Johnson & Johnson partners to launch cardiac clinic pilot

ESG: Johnson & Johnson Australia and New Zealand has launched a cardiac clinic pilot aimed at addressing health disparities among First Nations peoples.

Developed in collaboration with Apunipima Cape York Health Council and Heart of Australia, an innovative mobile cardiac clinic equipped with the world’s first solar-powered CT machine, the initiative underscores a commitment to improving healthcare access in remote regions.

Heart disease remains a significant concern in rural Australia, where statistics show people are 44% more likely to die of heart disease compared to their urban counterparts. In some remote areas, this figure climbs to a staggering 63%.

Deborah Guion, Head of Health Equity ANZ, said “We’ve screened First Nations adults with no diagnosed cardiovascular disease and provided full testing for early intervention and to establish the burden of disease in this remote community.”

Reflecting on the collaborative effort, Guion commented “Our J&J clinical and non-clinical volunteers were fantastic, the local Apunipima team were so welcoming and amazing to work with, and the Heart team worked tirelessly on board to see as many patients as possible.

“And now we’ve ironed out the kinks over our 4 days here and we’re onto something replicable and scalable. I couldn’t be prouder of our work here this week.”

The roots of Heart of Australia trace back to 2014, when Dr Rolf Gomes, an electrical engineer-turned-cardiologist, founded the mobile cardiology clinic after observing the healthcare gaps during his rural medical rotations. Dr Gomes’ motivation stemmed partly from personal tragedy, having experienced the shortcomings of medical services first-hand in Calcutta, India, where a misdiagnosis led to the loss of his young brother.

Initially faced with funding challenges, including a rejection by the Queensland Government in 2016, Heart of Australia has since garnered support from both state and federal levels, along with backing from corporate sponsors like Johnson & Johnson, Philips, Boehringer Ingelheim, Medtronic, and I-MED Radiology.

This collaborative support has been instrumental in enabling Heart of Australia to expand its critical services to more regional communities.

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