The Bermuda Hospitals Board has responsibility for the stewardship of the hospitals and to oversee the conduct of the business of the Board. The Board’s fundamental objectives are to enhance and preserve long-term value, and to ensure the hospitals meet their obligations on an ongoing basis and operate in a reliable and safe manner. In performing its functions, the Board should also consider the legitimate interests others, such as employees and members of the public, may have in the hospital. In overseeing the conduct of the business, the Board, through the chief executive officer, shall set the standards of conduct for the organisation.
Board Members | Bermuda Hospitals Board
Voting Members
Chair
Matthew Pifer
Mr Pifer is the general counsel and a senior vice president of The OIL Group of Companies in Bermuda. He is also the company secretary and heads up its Compliance and Group Claims operations. He is a qualified lawyer in the US, admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court, and various federal and state courts. Prior to joining The OIL Group in 2016, he was in private law practice for 25 years, advising international clients on insurance and reinsurance matters, risk management, and related issues. He received his law degree from Tulane University, graduating Cum Laude. Mr Pifer joined the Board in 2020 and was appointed chair in 2023.
Committees: Executive Committee, Governance and Risk Committee, Insurance Subcommittee, Executive Compensation Subcommittee
Deputy Chair
Kathy-Ann Swan
Ms Swan brings over 40 years’ experience in healthcare to the Board. She is the director of nursing and allied health at the Bermuda College, where she provides strategic direction on education. Prior to her current role, Ms Swan was a BHB nurse and clinical leader, working throughout the hospitals, including as director of nursing and allied health. Ms Swan serves on many professional organisations and boards locally and abroad, including the Bermuda Medical Council, National League of Nursing and American College of Healthcare Executives. She is an active member of the Legislation Committee and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Educational Network.
Committees: Executive Committee, Governance and Risk Committee, HR and Engagement Committee, Executive Compensation Subcommittee
Kathleen Bibbings
Ms Bibbings was appointed to the Board in 2024, bringing over 35 years of experience in the insurance industry. In 2021, she retired as head of Bermuda captive management for American International Group. She previously spent 17 years as executive vice president at Aon Insurance Management. Ms Bibbings has been a member of numerous captive boards and served as president of the Bermuda Insurance Manager Association for three years. She holds the chartered professional accountant, CA designation.
Committees: Finance and Audit Committee
Ricky Brathwaite PhD
Dr Brathwaite is the CEO and director of health economics for the Bermuda Health Council, where he supports local and international efforts to improve care quality and reduce costs through the evaluation of new payment and service delivery models. Dr Brathwaite brings to the Board over 15 years of experience in healthcare economics research, health systems engineering and bioengineering in the public and private sectors both in Bermuda and the US. He continues to conduct and present research related to the social, economic and system issues that impact health outcomes for various communities.
Committees: Finance and Audit Committee
Tameisha Matthew
Dr Matthew joined the Board in 2022, bringing over a decade of experience in applied psychological science to promote health, prevent illness and improve healthcare systems. She is the lead psychologist at BEAMS Wholistic Wellness and founder of Tri Health Psychology. Dr Matthew is a chartered health psychologist with the British Psychological Society, and a registered practitioner psychologist in Bermuda and the UK. She has worked within multidisciplinary teams in Bermuda’s private healthcare sector and in the UK’s National Health Service.
Committees: HR and Engagement Committee
Hannah Murray MD
Dr Murray is a palliative care physician for P.A.L.S. cancer charity. She previously served as clinical lead for the Bermuda Government’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. Before coming to Bermuda in 2020, Dr Murray spent 18 years as an acute medicine consultant with the UK’s National Health Service. She joined the BHB Board in 2022.
Committees:
Scott Pearman
Mr Pearman was appointed chief executive officer and president of BHB in 2024 after serving as deputy CEO since 2020. Having joined BHB as employee labour relations manager, Mr Pearman was appointed director of human resources in 2000 then vice president of physician relations in 2006. He was promoted to chief of business development in 2010. In 2011, he was appointed chief operating officer, and in 2017 the COO remit was expanded to include the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute. Mr Pearman serves on the Bermuda Government Labour Advisory Board and the Bermuda Employers’ Council Arbitration Committee. He joined the BHB Board in 2024.
