The Health Authority of Anguilla has just completed its bi-annual performance review for January to June 2008 and has set new goals to further develop its services to the people of the island. The review was held at Paradise Cove Resort on August 29 with the Chairman and members of the Board, officials of the Corporate Office and heads of the various health departments in attendance.

Health Authority Personnel at Paradise Cove Resort Conference Room

The stated objectives of the one-day review were to receive feedback from Heads of Departments on the level of implementation of plans for the first six months of 2008; to identify constraints to the achievement of objectives and to present plans and programmes for the next sixth-month period.

Chief Executive Officer, Darlene Baptiste, told the meeting that from the inception of her appointment in January she had set herself to a number of guiding principles which she hoped would be carried over into the next six months. These included stewardship of public funds, the continuous improvement of customer service and satisfaction, providing the best value for investment; accountability through performance; job satisfaction through workforce development; searching for innovation in work processes and short and long-term training for staff. She said that one of the matters to be highlighted in the next six months would be the further development of the emergency services. She was pleased that Steve McDowell was now the island’s first trained paramedic.

Health Authority Personnel at Paradise Cove Resort Conference Room

“My charge to everyone continues to be that healthcare remains a vital pillar of our society,” Mrs. Baptiste went on. “One hundred percent of the population will eventually be in need of medical care. We have committed ourselves to the task of ensuring that access to quality care is never in question. It serves to remind us of the important role that the Health Authority plays in this community. What happens in the Authority has a direct impact on everyone who resides in Anguilla.”

Chairman of the Health Authority Board, Dr. Franklin Lloyd, welcomed the review saying it was a timely exercise. “It provides an opportunity for us to pause and look back at what we have done and it will help us to move forward with greater purpose and efficiency,” he stated. “We believe that many of our healthcare workers try to perform their duties well within their prescribed area of activity. If there are some who fall short of the standard expected of them (and I have no doubt there are), the Executive Management must address these deficiencies honestly, fairly and in a timely manner.”

He told the senior medical and health personnel that it was not good enough to focus only on their narrow area of activity and that they all must function as essential and inter-connected parts of the machinery delivering healthcare to the people of Anguilla. “Every employee at every level of our healthcare delivery system must always be aware of our objectives – to make the Health Authority the first choice of healthcare by the people of Anguilla,” Dr. Lloyd continued.

CEO Darlene Batiste

“In order for us to achieve this objective, we must strive at all times to improve the quality of healthcare we provide. We must help to educate and inform the public about the services we can provide. In the final analysis, we can only go so far as the entire staff of the Health Authority can take us. The journey requires maximum individual effort and well-coordinated team work throughout the organisation.”

The Health Authority Board Chairman added that the review was important in that it brought together the leaders in various departments and disciplines in health care delivery.

The Minister of Health, Evans Rogers, was represented at the review by Permanent Secretary, Dr. Bonnie Richardson-Lake. She assured the Health Authority that it had the support and goods wishes of the Ministry in its pursuit of quality healthcare delivery.

The opening ceremony was followed by presentations on patient care services by Gracita Christopher, Coordinator of Community Nursing; Dr. Kennedy Simmonds, Director of Medical Services; Cherrille Franklin, Director of Nursing Services; Monique Rey, Senior Mental Health Nurse; Wendy Petty-Lloyd, Senior EMT (Ag); Dr. Renante Guinto, Internist; and Dr. Lindell Brooks , Senior Dental Surgeon.

Presentations were also made on Diagnostic & Therapeutic services by Everette Duncan, Senior Medical Technologist; Dr. Armand Brice, Radiologist; Doreen Bucknor, Senior Pharmacist; and Khalidah Banks, Physiotherapist; Celia Brooks, Health Information Officer; and those who spoke on Nutrition and Health Promotion were Vernice Battick, Coordinator of Community Nutrition/Dietary Services; and Civilla Kentish, Senior Health Educator; Corporate Administration: Ralph Hodge, Chief Financial Officer; and Ann Watty-Alfred, Human Resources Officer; and the speaker on operations was Clavis Carter-Gumbs, Chief Operations Office

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