South East Regional Health Authority, Jamaica

SOUTH EAST REGIONAL HEALTH AUTHOR I TY JAMA I CA we are looking to increase bed capacity of the Bustamante Hospital for Children. We see trends in certain seasons, especially during September to December, when a lot of children visit the facility with asthmatic conditions, and we experience overcrowding on the wards. We will also be expanding and modernizing the Dietary Department and the Operating Theatre at the Princess Margaret Hospital. The plans we have are realistic; we will continue our expansion projects, major equipment replacement, as well as aesthetic improvements. In terms of the reduction of disease burden, we will continue our focus on combatting non-communicable diseases through prevention and health promotion, which is in tandem with the mandate of the Ministry of Health &Wellness; we are looking to improve community mental health through training of additional technical support staff” BVC: What are your personal career goals, going forward? Golding: “In order to continue the advancement of my career a PhD is in the pipeline as a medium term goal. Initially I wanted to pursue a PhD in Risk Management in Healthcare for about two (2) years now however due to the exigencies and the unpredictability of the health care service I had to put it off. When I eventually start my PhD the focus would be different as it is now my ambition to pursue a PhD locally or internationally in Governance and Public Policy. With over 15 years of experience at a managerial level in the health care field, it is my desire to become a consultant to pass on the knowledge that I have garnered over the years. It is my ultimate goal to continue to advance the health and welfare of the Jamaican people through effective and efficient leadership. Additionally, it my dream one day to be able to impact the Caribbean and Latin America Region in terms health care management through deft leadership and good governance.” BVC: Is there anything else you’d like to share about the importance of SERHA? Golding: “SERHA caters to the health needs of almost 50% of the country’s population; therefore, it plays an integral role in contributing to the Ministry of Health & Wellness national goal of a healthy and stable population. Let me reiterate that my region has all the specialist public hospitals, and is often times branded as the referral region. For example, with the only paediatric hospital presently, most if not all complex cases especially cardiac related are pictured The Hope Institute