Committees: Finance and Audit Committee, Capital and Estates Subcommittee, Pensions Subcommittee, Programme Steering Group, Human Resources and Engagement Committee
Alana Rogers
Ms Rogers is Bacardi’s director of human resources. She joined the BHB Board in 2023, bringing over three decades of experience in human resources, including her 26 years at Bacardi. She previously held positions at The Bank of Bermuda, AON Insurance, and Appleby, Spurling and Kempe. Ms Rogers has a Master of Business Administration in human resource management.
Committees: HR and Engagement Committee, Executive Compensation Subcommittee
Ianthia Simmons-Wade MP
Mrs Simmons-Wade has spent her entire career in healthcare and long-term care in the private, nonprofit and government sectors. In 2019, she was appointed as a senator and the Junior Minister for Health. She was elected a Member of Parliament for Warwick Northeast Constituency 25 in 2020. A strong advocate for Bermuda’s seniors, Mrs Simmons-Wade serves as chair of the Ageing Well Committee and received a lifetime achievement award for her work with seniors and people with disabilities. Mrs Simmons-Wade has served on numerous boards, most notably as chair of the BHB Board and the Sustainable Development Board.
Committees:
Ex Officio (Voting)
Executive Director, Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation
Kim Pratt
Ms Pratt was appointed executive director of the Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Foundation in 2023. She has two decades of experience in the trust industry, having worked with Butterfield Trust (Bermuda) Limited and Bermuda Trust Company Limited, including Centennial Bermuda Foundation (formerly Bank of Bermuda Foundation). Ms Pratt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in board management of charitable foundations, including grant making, strategic planning, fund development and scholarship administration. She serves on the Centennial Bermuda Foundation Scholarship Committee.
Committees:
President, Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda
Patrick Cerra
Mr Cerra was elected president of the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda in 2022. His career in information technology spans three decades, most of which was building and managing the development of satellite business systems for a large international satellite company. Mr Cerra came to Bermuda in 2000 as the company’s vice president of Bermuda operations. He joined the Hospitals Auxiliary of Bermuda in 2005, volunteering in the Pink Café and with the Overseas Family Help Service. He has served on the charity’s executive committee since 2018.
Committees:
Ex Officio (Non-Voting)
Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health
Shaun Ramroop MD
Dr Ramroop was appointed chief medical officer for the Bermuda Department of Health in 2024 after acting in the role since 2023. He previously served in the British Virgin Islands as the senior medical officer, leading the country’s COVID response team and HEARTS. Dr Ramroop is a registered public health specialist with the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago, where he completed his medical degree and Master of Public Health at The University of the West Indies. He has also served as a public health advisor to a large municipality in Trinidad for three years.
Committees:
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health
David Kendell
Mr Kendell is a highly accomplished public health professional with a strong background in leadership, human resource management and project management. In his most recent role as director of the Department of Health, he demonstrated expertise in strategic and operational planning, pandemic response and legislative projects. Mr. Kendell’s career also includes extensive experience in environmental health, where he implemented innovative programmes and fostered collaboration across government and community organisations. He is a skilled communicator and negotiator, with a proven track record of building relationships and achieving results. Mr Kendell joined the Board when he was appointed Permanent Secretary in 2024.
Committees:
Acting Chief of Staff, Bermuda Hospitals Board
Anna Neilson-Williams MD
Dr Neilson-Williams was appointed acting chief of staff in April 2024. She joined BHB in 2000 and was appointed chief of psychiatry in 2022 after acting in the role from 2021. Dr Neilson-Williams is also a BHB consultant psychiatrist, managing clients with a range of mental health conditions. She was appointed BHB’s director of continuing medical education in 2014. In addition to her clinical qualifications, Dr Neilson-Williams has a diploma in leadership and management and certification in value-based healthcare through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She joined the Board in 2024.
Committees: Medical Staff Committee, Finance and Audit Committee, Governance and Risk Committee, HR and Engagement Committee, Executive Committee, Programme Steering Group