King’s College urologist joins BHB

3 December 2016: Bermuda Hospitals Board today announces that Dr Gordon Kooiman has been appointed as the Director of Urology, based at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The appointment of a urologist was required to meet the large demand for urology services in Bermuda, including diagnosing and treating people with cancers throughout the urinary tract (e.g. kidney, bladder, prostate and testicular cancers), recurrent urinary tract infections, enlarged prostates, incontinence, prostatitis and kidney stones. Dr Kooiman will ensure local patients have timely and effective access care in Bermuda.

Dr Kooiman previously worked for King’s College Hospital & Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals as a Consultant Urological and Laparoscopic Surgeon, a position he held from 2007, and before that as a locum consultant urologist at Darent Valley Hospital in Kent. Originally from the Netherlands, Dr Kooiman undertook his medical training at Guy’s Hospital Medical School, London.  His urology higher specialist training took place at numerous UK hospitals.

Widely published in specialist medical journals, Dr Kooiman’s subspecialty interests include open and laparoscopic renal surgery and endourology and is experienced in using many new technologies such as greenlight laser for the management of benign prostatic hypertrophy and Holmium laser fragmentation of kidney stone.

Dr Keith Chiappa, Chief of Staff, comments: “I am very pleased to welcome Dr Kooiman and improve access to specialist urology services for people in Bermuda. BHB’s commitment is to provide the services needed by the community and we are very pleased to appoint someone of Dr Kooiman’s calibre and experience.”

Dr Kooiman comments: “I’m very happy to join BHB and look forward to working to care for patients who need urology services in Bermuda.”

Dr Kooiman is married with three children.  A keen hockey player, he also sails a Firefly dinghy.

Notes to Editors
The Bermuda Hospitals Board is a quango (quasi autonomous non-governmental organisation) established under the Bermuda Hospitals Board Act, 1970. It has a Bermuda Government-approved Board and a Chief Executive Officer, responsible for King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute. At the heart of both organisations is high quality care to all patients.

With approximately 1,700 employees, the Bermuda Hospitals Board is Bermuda’s second largest employer. King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute are the only healthcare organisations in Bermuda accredited by Accreditation Canada, an independent organisation whose role is to help hospitals examine and improve the quality of care and service they provide to their clients. In addition to providing an extensive list of services for the community, the Bermuda Hospitals Board is part of a referral network that includes some of the world’s leading specialist hospitals.

For more information, please visit www.bdahospitaldev.wpengine.com or contact the Bermuda Hospitals Board Public Relations Department at publicrelations@bhb.bm.

MWI service users invite Bermuda to ‘Take a Walk in My Shoes’

16 November 2016: Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) service users are inviting people in Bermuda to come and ‘Take a Walk in My Shoes’ by visiting the MindFrame PhotoVoice Exhibition at the Bermuda Society of Arts. Featuring art, photography and creative writing, the exhibition has its opening reception on Friday 18 November 2016 from 5pm to 7pm, when the artists, photographers and creative writers will be in attendance. The exhibition runs to Tuesday 6 December.

Reilly Ingham, Art Therapist at MWI, comments: “This is an amazing exhibition of work. Not only does it demonstrate the creativity and abilities of the people who use our services, but it gives a profound insight into the lives of people who often don’t have a voice in our community. We are very excited to be celebrating our ten year anniversary of having the exhibition at the Bermuda Society of Arts. Every year brings new insights and amazing new art, photography and writing.”

Akilah Lapsley-Dyer, Occupational Therapist at MWI, adds: “Through art, photography and writing therapies, our service users grow and learn to appreciate their own talents and perspectives on life. We have provided commentaries for all the art and photographic contributions from the individuals in the show. We hope people will see those who struggle with mental health challenges through a new lens, and appreciate what these people can tell us about life, struggle and hope.”

In the voices of the contributors:

Betty Ann Pierre is an artist who has had her work displayed as part of the Charmin Award at Masterworks and through other exhibitions at the Bermuda Society of Art. Although always good at handy crafts, she only seriously started painting when she took it up as art therapy at MWI about eight years ago. She comments: “Art has made me more grounded. I feel more secure. It has made me more sharing. This has made me join different organisations. It has given me self worth. I’m like a flower blooming…People should come and have a look at what the patients have done. If you look into the art, you can see many things.”

Stefan Davis was introduced to taking photos seriously through the PhotoVoice programme at MWI about four years ago. Stefan comments: “It’s quite interesting when you take pictures, because you know your eyes see something and you use the camera to try and capture what your eye sees. There’s a lot of beauty in photography. There’s so many beautiful natural scenes around this island. It’s wonderful. It’s exciting. Now I look for photos everywhere. People will get a sense of enlightenment seeing all the different artwork that’s put on display. It’s been a good thing.”

