BHB opens UCC for the public holidays and encourages a safe holiday for all

Tuesday 29 July 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today advises that the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre will open over the public holidays.

The hours of operation will be from noon to 8pm on Emancipation Day (Thursday 31 July) and Mary Prince Day (Friday 1 August). This will be in addition to its regular weekend hours of 9am to 9pm (Saturday and Sunday).

Chief of Emergency and Hyperbaric Services, Dr Chikezie Okereke, comments: “We urge everyone to prioritise their health and safety over the entire Cup Match holiday weekend. It’s a great holiday to be with friends and family, but please plan in advance to ensure you have your medications and supplies. Don’t drink alcohol and drive, and be prepared for hot and sunny weather if you are out on a boat, at the beach or at the game – drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen, a hat and shirt.

“Our UCC service will be there for minor illnesses and accidents, and our Emergency Department as usual will be there for more serious conditions,” he adds, “but look out for yourself, your friends and family.  You don’t want a medical emergency interrupting your Cup Match holiday weekend activities and fun.”

While the significant pressure experienced at the beginning of the month at KEMH has eased, CEO & President, Scott Pearman reminds people to take those ready for discharge home before and during the holiday period.

“Along with being responsible for your own health, please don’t forget family members who may be ready for discharge around the holiday period, and don’t bring someone in just for a safe place to stay,” he says.

“The hospital is not somewhere your loved ones should be for the holiday weekend unless they need to be here. This will cause problems for people with real emergency and acute care needs. Be safe yourself and do the right thing for your loved ones.”

BHB summer students see live surgeries through partnership with Liberty Science Center

Wednesday 23 July 2025: BHB partnered with Liberty Science Center for the first time this year to give a select group of its summer students the opportunity to watch live surgeries as part of their work experience at BHB.

Erin Basden, Coordinator HR Programmes

Coordinator-HR Programmes Erin Basden explains: “We secured 10 spots for a number of surgeries. It was great to be able to offer such ah meaningful experience as part of our summer student programme and we will be looking to continue this partnership in the future. It was very informative, eye-opening and offered our students another avenue to benefit their career journey.”

The live video events were held throughout June. The BHB summer students were able to peer into an operating room to see a kidney transplant, robotic surgery and neurosurgery, and were able to communicate with the doctors. There was also a Meet the Surgeon session with a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon who joined live and presented students with recorded footage from one of her procedures and discussed her career path.

One of the 10 BHB summer students who participated was Bermudian Sanaa Simmons, a first-year medical student who is studying at the University of Liverpool, who worked in the Quality & Risk Management Department at BHB over the summer.

Sanaa Simmons, BHB Summer Student

“The opportunity to witness live surgeries provided by the Liberty Science Centre was insightful and inspiring,” she says.

“I particularly enjoyed observing the paediatric ACL reconstruction, and Dr Samara Friedman was eager to answer our questions and share her story. From growing up as an athlete, to employing her dexterous skills throughout her younger life, she explained how paediatric orthopaedic surgery was best fit for her.

“Moreover, the kidney transplant surgery was well delivered; the procedure was narrated in an accessible way.

“We became further educated on triage processes, organ rejection, and long-term lifestyle changes to patients – ultimately reinforcing how imperative it is to showcase empathy in the medical field.”

Emergency Department performance better than international benchmarks for time in emergency

Friday 20 June 2025: As part of national Emergency Day on 27 May, BHB collated its Emergency Department (ED) data to highlight the achievements of the ED team.

The BHB Emergency Department (ED) team includes doctors, nurses, nurse’s aides, emergency medical technicians, social workers and environmental services and security personnel, as well as all the BHB supporting departments. It is also important to acknowledge others such as our pre-hospital first responders (Bermuda fire and rescue service team and St John’s voluntary emergency medical technicians) and community surgeons in Bermuda who all respond to emergencies or support emergency care in one form or another.

CEO & President Scott Pearman notes. “As a front-line service, Bermuda Hospitals Board would like to recognise all the dedicated professionals who provide emergency care around the clock. This year has been extremely challenging for the ED. The high number of medically-fit-for-discharge patients in KEMH has caused long wait times for patients waiting for admission to an inpatient unit, and those people waiting in the ED for a bed then fill up the Emergency Department itself. Amazingly, despite this, outside of patients waiting for an inpatient bed, the majority of people are seen and discharged from our ED faster than international benchmarks.

