Hurricane Emergency Kit Guide for Diabetes Patients

Monday 16 September 2019: Bermuda Hospitals Board today shares a ‘Hurricane Emergency Kit for Diabetes Patients’ guide from its DREAM (diabetes, respiratory, endocrine and metabolism) Centre team.

DREAM Centre dietitian, Jessika Quigley, comments: “Medical care and supplies are not always available immediately after a hurricane, and with some planning ahead diabetes patients can avoid having a diabetes-related health emergency.  Simple steps such as ensuring a sufficient supply of medication, having diabetes friendly snacks, extra batteries for a glucometer or insulin pump, and reusable gel packs to keep insulin cool can help someone with diabetes get through a storm safely.”

Click here for the guide – DREAM-Centre-Hurricane-Kit-for-Diabetics-Sept-2019 FINAL

BHB CEO Notifies of Early Retirement in 2020

Wednesday 4 September 2019: Bermuda Hospitals Board today announces that Mrs Venetta Symonds, President & CEO, will be taking early retirement in July 2020 on her 40th year anniversary with BHB.

Mrs Symonds has given 12 months’ notice to the Board of her decision, 6 months longer than the notice period required by her contract. She remains committed to BHB and will continue to support what is required from the hospitals for healthcare reform over the coming year.

Mrs Symonds comments: “This has been a difficult decision to make, but after over 40 years working at BHB, there is so much I still want to do in my life while I am healthy and able. My time off earlier this year showed me there is still so much I want to learn and develop that I have put off due to work commitments. I have been so fortunate to have the opportunity to lead one of the most caring and dedicated group of staff since I became CEO in 2012.  I am proud of all that has been achieved through multiple changes and transitions over the last seven years, and I look back over the decades and feel such gratitude too for all the progress I’ve been a part of and the wonderful people I have worked alongside. Even after I retire, I am sure I will still look for ways to support the hospitals and healthcare in Bermuda.”

Mr William Madeiros, BHB Chairman, adds: “We would like to thank Mrs Symonds for her four decades of service to Bermuda and her leadership as CEO over the last seven years. BHB has flourished under Mrs Symonds’ vision and direction. Quality has improved, there is a strong strategy in place driving exceptional care, a strong partnership and a healthy community, and BHB has become a more open, transparent and caring partner under her leadership. We are grateful she has given us a year to transition. The Board’s job is to now develop and implement a leadership transition process. The CEO is appointed by the Board and we will do what is necessary to ensure BHB moves from strength to strength. We will update the community on our process in the coming months.”

The Minister of Health, the Hon. Kim N. Wilson JP MP, says: “Mrs. Symonds has dedicated her entire professional career and personal passion to the Bermuda Hospitals Board. I am certain that everything she did was with the best interest of our country’s hospital and our people at the top of her mind and in her heart. I am grateful to Mrs. Symonds for the advance notice of her intended early retirement, and for her years of service and dedication. I wish her all the best as she enters an exciting new phase in her personal journey. Until then, we continue to stand united as we strive to make Bermuda healthier.”

Improved diabetes management for inpatients

14 August 2019: BHB is focusing on improving inpatient care for diabetic patients, after internal research showed that 33% of inpatients at KEMH have diabetes. Irrespective of the primary cause of their admission to hospital, patients with diabetes are known to have poorer outcomes and longer hospital stays because of their diabetes.

Dr Andrew Jamieson, Endocrinologist, leads BHB’s Diabetes, Respiratory, Endocrinology and Metabolism (DREAM) Centre, and is overseeing this new focus of care.

Dr Jamieson notes: “By optimizing blood sugar control in hospital, many studies have shown that one can improve quality of care for patients with wounds, infections, as well as heart disease and stroke. We are particularly keen to do our part in supporting the hospital’s new stroke service going into the future as, on average, 40% of patients with stroke have diabetes. We want to help people manage their diabetes, return to their homes sooner and improve their wellness and quality of life. Over the longer term this means people with diabetes experience fewer complications, and overall this helps reduce healthcare costs for individuals and the island as a whole.”

Dr Andrew Jamieson and RN Tammoi Simons

The intensive focus on inpatient care includes daily rounding of most patients with diabetes by Dr Jamieson with Diabetes Nurse Educator, Tammoi Simons. That translates to about 30 patients in the Acute Care Wing each day.

Ms Simons undertook the inpatient research on inpatients and focuses on patient education. She adds: “It is staggering to know how many people in hospital have diabetes. We can make a huge difference by reaching them while they are in our care. Our new daily rounding for diabetes gives us time to help patients understand their diagnosis and how to use their medications before they leave hospital. This reduces the chances that patients with diabetes are readmitted simply because they do not understand how to use insulin or other medications. We are also arranging up rapid response follow-up after their discharge with the DREAM Centre staff. ”

This new fast track system provides early support at the BHB’s DREAM Centre for patients who are discharged from the wards or from the Emergency Department.

Dr Jamieson explains: “If we can arrange appointments with the DREAM Centre we can help support an early discharge and give people the support they need to improve their lives. Patients who are diagnosed with diabetes in the Emergency Department or in hospital often require rapid transition to a comprehensive outpatient care once they are discharged from hospital. This is so that they can receive multi-disciplinary preventative care which is critical in preventing readmission, and controlling diabetes as well as avoiding complications in the first place.”

Dr. Jamieson is working on a new protocol for critically ill patients with diabetes and is working with Ms Simons to provide educational services for hospital staff, both nurses and physicians, who also manage patients with diabetes in the hospital.