The Keen Street Clinic is set to reopen soon - but in a new location.

The medical clinic was destroyed in the flood, but thanks to support from St Vincent’s Private Hospital, it will keen providing service to the Lismore community.



After 70 years of surviving through other floods and challenges, nothing had prepared the clindicstaff for the scale of this natural disaster.

Doctors, staff, friends, family members and strangers have been scooping out mud, ripping out carpet and lifting heavy furniture.

But practice manager Debbie Elliott said they had only been able to save “bits and pieces” and getting the clinic back in order could take many months at huge expense.

“We will have to look at the options for our future; we haven’t made a decision yet,” she said.

“Thankfully, St Vincent’s offered us rooms and equipment at the hospital, which means our team can work in the one place and we can fulfill our main priority – to see our patients.

“It’s amazing. Our patients will be able to come along and see familiar receptionists and familiar doctors. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the support of St Vincent’s.

“We believe it’s so important for our patients to know that we’re getting back on our feet and that we’re here for them. They will have lost property or their homes, everyone’s mental health is suffering, and this is one thing we will be able to offer.”

St Vincent’s chief executive officer, Steve Brierley, said the hospital was proud to support such a vital service during a time of crisis.

“It’s important that we all work together to support our community as we recover from the flood, and we were only too happy to be able to offer space to the highly professional team from Keen Street Clinic,” he said.

Another positive for the Keen Street Clinic team was the news that their servers – and the medical records of thousands of patients – had been recovered by their IT experts.

“This had been our biggest concern, so this is a huge relief and will make an immense difference for us going forward,” Debbie said.

Keen Street Clinic plans to open its rooms at St Vincent’s the week beginning March 21. 

The clinic is in the KG Lawrence Building, to the right of the hospital when you enter the campus from Avondale Avenue. 

The clinic is likely to remain there for the foreseeable future. Updates will be posted to their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KeenStreetClinic/.

The phone number will remain the same: 6621 2371.