“I would like to thank our ED staff who have continued to care throughout this very challenging year to date and ensure every person in Bermuda got the care they needed.”

Chief of Staff, Anna Neilson-Williams says, “KEMH’s Emergency Department carries a unique responsibility as Bermuda’s only hospital ED, handling every emergency on the island. Despite this challenge, the team consistently delivers care that meets rigorous standards.

“Notably, KEMH is a designated Primary Stroke Centre through a partnership with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. This affiliation has brought global best practices for stroke diagnosis and treatment to Bermuda, ensuring patients receive expert care close to home. Work is also underway with Johns Hopkins to improve our emergency medical response to trauma and burns and improve outcomes for our most seriously injured patients.”

Chief of Emergency, Dr Chikezie Dean Okereke, explains that his department’s ability to meet international benchmarks has continued even through this year’s challenges.

“For the twelve months, April 2024 to March 2025, the ED recorded approximately 29,105 visits, involving about 18,123 individuals, 96% of whom were Bermuda residents. Among them, 1,188 patients presented with life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks, major trauma or severe respiratory distress that required immediate, high-priority care.

“About 15,000 other attendances involved urgent but not immediately dangerous conditions — these still required significant resources such as tests, imaging and consultations to diagnose and manage.

“Despite the high volume, the emergency department team consistently delivered timely care. The median time from arrival to triage (initial nurse assessment) was just 14 minutes, and patients who did not require admission typically spent around three hours and eight minutes from registration to treatment and discharge. About 12% of patients were admitted to hospital for further care, while the remainder were safely treated and discharged. It should be noted that internationally, most public emergency departments aim to keep the median time between registration and discharge to within four hours.”

Dr Okereke warns, however, that people shouldn’t use this as a reason to come to hospital instead of seeing their primary care physicians (GPs).

“Just under half our patient are in the lowest two levels of acuity – meaning they have conditions or injuries that do not require Emergency care. They should see their doctor, or if it is the weekend go to the Lamb Foggo and other community urgent care centres.

“For a start, when we are busy, they are taking up our time which should be focused on those who truly need emergency care. Secondly, while our average wait times are and remain generally very good, people who come in with conditions that don’t truly need emergency care will likely wait a lot longer than those who come in with life-threatening injuries and illnesses. So, if you are not that unwell, you will wait longer than the average wait times.”

Keeping patients informed has been a key focus this year. Patients in the waiting room can now see a large display includes the wait times. It also advises how many low, medium and critical care patients there are, and how many are waiting in the department for bed. A KEMH Performance Data Snapshot report is also published every month on the BHB website’s statistics page, with a day-by-day summary of wait times, admissions, outpatient appointments and surgeries.

“We hope the community is proud of its Emergency Department,” says Dr Okereke. “This team is dedicated to your care every day and we are happy we can share our data to highlight the quality of our service.”

Need for apheresis donors highlighted following World Blood Donor Day

Thursday 19 June 2025: Following World Blood Donor Day on 14 June, the Bermuda Blood Donor Centre is inviting the community to consider donating blood and learn more about apheresis—a special kind of blood donation.

Whole blood or apheresis donations are the key to survival for many patients in critical need.

“Traditional blood donation is incredibly important and apheresis donation allows us collect a larger number of separated blood components that are critical for many medical treatments, such as treating cancer patients,” says Consultant Haematologist and Chief of Pathology Dr Eyitayo Fakunle.

To help improve the understanding of apheresis donation, a five-minute video has been produced that has been posted to the BHB Youtube channel and its Facebook and LinkedIn pages. The goal of the video is to explain the apheresis process as it is slightly different to whole blood donation. Click here for the video on Youtube.

“Apheresis is a slightly longer process than whole blood donation, and there are other considerations for someone to be a suitable candidate for this kind of donation,” says Dr Fakunle. “We are therefore hoping to bring more awareness to this type of donation as we would like more apheresis donors.”

As a token of thanks, all Bermuda apheresis donors went into a special draw and six lucky winners won a Masters gift certificate for $250. The photo attached is of the apheresis donors in the ACW lobby with the Bermuda Blood Donor Centre team.

