The North West Hospital and Health Service (North West HHS) is excited to announce the expansion of its cardiac-Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) clinical services in partnership with the Townsville University Hospital cardiac service.

Over the past few months, our dedicated cardiac team at Mount Isa Hospital have coordinated efforts to offer enhanced services across the North West region.

These include two additional face-to-face clinics per month in Mount Isa and one outreach trip per month to Normanton, Doomadgee, and Mornington Island, specifically targeting RHD clients.

Executive Director of Remote Health Services, Clare Newton expressed her enthusiasm for the additional efforts to support First Nations health.

“This significant development marks a critical step towards improving cardiac care for our communities, particularly in addressing the needs of those affected by heart disease.” Ms Newton states.

The cardiac outreach team, in collaboration with the RHD team at Mount Isa Community Health, comprises a multidisciplinary group of healthcare professionals, including a cardiologist, sonographer, pharmacist, nurse, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nurse.

Together they are committed to providing comprehensive and culturally sensitive care.

These clinics underscore the North West HHS’s commitment to ending RHD in First Nations communities by 2031, aligning with the First Nations Health Equity Strategy.

Additionally, North West HHS is proud to support several other community initiatives aimed at enhancing health and wellbeing such as;

• Orange Sky: Providing mobile laundry washing services.
• Doomadgee Community CPR training: Educating community members on lifesaving techniques.
• RHD workshops: providing information to healthcare professionals on the prevention, early identification, and management of RHD.
• Community Engagement Programs: Teaching children essential hygiene practices.