Wednesday 15 April 2020: At 7:30 pm on Tuesday 14 April, a motorcade of Police, Fire and Regiment vehicles attended King Edward VII Memorial Hospital to applaud staff for being on the front line of treating Bermuda’s severe COVID-19 patients. The event was timed to coincide with the normal shift change of nursing staff. See the reaction below of BHB CEO Venetta Symonds.
Monday 13 April 2020: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces the addition of nine more negative pressure rooms at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH). Four additional rooms in the Emergency Department, two operating rooms, two rooms on the Post Anesthesia Care Unit and one additional room on the Dialysis Unit have been converted to negative pressure/isolation rooms.
These nine rooms are in addition to the 28 converted on the Ace Barber Unit, announced last week. (The 28 conversions brought the total negative pressure rooms on the unit to 30, i.e. every room on the unit.)
Creating negative pressure within a room results in the air being confined to that room. This greatly reduces the ability of infection to spread.
The Acute Care Wing opened in 2014 with two negative pressure rooms on each of the three wards and 15 in the Emergency Department. Patients who present or develop infectious conditions in the hospital are routinely housed in isolation rooms.
Black & McDonald, facility manager of the Acute Care Wing (ACW), were able to increase the number of negative pressure rooms through the ACW’s automated building management system.
“We are doing everything we can to help BHB prepare for this pandemic,” said the Black & McDonald Facility Manger for the Acute Care Wing, Warren Moulaison. “Our team of engineers, just like everyone at BHB, is committed to doing our best to serve our Bermuda community.”
“Increasing the number of isolation rooms in the Emergency Department will help us better stem the spread of COVID-19 within the hospital,” said BHB Chief of Emergency and Hyperbarics Chikezie Dean Okereke, MD.
“We are pleased with the progress of our pandemic plan,” said BHB CEO and President Venetta Symonds. “I thank the dedication of staff across our organisation, from the Facilities Departments who expand our negative pressure room capabilities, to our frontline clinical staff, dietary and environmental services staff, our partners in security services and our administrative staff – all of us are working to care for and keep our patients and employees safe.”
Wednesday 17 July 2019: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces the establishment of a Primary Stroke Centre at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH).
An estimated two percent of the population suffers an acute stroke in Bermuda every year. “We recognise that acute stroke in Bermuda is an epidemic that contributes to adult disability and significant economic cost,” said BHB Chief of Staff Michael Richmond, MD. “We are thus making the care and treatment of stroke patients a top priority.”
BHB is developing the stroke programme in collaboration with experts from Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center and its Department of Neurology’s Global Center for Organized Stroke Care. The collaboration is part of the clinical affiliation between BHB and Johns Hopkins Medicine International (JHMI). Through the affiliation, Johns Hopkins is providing educational training, protocol development assistance and project management support to aid in the progress of the centre and BHB’s pursuit of accreditation.
BHB Consultant Neurologist Francene Gayle, MD is leading the project for BHB. She said: “A primary stroke centre ensures the highest level of care to acute stroke patients including the use of intravenous thrombolytics (clot busting agents) for appropriate candidates who present within 4.5 hours of the onset of a stroke. It also ensures island-wide public education on the signs and symptoms of an acute stroke as well as stroke prevention strategies. There is also an emphasis on re-integrating stroke survivors into the community through rehabilitation.”
“Johns Hopkins Medicine International is pleased to be guiding Bermuda Hospitals Board in establishing the Primary Stroke Centre in Bermuda. We work with thousands of stroke patients from around the world every year and are eager to share our expertise to benefit the Bermuda community,” said Dr. Victor Urrutia, Director of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center.
BHB CEO Venetta Symonds said: “We are pleased to make this service improvement. Instituting a Primary Stroke Centre at BHB creates a path for us to fulfil our commitment to deliver exceptional care to foster a healthy Bermuda community.”