Comments from Bermuda’s apheresis donors:

Jayne Kendall, says: “Apheresis can be used to help cancer patients, sickle cell patients, trauma victims, and others with serious medical conditions. Apheresis allows you to donate specific blood components—like platelets, plasma, or red blood cells—depending on what’s most needed. I was told that it does take longer to donate and then asked if I wanted to become a donor. It was really a no brainer. One of my best friends died of cancer in 2018. When I donate I think of her and what she went through undergoing chemotherapy. Sitting in a chair for 2 hours every quarter doing my donation is the least I can do if it helps someone.”

James Gould Jnr, says: “My message would be that I encourage everyone who is willing and able to participate, there are very few people on island who donate to this cause and the short shelf life of platelets mixed with the limited donor system leads all people on our island at risk. One hour every few months in exchange for potentially saving a life is an hour better spent than anything else you would be doing. For those afraid of needles, don’t look if you don’t want to but you will not feel the process at all, it is painless: the ladies at the clinic are highly talented and a joy to visit. For as long as I am able, I will continue to donate to this worthy cause.”

Wayne Dill says: “Apheresis as a selfless privilege given the specific blood products which are collected. For me, it is a tremendous feeling to do something which is altruistic and of immediate benefit.”

Austin Kenny says: I’ve been told that 1-in-3 will bleed blood in their lifetime, but only 1 – in – 30 donate. I’m not sure how the numbers stack up in Bermuda, but in a small community I know that my donation is helping. Donating is usually a nice little break from the chaos. Sitting still and being calm but also being helpful and productive is great. And the staff are always so kind, always nearby. Donating is such a small act that can have such a huge impact. Please call the Blood Donor Centre and find out how you can help those in need. “It’s in you to give”

What Is apheresis and why does it matter?

Apheresis is a special donation method where only specific components of the blood—such as platelets, plasma or red blood cells—are collected, and the rest is returned to the donor. This is different to whole blood donation, where half a pint of whole blood is donated. This method:

• Maximizes each donation, often helping multiple patients.
• Is essential for cancer patients, trauma victims, and those with rare blood disorders.
• Supports patients undergoing major surgeries or dealing with chronic conditions like aplastic anaemia and immune deficiencies.
• Unlike regular whole blood donations, apheresis provides a customised lifeline for many patients.

Why donate?

• Blood and apheresis donations are a safe, comfortable, and highly effective way to help treat many different medical conditions and save lives.
• All donated blood and blood products are used in Bermuda; and in Bermuda 100% of our blood is from voluntary donations from residents. This is how we look out for each other!
• Blood donation takes about half an hour, and apheresis donation takes about an hour.
• Donations made now can replenish low supplies and prepare the hospital for upcoming needs so it is there for emergencies as well as planned treatments.
• You can relax while you donate! We have comfortable blood donation chairs with a specially warmed blanket, and we’ll serve you refreshments and cookies at the end.

Join Us—Save Lives

We encourage you to:

• Book an appointment by calling 236-5067, WhatsApp 533-9553 or email blood.donor@bhb.bm.
• Learn more about how apheresis donation works, and consider joining our apheresis donors, especially if you already donate blood.
• Spread the word—you may inspire someone else to donate.
• If you’re healthy, over 18 (or 17 with parental consent) and meet general donation guidelines, you could be someone’s hero. Check out the blood donation criteria at bermudahospitals.bm.

Ariel Re wins the Corporate Blood Drive for 2024/25

Friday 13 June 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board today announced that Ariel Re is the corporate blood drive winner for 2024/25, the first time a company has won from the insurance/reinsurance sector.

Twenty-one organisations participated this year and all the companies together contributed to 28% of all blood donations, or 494 units.

“The power of this competition is in the collective,” said Dr Eyitayo Fakunle, Consultant Haematologist and Chief of Pathology at BHB. “Every company and every donation makes a huge difference to our community. But a friendly competition can encourage more donations, which is incredibly important to our blood supply in Bermuda, so we want to celebrate the company whose efforts take them to the top. Congratulations, Ariel Re! They knocked three-time winner Freisenbruch off the top spot this year, which is no mean feat. While there can be only one winner, to all competing companies, you have our community’s  enduring thanks and appreciation.”

