A young doctor once told Maurice he was ‘one of the fittest 83-year-olds he’d ever seen’. And yet, the cattle farmer from rural Queensland is lucky to be alive. 

“When I came to Heart of Australia I thought I was healthy. I thought I was bulletproof you know,” Maurice recalls. 

His GP had referred him see the cardiologist on the truck in October 2021. Like many people his age, Maurice didn’t think much of it.  

“I didn’t think there was anything wrong with me. I was a bit short of wind but I thought I was just getting old,” Maurice said.  

It wasn’t until he went in for his appointment in Theodore and started to realise the tests weren’t looking good, that things started to shift. When the doctor sat him and his wife Joyce down that Monday to discuss the results, Maurice was told he needed to be in Brisbane by Tuesday. 

“I thought – I can’t do that, I’ve got a racehorse in the stable and cows in the yard,” Maurice said. 

“And then the doctor said to me, well, if you’re not in Brisbane by Friday…you probably won’t have to worry about it.” 

That reality was more than enough to shoot Maurice into gear. With Brisbane an eight-hour drive away, Maurice and Joyce managed to get themselves to the closest regional town in order to fly down that week.  

Once there they realised the gravity of Maurice’s situation. He had no blood going into his brain and they’d need to replace a vein in the side of his head. Luckily, he underwent a successful bypass surgery and has since recovered well. 

For so many patients like Maurice, there’s a lot to say for being in the right place at the right time.  

“If it wasn’t for the Heart Truck, I wouldn’t be here to tell this story,” Maurice said, “I’d recommend anybody who has a heart to come to the Heart Truck.” 

Heart of Australia began visits to Theodore due to the support of Anglo American who identified a need for specialist cardiac services in the community back in 2020. Since then, the Heart Truck has been providing regular specialist services in the small town on a quarterly basis, working closely with the local GPs and health professionals to deliver a full spectrum of care.  

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Since then, the Heart of Australia team have caught up with Maurice for his first check-up post operation. He and Joyce are still living and working on their cattle farm – although he’s taking it a lot easier than he once did. 

With five children, ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild, Maurice’s family is thankful to have him still up and about. As for Joyce, when asked how she felt about having the truck come to town, she kept her sentiment simple.   

“It’s the best thing to come out here since sliced bread.”

In June, our sixth cohort of NextGen Medics set out on a whirlwind 11-day program across rural Queensland. For the very first time, the program welcomed 10 medical and allied health students to participate, which included our first nutrition student and nursing/midwifery student.  

With the support of our program partner Boehringer Ingelheim, the students travelled a cumulative 42000 kilometres across 5 communities and shadowed over 240 patient consultations across the Heart Trucks, local hospitals, and GP clinics. With a focus on community connection and industry engagement, the NextGen Medics also participated in over 25 activities, including a guided tour of Clovelly Cotton Farm, visiting a cattle station and seeing a working dog demonstration, and an Indigenous cultural session, to gain a better understanding of the people, the sights, and the industries that contribute to rural Australia.  

The cohort was made up of a diverse group of students hailing from universities Australia-wide, as well as two of our NextGen Medics Alumni students. Though they were split into two groups for half of the program, combined they visited Dalby, Emerald, Theodore, Blackall and Stanthorpe, meeting with Heart of Australia staff, specialists, and supporters along the way.  

Thank you to those local healthcare professionals who engaged with the students and provided opportunities for them to participate in rounds and clinical observation to better their understanding of medicine in a rural setting: Theodore Medical Centre, Theodore Hospital, Theodore QAS, Dalby Hospital, Emerald Medical Super Clinic, Stanthorpe Hospital and Blackall Hospital. 

Another special thank you to all the industry professionals and community members who gave their time to talk with our NextGen Medics and provide space for learning and insight. Some of the incredible opportunities they engaged in included: 

• Whip cracking sessions 
• Lunch with the residents at Theodore’s Council of the Ageing 
• A visit to Anglo American’s Dawson Mine 

• A meeting with the Mayor of Blackall 
• A visit to the historic gold mining town of Cracow  
• A river cruise down the Dawson River  
• Interviews on ABC Country Hour and Macca on Sunday 
• An equine training session 

• And a guided tour of the Blackall Ambulance and Health Museum  

After the success of the June 2023 program Heart of Australia is thrilled to now welcome those 10 students into the NextGen Medics Alumni Program and continue providing opportunities for them to engage in rural health in the future.