A first-of-its-kind cardiovascular study has won the Gippsland Public Health Network awards for 2022.   

More than 500 Gippslanders participated in the study, by accessing a 15-minute free heart health screening in May and June. The pharmacist-led screenings were part of the Gippsland Healthy Heart Study, a collaborative project delivered by API, SiSU Health, Latrobe Health Services, Priceline Pharmacy and supported by Abbott and Novartis, under the supervision of Professor Stephen Nicholls from Monash University. 

According to Latrobe Health Services CEO, Ian Whitehead, the study aimed to sample the cardiovascular health of the Gippsland community. 

“The Latrobe Health team drove the activation and engagement within the Gippsland community to achieve 500 heart health checks,” said Mr Whitehead. “Participants had key indicators checked as part of the study including blood pressure, heart rate, body composition, diabetes risk and non-fasting lipid panel levels.

“We believe business and the health industry can play a role in improving health outcomes, and this study has proved the importance of health screening. 

“The community also demonstrated their willingness to be involved in health screenings – especially when available at everyday locations – like shopping centres and workplaces. 

“We’d like to congratulate all finalists in the awards and winners of other categories – there were some fantastic projects all dedicated at making a real difference to the people of Gippsland.” 

Dr. Mark Boyes, the associate investigator of the study, said the team were keen to make the free health screenings available to more participants and areas of regional Australia. 

“During our time in Gippsland we learnt that the further we got from Melbourne, the worse the heart health indicators were,” said Dr Boyes. 

“We were also told by a number of participants that access to a GP was challenging and that many hadn’t seen a health professional for a number of years. 

“By providing screenings in workplaces and shopping centres, we were able to provide results to participants immediately and refer them back to their GP where needed. More than 84% of participants had at least one cardiovascular risk factor and more than 70% of participants were referred to their GP for follow up. 

“We actually had one study participant that we called an ambulance for who had bypass surgery the next day, saving his life,” continued Dr Boyes.