Minister of Health, the Hon.  Kim Wilson JP MP, joined the Chief Medical Officer Shaun Ramroop, BHB CEO & President Scott Pearman and the Blood Donor Centre leadership and team to present Ariel Re with the winner’s trophy.

“Thank you, Ariel Re, for all your donations this year and congratulations on winning the competition for the first time!” Minister Wilson said. “You have all shown an amazing community spirit and generosity. On behalf of the residents who are here today because you donated, thank you. And to all our Bermuda organisations, please join in the next competition. We need your help in ensuring transfusion services are fully stocked every year to save lives in Bermuda.”

AVP Claims at Ariel Re, Sophia Smethurst commented: “Ariel Re is thrilled to win the Bermuda Hospitals Board’s Corporate Blood Drive for the first time. While the recognition is meaningful, what matters most is the impact we have made together. Donating blood is a simple act that saves lives, and this is a powerful reminder that even small contributions can make a big difference. I am so proud of my colleagues who rallied with me. Some are already donors and some donated for the first time. This drive has shown the strength of our team spirit and our shared commitment to giving back. We hope we can continue to make a difference, one drop at a time.”

The competing companies in this year, in order of their final ranking:

1. Ariel Re
2. Freisenbruch
3. Hiscox
4. Fortitude Re
5. Renaissance Re
6. Ascot BDA
7. Aspen
8. Teneo LTD
9. Conduit Re
10. AON
11. Athene Re
12. Barcardi
13. Sompo
14. Willis Towers
15. Butterfield & Vallis
16. Bermuda Monetary Authority
17. MS Re
18. Hamilton Prin.
19. Talcott Re
20. Argus
21. Hannover Re

Companies who want to join can email blood.donor@bhb.bm or call 236-5067.

Dr Anna Neilson-Williams appointed as chief of staff

Thursday 8 May 2025: Bermuda Hospitals Board today announced the appointment of Dr Anna Neilson-Williams as chief of staff at BHB, having acted in the role for almost a year following the retirement of Dr Wesley Miller. The chief of staff position reports to the CEO & President Scott Pearman.

As chief of staff, Dr Neilson-Williams will lead BHB’s team of medical and support personnel. The position is the most senior medical role at BHB and is responsible for the supervision of medical and dental care given to patients and residents in BHB facilities. The chief of staff role ensures patient safety, sound clinical governance and building positive relations with the physician community.

Dr Neilson-Williams was previously the chief of psychiatry. A recruitment process for that position will now be started.

Mr Pearman comments: “I’m genuinely pleased to announce Dr Neilson-Williams as chief of staff. She has proven herself in this role for the last year and brings to it great leadership skills and a very well-rounded physician experience in mental health and primary care. Her leadership and skills will most certainly help us navigate a challenging healthcare environment while continuing our drive to improve quality and safety.”

Dr Neilson-Williams was appointed acting chief of staff in April 2024 and has been chief of psychiatry since 2022. Dr Neilson-Williams joined BHB in 2000 and served as acting chief of psychiatry from 2021. She is also a consultant psychiatrist, managing clients with a range of mental health conditions and patients on the psychogeriatric unit at MWI.

As BHB’s director of continuing medical education since 2014, Dr Neilson-Williams has managed and developed presentations by international healthcare experts to educate physicians on advances in medicine, technology, research and changes to the healthcare environment. Dr Neilson-Williams has further served as the lead physician managing the integrated care pathways and other care initiatives between BHB and wider community. Prior to her senior physician roles within BHB, Dr Neilson-Williams worked in Bermuda as a general practitioner .

Dr Neilson-Williams says: “A year acting in this role has given me a solid grounding in the issues we face at BHB, and I’m really looking forward to continuing some of the great programmes that are in motion, such as the Integrated pathways for trauma, burns and the hospitalist service. Our vision of pursuing excellence through continuous improvement keeps quality as the focal point for physicians at BHB, working in partnership with our community doctors to improve services for the community.”

Dr Neilson-Williams is a graduate of The University of Glasgow and has a master’s degree in transcultural mental health with distinction through Queen Mary’s The University of London, UK. Dr Neilson-Williams was recognised as a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2022 for contributions to the field of Psychiatry.  She also has a diploma in leadership and management, and certifications in value-based healthcare through Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Public Mental Health Leadership through the Royal College of Psychiatrists.