Caption:
Pictured from left: Angela Gilbert RPT, BHB Clinical Manager, Allied Health Services; Heloisa Ambrosia RN, BHB Clinical Nurse Educator (Med/Surg Services); Holly Russell, OTR/L, Rehab Team Leader, RTS Team Leader, John Hopkins Hospital; April Pruski, MD, Assistant Professor SOM PMR Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Lisa Klein, Clinical Nurse Specialist, CNRN, JHMI; Brenda Johnson, MD, Assistant Director, Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Stroke Center and Assistant Professor of Neurology , Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Victor Urrutia, MD, Director The Johns Hopkins Hospital Comprehensive Stroke Center and Associate Professor of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine; Judy Richardson RN, BHB Chief of Nursing; Francene Gayle MD, BHB Physician Lead, Primary Stroke Centre; Consultant Internist and Neurologist; Nevin Williams MD, BHB Assistant Director of Hospitalist Services; Kathy Albuoy RN, BHB Clinical Manager, Ascendant Partner Re; Phillip Jones MD, BHB Emergency Physician; Margia Arguello, Associate, Global Services, JHMI; Michael Ashton MD,BHB Chief of Medicine; Cathy Stovell BHB Public Relations and Norma Smith RN, BHB Clinical Director, Medical/Surgical Services
24 September 2018: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) Nurse Practitioner Myrian Balitian-Dill is one of only a handful of registered nurses who have attained nurse practitioner designation in Bermuda. She is now the first to be granted authority to write prescriptions locally. Mrs Balitian-Dill received the news from the Bermuda Pharmacy Council on 31 August 2018.
Mrs Balitian-Dill is the only nurse practitioner at BHB. On obtaining her qualification she moved into a nurse practitioner role in the hospital’s Cardiology Department. In November 2016 she transitioned to help set up a new service at BHB, the Patient-Centred Medical Home. The small dynamic team of this service also includes a physician medical director, a staff nurse and an office administrator. The setting provided the ideal environment for Mrs Balitian-Dill to be afforded the right to prescribe as Bermuda legislation dictates that prescribing rights can be granted to nurse practitioners “under the authority of a medical practitioner”.
The new development is the result of several years of collaboration to ensure all the necessary regulatory documents were in place. Mrs Balitian-Dill is pleased with the move and sees it as a starting point and an important way to help reduce health care costs.
While the permission only exists under the direct supervision of a physician, Mrs Balitian-Dill explains the benefit.
“I believe it makes the system more efficient,” said Mrs Balitian-Dill. “If the nurse practitioner can prescribe evidence-based therapy at point of care, why do we need to wait for another practitioner (physician) to prescribe that therapy?”
“I applaud the path Myrian has taken in her nursing career,” said BHB Chief of Nursing Judy Richardson. “Myrian is passionate about advancing nursing practice in Bermuda. Her work with the Patient Centered Medical Home is yielding positive results. Early evidence shows improved health of clinic patients who had frequently used other services.
Our Clinical Services Plan identified the need for a more diverse workforce which includes more advanced practice nurses like Mrs. Balitian-Dill.”
BHB CEO Venetta Symonds said: “We welcome this move by the Pharmacy Council and are proud of Myrian’s accomplishments and her dedication to provide our patients with the best possible care.”
Editor’s note:
The Patient-Centred Medical Home is an outpatient clinic within BHB created to provide a more coordinated, comprehensive, and patient-centred approach to care to un-insured and under-insured patients who also have chronic medical conditions. The service is available by referral.
27 August 2018: The WOW! Awards, an international service excellence and employee recognition programme, has nominated Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) for two awards at its gala event this year.
BHB has been nominated in the award categories Unsung Hero and Quality Service Provider of the Year.
Senior Medical Laboratory Technologist Delmonte Swan was nominated in the Unsung Hero category. This award recognises individuals who have made an incredible impact to customers. Organisers said Mr Swan was chosen because of his demonstrated commitment to providing accurate and reliable testing. Mr Swan started at BHB in 1991. Letters commending his dedication and evidencing his unfailing willingness to go beyond his prescribed duties were submitted to BHB’s online employee recognition programme – RISE Awards.
Organisers of the event said BHB’s ability to turn its vision – Exceptional Care. Strong Partnerships. Healthy Community. into reality, resulted in the nomination for Quality Service Provider of the Year. Nominees for this category have demonstrated their ability and willingness to go the extra mile not only for service users but also, staff, suppliers and the wider community.
“We are pleased that our staff and the efforts of BHB as team, have received this recognition,” said Ms Symonds. “To be selected from over 20,000 customer nominations internationally, is a testament to the high caliber of care and service we are committed to affording our Bermuda community. We are proud of the nominations.”
Delmonte Swan and other BHB representatives will attend the WOW! Awards gala on 30 November 2018 in London, England where the winners will be announced.
14 August 2018: Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announces that Johns Hopkins Medicine International has been selected as the preferred bidder for a Clinical Affiliate Agreement (CAA). The CAA aims to partner BHB with a high quality health provider to help improve services and support education. Six US health care organizations responded to the Request for Proposal, and Johns Hopkins was chosen after a thorough selection process.
BHB will now enter into more detailed negotiations to agree on a work plan and finalise financial terms. The agreement does not impact which hospitals BHB patients are referred to, but does seek support in key areas of quality and education. The areas of collaboration include:
Venetta Symonds, CEO of BHB, comments: “We are excited to be entering into discussions with Johns Hopkins to discuss how they can support us to achieve BHB’s vision of “Exceptional Care. Strong Partnerships. Healthy Community.” This agreement will support our staff with education and training, and provide BHB with access to the experience and knowledge of a large academic hospital. Johns Hopkins Medicine International gave an excellent proposal and we look forward to sharing further details when the agreement is signed, which we expect to be in early fall.”
“We are very pleased to be the preferred bidder for this effort and look forward to supporting the Bermuda Hospitals Board in achieving their vision for Bermuda,” said Pamela Paulk, president of Johns Hopkins Medicine International. “Johns Hopkins Medicine has a long-standing relationship with Bermuda and its citizens that spans more than two decades. This agreement affords us a unique opportunity to expand our efforts on island as well as furthering our mission to improve the health of the community and the world.”
11 July 2018:
Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust (BHCT) and Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) today announce a second $350,000 donation to support scholarships and staff training at BHB. Also announced today are the winners of the nine BHB scholarships in 2018 funded by BHCT and a scholarship funded by GlaxoSmithKline that BHB administers.
In 2017, the BHCT made the same donation, which allowed BHB to introduce new scholarships for mental health nursing, finance and, in memory of BHB nurse, Dashunte Furbert, scholarships for students studying nursing at the Bermuda College. The remainder of the donation supported training for over 140 BHB staff.
Lisa Sheppard, Executive Director, Bermuda Hospitals Charitable Trust, comments: “BHCT is very pleased to once more support training and education at BHB. This is an important area our donors have said they want to support. It helps support and encourage future generations of Bermudian healthcare workers through the scholarships and improve care today through educating and training current staff.”
Venetta Symonds, Chief Executive Officer, BHB comments: “Thank you BHCT donors for your support of our scholarship and training programme. This generous donation allows us to maintain critical scholarships and staff training, as BHB seeks to improve and maintain its services and facilities. This is truly welcome support that makes a difference today and in the future.”
2018 Scholarship Recipients:
Studying Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy) at the University of Worcester
$10,000 for one year
Studying Nursing (Mental Health) at the University of Northampton
$40,000 per year for two years
Studying Nursing at Bermuda College
$5,000 for one year
Studying Nursing at Baltimore City Community College
$10,000 for one year
Studying Nursing at Elmhurst College
$10,000 per year for two years
Studying Nursing at Oakwood University
$10,000 per year for two years
Studying Nursing at Georgia State University
$10,000 per year for two years
Studying Health Sciences (Pharmacology) at Nova Southeastern University
$15,000 per year for two years
Studying Finance (Business) at the University of West of England
$5,000 for one year
Studying Finance (Business) at Nottingham Trent University
$10,000 for one year
In the picture are scholarship winners, with BHB staff and representatives from the BHCT and GlaxoSmithKline.
Friday 10 November 2017:
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. The accredited team comprises Asthma & Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Nurse Educator Debbie Barboza; Diabetes Nurse Educators Jane Hope, Verna Eugene and Tammoi Jarrett and Clinical Dietitians Letitia Rabain and Jessika Quigley. 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), General Wing lobby on Wednesday 15 November from 11am-3pm.
“Anyone over 40 who smokes or has a history of smoking and who finds it difficult to breathe should come in and take the free lung function test. If that is not possible contact 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.”
“Bermuda has one of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. It is the leading cause of blindness and heart disease on the island,” said DREAM Centre Clinical Manager Jane Hope. “These side effects can be avoided with prevention, early detection and proper management of diabetes” she added. “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 recognise 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.”