Mobile health service, Heart of Australia (HoA) has partnered with Pfizer Australia to expand its GP Education Program, aiming to improve healthcare delivery in rural and remote parts of Australia.
Rural areas have nearly 60% fewer healthcare professionals than major cities, despite higher burdens of disease and geographic challenges.
The HoA GP Education Program provides provides educational sessions for rural and remote healthcare professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), nurses and pharmacists, providing an opportunity to learn from specialists and network face-to-face with industry colleagues.
These sessions focus on increasing knowledge and skills to help improve healthcare services and outcomes in local communities, particularly in rural and First Nations areas.
“Heart of Australia’s unique service enables us to work closely with local GPs.
“We are focused on collaborating with them to deliver a personalised and tailored service for their professional needs, as well as the health needs of their patients,” says Dr Rolf Gomes, Heart of Australia Founder and cardiologist.
Expanding access through mobile healthcare
HoA’s physical ‘truck’ clinical model, reduces barriers to healthcare access, especially for patients who may find traditional clinical settings daunting.
This has been life changing for patients like retired farmer, John Lang, from Moura in central Queensland, who points out that “blokes may not want to go to a hospital for medical attention, but they’ll happily get on a truck”.
“Getting on the Heart Truck in Theodore saved my life,” says Mr Lang.
“Dr Gomes could see I was unwell. He did an echocardiogram and found I had a leaky mitral valve. He sent me to Brisbane for a procedure. Now I make the 30-minute drive to Theodore every 6 months for a check up on the Heart Truck.”
With plans to add 5 new Heart Trucks in 2025, HoA will expand its services, including lung cancer screening, to more communities in need.
‘Helping to build a sustainable and effective health workforce’
Pfizer Australia Medical Director and Sydney GP, Dr Krishan Thiru, highlights the importance of in-person training for rural healthcare professionals.
“These GPs are generally very isolated with limited access to healthcare professionals to engage with face-to-face,” he says.
“While virtual professional development is good, remote healthcare professionals are starved of valuable face-to-face interaction and training opportunities.”
Pfizer’s collaboration with HoA aligns the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening the health workforce in rural and regional areas, enhancing the delivery of quality care to communities in need.
“This partnership with Heart of Australia and its GP Education Program is an important step in addressing the healthcare disparities faced by rural and remote communities,” says Dr Thiru.
“By delivering education and healthcare resources directly to healthcare professionals in their local community setting, we are helping to build a sustainable and effective health workforce on the doorstep of Australia’s rural communities.”
The HoA-Pfizer partnership is part of a broader HoA initiative to address the health disparities faced by Australians living in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