Gino Edness has been into art since he was young. As a founding contributor to the very first art exhibition at MWI in 2006, he came up with the name ‘MindFrame’ and has displayed his artwork each year since. Gino comments: “I am a quiet person, I don’t say much,” he said. “Art makes me open – more people gather round me when I do my art. I’ve grown and my art has helped me to grow. I’d like people to see how we can work at being creative with our hands. They can learn something from us, because we’ve got a lot to give, a lot to show. I figure that people should come and see what it’s all about. I’m sure they’ll enjoy the show.”

Alana Dill had never picked up a paintbrush until she was at MWI six years ago when she was 19, and had to do an art therapy class. “Everybody was blown away at how my art comes out. I surprised myself. It has made me feel that I am actually good at something and I’m not completely useless. Art makes me feel so good inside. I feel like I can achieve anything. I want people to be inspired by the Exhibition. You can pick up a paint brush and do art – but there’s more to it than that. You have to be inspired, motivated and in the mind where you feel that this is it, nothing can hold you back. You have to be inspired and connect with your pain, your paintbrush, canvas and surroundings and it will take you to places you have never been.”

BHB focuses on ethics and youth

6 November 2016: Medical ethics and their particular relevance to treating Bermuda’s young people have been under the microscope at Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) during the past week.

Staff members and community healthcare partners participated in seminars, continuing education sessions and grand rounds during BHB’s Ethics Awareness Week 2016, held from 31 October to 4 November. The sessions were led by medical ethics expert Dr Christy Simpson, head of the Bioethics Department at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

The BHB Ethics Committee also spent a day immersed in discussions with Dr Simpson about the complexities of making ethical decisions when treating children and adolescents.

Dr Chantelle Simmons, BHB’s chief of psychiatry and chair of the Ethics Education Subcommittee, said: “Not only is Dr Simpson always available to assist us in working through difficult ethical dilemmas, she has come to Bermuda to lead Ethics Awareness Week 11 times.

“Having that external support from Dalhousie and Dr Simpson, and being able to talk through some of these complex matters with an organisation that has considerably more experience in medical ethics than we do is invaluable.”

Ethics Committee member Dr Carla Bean, clinical psychologist for Child and Adolescent Services, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, said: “We spent the week exploring some of the ethical issues that can become more complicated when we’re dealing with minors. Not only are you taking the law, professional best practices and the patient’s wishes into account, you’re also considering the wishes of the parents or legal guardians and the child’s ability to understand and make their own decisions.

“It’s not as cut and dried as it can be with adults, who generally have the legal right and ability to make decisions about their treatment.”

The BHB Ethics Committee offers assistance to patients and service users, their families and healthcare professionals.

Dr Simmons said: “People may not realise we are here as a resource for anyone who is dealing with ethical issues around medical care. Ethics is about doing the right thing for the right reasons, and we can guide people in making tough ethical decisions.

“Members of the public can contact us for a consultation by calling 291-HOPE (4673).”

The BHB Ethics Committee comprises about 20 members, including clinical, administrative and community representatives. The Committee promotes awareness of ethical concerns at both King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI), endorses medical ethics education, provides an ethics consultation service and produces guidelines on prominent issues that can help healthcare professionals consider all aspects of controversial decisions. The Committee also reviews medical research proposals on request and reviews hospital policies to ensure they are ethically sound.

BHB’s Ethics Committee maintains a close relationship with Dalhousie University’s Department of Bioethics, which provides assistance and training in ethical matters.

BHB DREAM Centre offers free health screenings to the public

(Bermuda Hospitals Board, November 1, 2016) Residents can take advantage of free health screenings as Bermuda Hospitals Board celebrates Diabetes and Chronic Lung Disease Awareness Month. The Diabetes Respiratory Endocrine and Metabolism (DREAM) Centre provide diabetes, asthma and lung disease education and awareness, will provide the service. The accredited team comprises Asthma & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Nurse Educator Debbie Barboza, Diabetes Nurse Educators Jane Hope and Tammoi Jarrett, Clinical Dietitians Letitia Rabain and Jessika Quigley and Endocrinologist Dr Annabel Fountain. All programs at the DREAM Centre are accredited and covered by insurance.

