The service is expanding its GP Education Program throughout rural and remote Australia.
Mobile specialist health initiative Heart of Australia is expanding its fleet to include five new Heart Trucks that will hit the road this year to provide critical medical services to rural and remote communities.
And HoA has also teamed up with biopharmaceutical company Pfizer Australia to expand its GP Education Program with the aim of improving healthcare delivery in rural and remote parts of Australia.
According to theNational Rural Health Alliance’s Rural Health in Australia Snapshot 2023, in 2022 there were more than 7.2 million people spread across 12,670 rural, regional and remote areas of Australia.
The report showed a clear trend for increasing disease burden with increasing remoteness for coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, stroke, suicide and self-inflicted injuries and type 2 diabetes.
Coronary heart disease burden in remote areas is 2.2 times that of major cities, the report showed.
In addition, it found small rural towns have almost 60% fewer health professionals than major cities.
“Rural GPs require a broader skill set and are needed in greater numbers to serve communities with higher burdens of disease where populations are dispersed over vast distances,” the report said.
“Health professionals in remote areas work longer hours on average than those in other areas. There is a difference of five hours per week for doctors in a very remote versus major cities.”
The HoA GP Education Program provides educational sessions for rural and remote healthcare professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), nurses and pharmacists, offering them the opportunity to learn from specialists and network face-to-face with industry colleagues.
The sessions focus on increasing knowledge and skills to help improve healthcare services and outcomes in local communities, particularly in rural and First Nations areas.
To see HoA in action, Pfizer Australia’s medical director and Sydney GP Dr Krishan Thiru visited the organisation’s founder and cardiologist, Dr Rolf Gomes and the HoA team in Theodore, a rural Queensland town about 565km north-west of Brisbane.
During the visit, Dr Thiru met with Theodore Medical Practice owner, Dr Elizabeth Clarkson, who has taken part in the HoA GP Education Program.
“Heart of Australia has a very collegial relationship with rural and remote medical practitioners and their patients,” said Dr Clarkson.
“The team appreciates our input as rural specialists, and we value the opportunity for face-to-face professional development.
“The GP Education Program ensures we remain current and avoid the fatigue that comes with dialling in for remote learning. It’s nice to sit down and receive a presentation from experts in their field.”
Dr Thiru said Pfizer was committed to advancing health equity by improving healthcare access and outcomes across Australia.
“The partnership with Heart of Australia is an important step in addressing the healthcare disparities faced by rural and remote communities,” said Dr Thiru.
“By expanding access to education and healthcare resources for healthcare professionals, we are helping to build a sustainable and effective health workforce closer to the doorstep of those living in rural and remote communities, and on Country.”
The expansion of HoA’s fleet of Heart Trucks will enhance the service’s ability to deliver vital healthcare services to rural communities, with a focus on lung cancer screening.
The mobile clinics, which include radiology equipment, will provide critical medical services across all states and the Northern Territory, ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to lifesaving screenings and healthcare.
“Small rural towns often face significant health challenges, including a shortage of healthcare professionals and higher mortality rates compared to metropolitan areas,” said Dr Gomes.
“Through this partnership with Pfizer, we can help bridge these gaps by improving the knowledge and capabilities of rural GPs while also providing essential services to communities that need them most.”
