BVI Health Services Authority

26 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 12 Some of the plans in the pipeline for the BVIHSA in the near future is the development of available spaces. This internal expansion was explained by the Acting CEO who said that development will extend to the sister islands. “ We are planning to upgrade the clinic in Virgin Gorda into an expanded polyclinic providing urgent care, emergency services, and primary health care…On Tortola, we have several clinic spaces that we’re looking to complete and move towards the primary health care front. We are also planning expanded promotions in preventative health while looking at how we can empower the community to take care of themselves.” “Doing so is crucial because primary health care supports secondary healthcare services by decreasing the complications and ill health that secondary services deal with at the hospital. Additionally, in the BVI, we have a small population, making our human resources the most important resource we have, so we need the population to be healthy,” Dr. Samuel added. In addition to these initiatives, the BVIHSA is conducting a community needs assessment to determine community healthcare needs, requirements, and gaps. The findings will help inform what services and interventions will address areas like secondary care, subspecialty services, and how to collaborate with specialists in cardiac and kidney disease. “At an administrative level, we are bringing focus to staff engagement, helping to improve staff motivation, addressing burnout issues, and providing more support for staff as they continue providing services in the post-COVID era,” adds Dr. Samuel. “We are also taking steps to implement contingency planning, including preparing our staff through cross-training and putting systems in place to support their mental health in times of crisis.” In dispensing its mandate, the BVIHSA works with government and regional agencies like the Ministry of Health, BVI National Health Insurance, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and more recently Public Health England (now United Kingdom Health Security Agency and Office for Public Health Improvement and Disparities). BV I HEALTH SERV I CES AUTHOR I TY We have several clinic spaces that we’re looking to complete and move towards the primary health care front.We are also planning expanded promotions in preventative health while looking at howwe can empower the community to take care of themselves.”