patients booked in and up until the day before our patient chair hadn’t yet arrived!
Luckily the cavalry came just in time and we were able to get a start without a hitch.
When you go from having 3 hours available for bookings in a week, to having 38 hours, things can be a little quiet.
We had quite a lot of time sitting in the cafe next door, working out how we were going to get the word out that we were open.
I went visiting all the local medical centres meeting all the GPs and letting them know how I can help their patients.
We ran some advertisements in the local paper, The Hills Echo, and did some more letterbox drops as well.
Before too long I was getting pretty busy and by 2007 we were ready to take on a second podiatrist.
Over the past 16 years we have had several valuable podiatrists come and go, and they all contributed in their own way to making Dynamic Podiatry what it is today.
We’d like to thank: Chris, Tom, Prue, Lia, Tracy, Stuart, David, Joe, Brig, Fiona, Tayla, Genevieve, Maddy, Ben, and Ria. You’ve all played your part in developing our practice into what it is today
Our Partnerships
Our partnerships are another huge part of who we are as a practice and how we’ve managed to provide such well-rounded care for our patients.
By collaborating with physiotherapist practices, doctor’s practices, orthopaedic and vascular surgeons, seamless care can continue outside of our scope.
What Drives Us?
I’d like to explain what drives us, our people and our ethos as a practice. It’s an important part of who we are.
What we strive to build every day in our practice, is a place where it is enjoyable to work, and enjoyable to visit as a patient.
Obviously, we all work to pay our bills, but there is something in Podiatry that really keeps us going day after day, and that is the satisfaction we get when we help someone.
I can honestly say that it is the most wonderful feeling to have a patient tell me that I have made a real difference in their life. You never tire of that warm feeling you get knowing that you’ve made a difference.
Some examples:
- the lady who was told by her doctor that she would have to give up running. We were able to get her back running without pain and she was so grateful, telling us that running saves her mental health,
- the teenage boy who was having trouble kicking a football due to his painful ingrown toenails. We performed nail surgery and he’s been able to play pain-free and without the concern of infection,
- the gentleman who was ready to retire from work because of the pain in his foot. After removing a deep corn and providing offloading padding he was stunned by the immediate relief, and was able to continue living his life the way he wanted to.
2015 Celebrating 10 Years!
I can’t believe that it was 8 years ago that we celebrated our 10th Anniversary at Ferny Hills.
We put up some decorations in the practice and invited all the doctors and physiotherapists who have helped us along the way to have some drinks and nibbles with us.
I can’t wait for our 20 years celebration in 2025, we’ll have to do something really special!
Covid-19
Undoubtedly the devastating worldwide event of most of our lives.
When things really started to blow up around March in 2020, I don’t think any of us had a clue what could follow.
Thankfully, things were kept under control to a decent degree in our part of the world, and there were very few people lost to the disease.
There was great uncertainty in the business world as to what would happen, who would be able to survive, and who might not make it.
We know that it is a combination of the loyalty of our clients and the dedication of our team members that has allowed us to grow over the past 16 years.
Where Are We Now?
Moving forwards to our present day, we can all say we are very proud of what we’ve built.
Busy podiatrists in Brisbane North where you and your family are welcome and are a crucial part of the community.
We now have two full time podiatrists who are very busy and myself seeing patients two days a week at the moment as I get back into the swing of things following enforced time out.
As we’ve grown we’ve always taken on new technology and methods if they are going to improve the outcomes for our patients.
Some of the great technology we now employ:
- PPG (photoplehysmography) for measuring the tiny blood vessels in the ends of toes to find how well healing will occur,
- 3D laser scanning to get the absolute most accurate representation of feet for making true custom orthotics in our CADCAM lab,
- Sensor Medica Treadmill – this is our latest baby and has the incredible ability to measure the pressures under your feet as you walk or run on our treadmill and combines it with super high speed camera so that we can slow things down and work out exactly what’s going on. Learn more here
But technology is only as good as the people who drive it, so we are so lucky to have competent young podiatrists who understand the technology and know how to best apply it when diagnosing and treating their patients.
What's Ahead?
Who knows?
After the past two years it is almost impossible to know what is ahead for any of us.
What I do know is that we will continue to provide high quality podiatry in Brisbane North and The Moreton Bay Region for as long as we are able.
It is very humbling to be allowed into the lives of others, we hear about their aches and pains, but also about their hopes and dreams, and that is something I don’t want to give up for a long time.
So we will be here for as long as we are a welcome part of the community and able to help people of all ages to attain their activity goals and to stay as fit and healthy as possible for as long as possible by continuing to provide the most comprehensive foot care that we can.
Thank You!
We’d like to thank everyone who has welcomed Dynamic Podiatry in Brisbane North and Moreton Bay Region.
All of the patients whether regular of a one off, we are sincerely grateful.
All the doctors, physios and chiropractors who trust us to look after the lower limb needs of their patients by referring to us.
We are also grateful to the surrounding businesses who have made this are continue to have a community feel.
We no longer have the butcher or the fruit shop, or Keith’s hardware but we have Coffee on The Way (thanks Donna) and The Friendly Grocer, , Thai on Ferny (and the many other cafes and restaurants who have worked from this site), Ferny Way Bakery, the dentist, Total IT, and many other businesses that have allowed us to shop locally and to get out for a walk in the sunshine during a break in our busy days.
If you’d like to make an appointment please call 3351 8878 or book online here.
