Business View Caribbean | July 2022

85 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 7 the affinity between healthcare providers in Bermuda was strengthened, whether in primary or secondary care, with government and the population.” BVC: What would you say about BHB staff during the pandemic? Dr. Richmond: “I am eternally grateful to a magnificent performance by our staff. They stood up to the challenge and they weren’t taken for granted. We did our absolute best through our public relations department to keep them as well informed as possible. It was a very dynamic situation: things changing day by day, introduction of new policies, leave restrictions and the like, which was a huge encumbrance on their normal lifestyle. And every man and woman did this with good grace. Also, the trade unions were instrumental in maintaining exceptionally good relationships between the management and the staff of the hospital. We’re grateful to them for the strong part they played. “Of course, there were many anxieties among frontline staff with respect to potentially becoming a victim of the infection, and the fact that their lifestyle had been so impacted, with having to work and often homeschool their children, and struggling to do both well. Possibly the worst was the separation anxiety among staff that were from other regions, such as India, which were hit terribly hard. There were different points over the last two years that were more stressful than others, and our leadership continues to support all our staff as they deal with the struggles. Much was asked by many and much was given. I think that healthcare was seen in a good light and deserves its share of praise.” BVC: What are the future plans for BHB? Dr. Richmond: “In 2021, we launched a new five-year strategy for BHB taking us to 2026. Our vision is to pursue excellence through improvement to make Bermuda proud. It all revolves around the quality of care, supporting BERMUDA HOSP I TALS BOARD (BHB) and developing our staff through our performance and collaboration to make a true and lasting impact on healthcare in Bermuda. “We are currently implementing BHB”s first organisation-wide electronic medical record (EMR), which is a major strategic and operational development for us. This will transform the delivery of care at BHB, helping us raise the bar on safety and quality even further. It is also a resource for the island that will give us much greater knowledge and awareness of care, and our ability to evaluate outcomes. We are closely aligned with the Ministry of Health and their intention to create a much more integrated