The Impact

All funds raised through the Cardiac Challenge support the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation’s goal of improving cardiac care in our region. Every year, the funds raised go toward upgrading equipment, supporting patient care, and providing services that are critical for the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of heart disease.

Heart disease is a major health issue in Far North Queensland, which has a larger-than-state-average percentage of both older and Indigenous residents, who are more susceptible to developing cardiac problems.

The diagnosis and treatment of heart disease can also be challenging in the Far North, due to the number of remote communities that do not have ready access to specialised health services.

Even cardiac patients who live in the city of Cairns may find themselves compelled to leave home, family and friends, and travel to a hospital in Townsville or Brisbane to undergo a surgical procedure that Cairns Hospital is not currently equipped to handle.

Over the years, the funds raised through the Cardiac Challenge have helped provide essential equipment and technology to support patients at Cairns Hospital and other health facilities across the region. Some of the key items funded by the ride include:

•    Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinic: launched in early 2012, this revolutionary clinic at Cairns Hospital has reduced the waiting time to see a heart specialist from eight months to less than two weeks. It is the only treatment centre of its kind in Queensland and one of only two such facilities in Australia. More than 800 patients have been assessed, diagnosed and treated to date.
•    Echocardiography (ultrasound) system for young heart patients: purchased for $193,000 in 2013, this updated equipment assists the paediatric cardiologist at Cairns Hospital, who treats youngsters ranging in age from premature babies (one in every 100 children is born with a heart problem) to 18-year-olds. It provides higher quality images of children’s hearts, enabling more accurate diagnosis and treatment.
•    Portable echocardiography system for young heart patients: purchased for $115,000 in 2011, this equipment enables the Cairns Hospital paediatric cardiologist to assess young patients in the field. Apart from congenital heart defects, most suffer from rheumatic heart disease, and the overwhelming majority (80-90 percent) of these cases are Indigenous children living in remote communities. Consequently, he conducts outreach clinics three to four times a year in places such as Weipa, Bamaga and Thursday Island.
•    Two intra-aortic balloon pumps: both the first pump, purchased for $86,000 in 2008, and a second portable model (worth $101,000) funded in 2013, were obtained for the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory at Cairns Hospital, which handles patients with heart problems. These machines help failing hearts to pump more effectively and can improve the outcome for heart attack patients.

Sandy is an active Rotarian volunteering with the QSuper Cardiac Challenge for many years, who decided to ride and then discovered a heart issue. Although he was initially told he would have to travel to Sydney for his procedure, the incredible team at Cairns Hospital’s cardiac unit were able to resolve his problems and he’s now back to riding, taking part in ParkRun’s and leading an active, healthy lifestyle.

Thelrina woke up at her home on Yam Island, 844 kilometres from Cairns, and couldn’t walk. She and her mum were transferred via helicopter to Thursday Island and later to Cairns Hospital, where a paediatric cardiovascular ultrasound bought by the QSuper Cardiac Challenge, meant she could be diagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Disease and treatment started.

Cheryl is fortunate that her health conditions have been able to be treated with the latest equipment and services available, thanks to the QSuper Cardiac Challenge. Not long after facilitating a large donation to help bring electrophysiology services to FNQ, she found herself in need of those very services. Cheryl, who suffers from pulmonary arterial hypertension, a rare condition, can now be monitored thanks to equipment funded by the QSuper Cardiac Challenge.