The DREAM Centre team will give free health screenings for lung function, blood sugar and blood pressure at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI). The screenings will take place on the following dates and times:

• KEMH General Wing lobby Monday 7 November 2pm — 5pm
• MWI 1st Floor Conference Room Tuesday 8 November 2pm — 4pm
• KEMH Acute Care Wing main lobby Wednesday 9 November 2pm — 5pm

During Diabetes & Chronic Lung Disease Awareness Month, DREAM Centre team members will release articles each week highlighting how you can recognize symptoms and manage your condition or help your loved ones.

“Anyone over 40 who smokes or has a history of smoking and who finds it difficult to breathe sometimes or all the time, should come in and take the free lung function test during the screenings. If that is not possible they should contact me on 239-1652 or email asthma.centre@bhb.bm,” said BHB Asthma Educator Debbie Barboza. “Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a serious lung disease which over time makes it harder to breathe.”

“The Bermuda Hospitals Board Dream Centre is committed to educating the public about diabetes and seeks to lead the way in prevention locally,” said Dr Fountain. “We have one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. It is the leading cause of blindness and heart disease on the island, but these side effects are preventable with prevention, early detection and proper management,” she said. “At the DREAM Centre we want to help people to control their sugar levels. Good education has been shown to be as effective at lowering blood sugar levels as many diabetes medications and regular monitoring and appropriate interventions help individuals to avoid the complications of diabetes.”

BHB CEO Venetta Symonds said: “We are pleased to be able to offer these free screenings to the public. As healthcare professionals we recognize the importance of early detection and prevention in chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma and COPD. I encourage you to come in and meet our DREAM Centre professionals. They can help you on your wellness path.”

Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute programme highlighted in international publication

(Bermuda Hospitals Board, October 30, 2016) Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) Occupational Therapist Morrisa Rogers has put Bermuda on the world stage with her case study on the collaborative efforts of a project between MWI and WindReach Bermuda. Her work has been published in the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) Bulletin, this month. The online version of the October edition of the Bulletin went live on Sunday 23 October.
Mrs. Rogers’ article “Creative Partnerships: When collaboration brings about a growth of the profession” is a paper which looks at a collaborative project between MWI and another local charity – WindReach Bermuda.

The abstract for the paper reads as follows: “Public-private partnerships have become a growing trend both globally and locally in healthcare as limited financial resources and complex social and behavioural problems often make it nearly impossible in many countries for either public or private entities to address such problems on their own.

“In Bermuda the reality is no different this has required occupational therapist to seek opportunities to develop partnerships in the community. The case study exemplifies such a situation. Occupational therapists at the publically funded, Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, and the local registered non-profit, WindReach, have collaborated to provide opportunities for between 35 and 40 regular service users to find meaningful experiences outside of an institutional setting.”

Mrs Rogers said a desire to recognise the impact occupational therapy is making in our Bermuda community motivated her to write about this project.

She said: “This is what continues to drive me to seek additional opportunities to educate and advocate for the profession not only in Bermuda but also internationally.”

Request For Information Issued To Optimise Use of Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre Facility

(October 17, 2016) Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today starts a Request For Information (RFI) process for maximising the use of the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre (UCC) facility.

The BHB is committed to maintaining the current remit of the UCC however the goal is to optimize the use the UCC facility to improve community health. Current service provisions from the facility will continue including the out-of-hours urgent care service, the opening of the facility when the causeway is closed, and the use of the facility in the event of a disaster in the East End or at the airport. BHB believes, however, that outside of these hours, the facility could be used for other medical services.

Chief Operating Officer (KEMH), R. Scott Pearman, comments: “The UCC is a prime yet under-utilized healthcare facility. There is a clear opportunity for primary care, specialist physicians or allied health providers to make recommendations that would add value and improve the health and well-being of the East End and the community in general. Making available the UCC’s spare capacity to entrepreneurs will increase the productivity of existing healthcare resources.”

BHB is open to all responses and ideas on how best to use the UCC facility, provided they are consistent with BHB’s Corporate Strategic Plan and healthcare mandate. A potential partner may propose to repurpose the UCC during its current down time or they may propose to assume full responsibility for the current UCC operation. The BHB will not consider proposals that compromise the current standard of out-of-hours services available to residents.

Mr Pearman continues: “Our new strategic plan seeks to improve community health through collaboration and partnership. We are seeking to work with the community, rather than expand the hospital’s scope of service, so that the healthcare system and people in Bermuda benefit through efficient and effective services. The RFI will help us develop an effective and focused RFP as we will have a much clearer idea on what are the potential market solutions.”

The Request-For-Information document can be obtained by interested parties from Mr. Anthony Hunter, Director of Commercial Procurement by emailing Anthony.Hunter@bhb.bm by 21 October 2016. Closing date for respondents to the RFI will be the 1 November 2016.