In August, the Manngoor Dja Aboriginal Health Services’ Mob Pod mobile health van visited the Brisbane CheckUP office!

The van, with its striking artwork by Lyndon Davis, brightened the street and drew in many curious onlookers.

The Mob Pod team in attendance included Mark Sidaway – Mob Pod Outreach Officer, Clare Villalba – Research Support (on secondment to Manngoor Dja from the Department of Health, Commonwealth Government), and Paul Penumala – Mob Pod Project Manager. The team has successfully secured Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) grant funding under the Health Workforce and Rural Access Program (Commonwealth Government) to deliver this innovative service.

Mark provided the CheckUP team with a tour of the digitally enabled mobile clinic, showcasing its fit-out and features that allow delivery of both face-to-face and telehealth health services. Inside, the Mob Pod is set up to host visiting clinicians and allied health professionals, supporting culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities.

The Mob Pod travels to communities outside the Gympie and Noosa regions where healthcare access is limited — including Tin Can Bay, Pomona, Curra, Glenwood, Cooroy, Rainbow Beach, Cooloola Cove, Imbil, Amamoor, and outreach to Widgee, Chatsworth, Tamaree, and Gunalda. Its mission is to address critical gaps in access, reduce potentially preventable hospitalisations, improve health outcomes, and strengthen community connections.

This visit to CheckUP was part of a three-day road trip to showcase the van to potential partners, including University of Queensland (UQ), University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS), Country to Coast Queensland Primary Health Network (CCQ PHN), Gympie Regional Council, and Noosa Council.

The Mob Pod project is guided by a governance committee of local and state government representatives, health services, primary health networks, rural universities, and research partners. It aligns with Closing the Gap, the Queensland Health Equity Strategy, and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan 2021–2031.

To learn more about the Mob Pod and its work, visit www.ncacch.org.au/mobpod.