I am delighted to announce the appointment of members to serve on the Board of Directors of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) for a term of three years.
The new board of directors is as follows:
- Mrs. Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, Executive Chairman
- Mr. Nigel Whitehall, Deputy Chairman, Retained – (Law)
- Mr. Mubarak Nakhuda, Member, New – (Engineering)
- Mr. H.C. Dave Hinds, Member, Retained – (Accounting)
- Ms. Natasha Small, Member, New – (Finance)
- Mr. Cy Francis, Member, New – (Information Technology)
- Mr. Jon Martineau, Member, New (Management Operations)
- Ms. Sonia Connell, Member, Retained – (Nursing)
- Ms. Rene Brathwaite, Member, New – (Paramedical Services)
- Ms. Sheldene Matthews-Mottley, Member, New – (Human Resources Management and Industrial Relations
- Senator Dr. Crystal Haynes, Member, New – (Medicine)
- Prof. Clive Landis, New – Representative, University of the West Indies
- Mr. Dennis de Peiza, Retained – Representative, Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB)
- Chief Medical Officer or nominee, Member, ex officio
- Permanent Secretary or nominee, Member, ex officio
I personally called and thanked the directors who served on the previous board for their public service and contribution to the QEH.
The changes made to the Board were decided upon after deep, careful and extensive analysis in support of the new vision for this critical healthcare institution, so that it can meet the demanding and varying needs of the people of Barbados.
The nature of the changes will bring to the QEH the benefits of access to a wide variety of management skills and experiences. This will equip the institution with the capacity to provide the leadership which is necessary to bring about the desired change in accordance with the mandate given to the Board and which the people of Barbados have been calling for.
Members of the new Board were last week introduced to the senior management team at an initial meeting. The meeting was addressed by myself and the Minister of State, Dr. Sonia Browne.
At that meeting, I stressed the importance of good governance and made it clear that the board shall be responsible for policy while holding the management accountable for the delivery of the Board’s objectives and measurable results benefiting the public.
At the first meeting I, along with Minister Dr. Sonia Browne, laid out the new priorities for the Board, including a recommended comprehensive six-pillar business plan focusing on:
- People,
- Sustained capital plan and funding,
- Improvement in service levels,
- Revenue management,
- Efficiencies on processes, systems, standard operating procedures and technological solutions, and
- Health care financing
Additional areas for improvement will include the creation of new patient experiences through a patient relations concept for service interventions in the Accident and Emergency Department, on wards and the outpatient clinics, reduction in the waiting list for surgeries, cancer services, five-year phased capital expenditure programme implemented on an annual basis, and the acquisition and implementation of an electronic medical records platform, to mention a few innovations.
These changes must be seen as part of the continuation of a process leading to positive changes in the daily tone and delivery of services to the public.
To be frank, not all of these desirable objectives can be achieved overnight, and in this regard, the Minister of State, Dr. Sonia Browne, will be working closely with the Board to ensure the Ministry’s policy objectives are achieved as soon as practicable.
Minister of Health and Wellness, Ian Gooding-Edghill