46. The Trucks Transforming Rural Healthcare: Dr Rolf Gomes on Heart of Australia

What if specialist healthcare could roll into town, instead of patients travelling hundreds of kilometres to find it? For Dr Rolf Gomes, 2026 Queensland Australian of the Year and founder of Heart of Australia, that question sparked a life-changing idea: mobile health clinics bringing cardiology, radiology, respiratory care and specialist services directly to rural and remote communities.Rolf shares how his journey from Calcutta to Melbourne, electrical engineering to cardiology, and city hospitals to the Queensland bush shaped the way he sees healthcare access. He reflects on the rural placements that opened his eyes to serious symptoms, limited local options, and the barriers of distance, cost and fear that stop many country patients from seeking care.We also explore what practical healthcare innovation really looks like, from mobile CT scanners and cardiac testing on wheels to building trust through regular visits and making it easier for busy specialists to contribute. This episode is for anyone who cares about rural health, healthcare equity, and the kind of big-hearted innovation that helps every community feel seen.Dr Rolf's organisation of choice is Heart of Australia, a mobile healthcare company delivering access to specialists and testing equipment to rural and remote people in Australia.It Takes Heart is hosted by cmr’s Samantha Miklos and Kate Coomber and recorded at cmr’s head office in Brisbane.We Care; Music by Waveney YassoGet to know It Takes Heart & cmr better! Instagram: @ittakesheartpodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitmentYouTube: @ItTakesHeartPodcast and @cornerstonemedicalrecruitment TikTok: @cornerstonemedicalrecLinkedIn: @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment Facebook: @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment