MHMC Board Announces New Chief Executive Officer and NHL Consultancy to help upgrade its operations

The Millennium Heights Medical Complex (MHMC) which comprises of the Owen King European Union Hospital (OKEUH), the National Mental Wellness Centre (NMWC) and the Turning Point Rehabilitation Centre (TPRC), has completed the appointment of the senior management team that will be responsible for the operations of the facilities following the transition from the Department of Health and Wellness on April 1, 2021.

The Board of Directors of MHMC is delighted to announce the appoint of new MHMC senior management team headed by Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs. Siobhan James-Alexander, who is supported by Dr. Lisa Charles, the Director Clinical Services and Mrs. Charmaine Anthony, the Senior Manager for Human Resource. The three remaining members of the senior management team – which includes the Director of Finance and Budget and the Director of Administration, will be onboarded in April 2021. The team will operate under the direction of the Board of Directors which comprises of individuals with medical, legal, financial, and human resource expertise.

The newly appointed senior management team will work collaboratively with the current administration of the complex and international consultants from India to assist in elevating the quality of care for all Saint Lucians in keeping with regional and international standards of best practice.

The CEO, Mrs. James-Alexander joins the team from Digicel Ltd. where she served as the CEO for the Saint Lucia business for the past 6 years. During this time, she had responsibility for the strategic and operational management of the business along with the implementation of change management initiatives to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of services to the customers of Saint Lucia. Dr. Lisa Charles, a seasoned medical professional, has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the medical field in both practice and management with significant demonstrated competencies in critical areas of Hospital Management. Mrs. Charmaine Anthony who will head the Human Resource department has acquired over fifteen years’ experience in human resource management and professional development at various fast-paced private sector firms.

According to Mrs. James-Alexander, “I am honoured to be part of the local team who envision a world-class healthcare facility for the staff and citizens of our country. We have a heightened sense of duty and are acutely aware of the urgency attached to raising the standard of healthcare now. Our priority with the support of our counterparts from India is to train our staff and improve our healthcare systems expeditiously. It is of utmost importance that we engage all stakeholders especially the staff, whose development we recognize is a crucial component in the transition process. Without our staff, we cannot succeed.”

The twenty-three (23) person team of consultants from Narayana Health Limited (NHL) India, will shortly arrive in Saint Lucia. Throughout their tenure, they will operate as consultants to the Board of MHMC and its senior management team.

Over a period of twenty-four (24) months the NHL Consultant team will spearhead various aspects of the development plan including developing training programmes, upgrading medical management systems, and assisting with the attainment of international best practices for the MHMC. NHL has achieved success in running and maintaining several hospital facilities in India and in the Cayman Islands and have achieved and maintained international accreditation at the various institutions.

Chairman of the board of MHMC, Dr. Leonard Surage, lauds the arrival of the team and expresses great gratitude for their timely support. He asserts that our standards need to improve so our own medical personnel can thrive in Saint Lucia. Moreover, he asserts that through this collaboration, healthcare can become universal and be delivered at high quality, reducing the need for treatment in foreign hospitals. Dr. Surage adds, “The team will consult alongside our CEO and board, providing the international perspective we require to successfully transform our local operations to an international standard that all Saint Lucians deserve.

For Saint Lucia to compete internationally and provide care right here in our country, we must upgrade our systems which includes our vital human resources. We keenly await the arrival of the industry experts to counsel us and provide essential systems which will improve our operations ten-fold”.