Heart to heart at Fieldays
When getting to the doctor is easier said than done, a Waikato heart team is using Fieldays to put rural health front and centre, reports Mary Anne Gill.
Heart to heart with, from left surgeon Zachary Deboard, Kelsey Abercrombie (clinical nurse specialist), Fiona Bunce and Alaa Hussein (clinical physiologists).
Health care is something that fits in when it can in rural communities.
Stock needs moving, weather waits for no one, and a “quick trip” to town can chew up half a day. That reality is exactly why the Waikato Cardiothoracic (Heart & Lung Surgery) team is heading back to Fieldays for the third year running.
The Waikato Hospital team will again be part of the Fieldays Health Hub, taking heart health checks out of the clinic and straight to where rural people already are. The Waikato cardiothoracic service covers a vast population across the Te Manawa Taki region, stretching from the Coromandel through to Gisborne and across to Taranaki.
A significant portion of those people live and work in rural communities, where access to regular healthcare can be challenging due to distance, time pressures and workforce shortages, says clinical nurse specialist Kelsey Abercrombie.
“Fieldays provides a unique opportunity to bring heart health screening directly to the community in a relaxed and accessible setting,” she says.
“Last year we screened thousands of attendees and were able to encourage GP follow‑up where needed, helping raise awareness about the importance of knowing your pulse and recognising early warning signs. We also use our stall to chat with school‑age children about health careers.”
Karen Nixey (nurse educator) left and Karl Coley (clinical physiologist) speak to farmers at Fieldays.
Across the event, the team offers simple heart rhythm checks, practical advice, and conversations about heart health without an appointment, referral, or waiting room. The value of that approach was clear last year when more than 1500 heart rhythm screenings were carried out on people of all ages.
Among those checks, several individuals were identified with previously undiagnosed atrial fibrillation and other abnormal heart rhythms. Because the cardiothoracic team was on site, urgent follow‑up could be arranged directly, either through the person’s GP or by organising specialist referrals.
Those numbers represent real people who might otherwise have carried on unaware of a serious condition, increasing their risk of stroke or heart failure. That success has set an ambitious goal for 2026: screening 5000 people over the four days of Fieldays.
Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common heart rhythm conditions, affecting nearly one in four people over the age of 40. Many people have no symptoms, which is why it is often described as a “silent” condition. Left undetected, it significantly increases the risk of stroke and other complications, yet early detection can make a real difference.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple pulse or rhythm check to raise the first red flag.
That simplicity is what makes Fieldays such a powerful setting. A few minutes at the Health Hub can prompt potentially life‑saving follow‑up.
The Fieldays stall is staffed entirely by volunteers from across the cardiac service, including nurses, surgeons, perfusionists, and electrophysiology specialists from the cardiac catheterisation lab.
“Beyond the screenings, the team values the conversations just as much, answering questions about heart health, prevention, and lifestyle,” says Abercrombie.
Fieldays is about more than numbers. It is about connection, trust, and practicality and delivering healthcare locally.
Sally (Mobile Health), Zachary DeBoard (cardiothoracic surgeon)
Kelsey Abercrombie, CP Pau (Registrar/doctor) Catherine Brook (Clinical Nurse Specialist)
