WORK AND LIFE EXPERIENCES

My journey into medicine and health was not a straight forward one, in that, despite the fact that
I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, getting to that point took some time. So the story begins
as a teenager, attending high school in Westmoreland where my life’s dream was to become
either an air hostess (loved to travel) or a linguist (love of languages; I did Spanish). On one
summer vacation in the US, I visited a grandaunt in hospital who was suffering from bone
cancer and she asked me the typical question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Of
course I said, very proudly, “an air hostess or a linguist”. My grandaunt reaction was priceless;
she said, “an air hostess is just a waitress in the sky” and she had no idea what a linguist did.
She then encouraged me to become a doctor, so I could “grow up to take care of her”. Sadly,
she passed away a few months later but that for me was my ‘aha’ moment and I have never
looked back. I pursued this goal with laser focus because now this is all I wanted to do.

I matriculated into UWI, Natural Sciences in 1995 and completed my first degree with Upper
Second Class Honours – double major in Biochemistry and Zoology. I then went on to Medical
School in 1999 and graduated in 2004. I have always said that I can’t see myself doing anything
else except medicine but no one could pay me to redo medical school. Don’t get me wrong, it
had its fun moments but that experience, to date has been my most challenging and difficult. I
think though because I had the benefit of the college life experience with my first degree, being
older and more mature, I had better coping skills.

ACT I SCENE I

July 2004 – June 2005

I started my internship at Cornwall Regional Hospital, Western Regional Health Authority. The
internship period lasted for 1 year in the 4 major disciplines – Paediatrics, Obstetrics &
Gynaecology (O&G), Medicine and Surgery. The worst rotation for me was Medicine and the
best paediatrics. Medicine was the worst because it the most physically and mentally taxing
rotation of the lot. I lost about 10lbs from a physical frame that was already meagre (so really, I
didn’t have much weight to lose). Paediatrics I loved because I enjoyed the team I had to work
with and the I loved children – this was to be my life’s work. I wanted to become a Paediatrician
specializing in Neonatology because of that experience.

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Internship taught me a number of life and work lessons. This is where I began to develop that
people skill, the soft skills, learning to work in teams. On my rotation we only had 3 interns so
we had to work together to get things done. This is where I first learned the true meaning of
team work and the importance of the role each team member played – nurses could be your ally
or your worst nightmare; they taught me a lot. Internship helped to develop my confidence and
competence as a clinician.

ACT II SCENE I

July 2005 to August 2007

In July 2005, I transitioned from internship to a Medical Officer in primary healthcare (PHC),
Westmoreland Health Department. Not that I had gained a sudden love for public health but
seeing as I did not want to pursue residency in paediatrics at UWI, I needed time to study for the
USMLEs. Working in PHC would therefore afford me the time I needed to study for these
exams. During this time as well, I did sessions at the parish hospital, both in the Accident and
Emergency Department and in the Paediatrics department.

As time passed however, my perspective shifted. Based on my involvement in programme

management and the fact that I wanted to “sleep in my bed at nights”, primary care slowly but
surely became more attractive. I enjoyed the patient interaction and the continuity of care. This
was an enriching and rewarding experience. Educating my clients about their disease and why
they needed to be complaint with their medications proved to be a passion. This is how I got
involved with the health education team and started doing group education sessions at my
curative clinics as well as the health talk at the local radio station.

This sojourn in PHC opened my eyes to the many facets of public health especially programme
management. This was also my introduction to analysing data, making presentations to different
target groups, supervision of the health team and working in multidisciplinary teams. I no longer
viewed public health as boring but as a dynamic specialty worth consideration.

District Medical Officer I – Western Regional Health Authority, Westmoreland Health

Department, performing routine clinical duties at the various health centres in the parish. I was
also involved in administrative duties including programme planning for Chronic Non-
Communicable Diseases (CNCD).

Achievements:

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  Collated monthly, quarterly and annual reports for the CNCD programme

 Prepared along with the health district team, curative services presentations for quarterly
health district reviews

 Collaborated and participated with the Health Education/Health Promotion team on the
Health Information programme for a local radio station.

 Actively participated in District Health Management Team meetings and activities, e.g.,
organizing Labour Day activities to clean and paint Savanna la mar Health Centre.

One of my proudest moments was winning the “Doctor of the year award” for Westmoreland
Public Health Services. Having that recognition from team members, colleagues and patients
felt awesome. This reinforced for me that the work I did made a difference and cemented in my
mind that public health was the specialty for me.

ACT II SCENE II

The Medical Officer (Health) was from Burma, and at the end of year one in PHC it was time for
my performance evaluation report. He asked me what were my future plans and I reiterated my
now infamous tagline – Paediatrics/Neonatology. Based on my evaluation, he indicated that
public health would be a good fit for me but more so in administration; so I should consider
doing my Masters in Public Health and become a MO(H).

At first, I thought no because work life was good as I settled into my role as DMO for Sav-la-mar
Health District. I began to feel bored as my daily routine involved, seeing ‘well sick people’. I
needed a new challenge; to feel stimulated and excited about my work. I discussed this with my
parents and my Mom’s reaction was ‘so you going to become a paper doctor’ because in many
persons’ minds, that is the extent of public health, as real doctors work in hospitals.

I started the MPH programme in September 2007 at UWI, and as they say the rest is history.
This is the path I chose and I have no regrets. I think for me one of my primary objectives was to
always make a difference in someone’s life and I get to make a difference in many persons’
lives by working in this field.

My MPH health education/promotion internship at St. Catherine Health Department was a very
fulfilling and rewarding experience. The health department team especially the MO(H) and the
Parish Nutritionist were very strong supporters of my planned workplace intervention

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programme. The level of participation from the staff was excellent throughout the entire process
and I also incorporated the assistance of my MPH classmates. This experience truly epitomized
the saying “team work makes the dream work”. I was presented with the Ivy McGhie Award for
exemplary work in HE/HP in 2008 based on my performance in the programme and the
internship period.

September 2008 to December 2008

MPH HE/HP internship – St. Catherine Health Department

 Conducted needs assessment to facilitate the establishment of a workplace wellness

programme

 Based on findings in the needs assessment, conducted a wellness day workshop at the
health department to include information on physical activity, stress management and
medication compliance

 Participated in on-site HIV preceptorship programme at St. Jago Park health centre

 Participated in several workshops on HIV treatment and care as well as HIV stigma and
discrimination

ACT III SCENE I

On completion of the MPH programme I returned to Westmoreland Health Department as

trainee MO(H). During this period, I gained more experience as an administrator and
programme manager. I was able to apply some of the tools and skills learnt during the MPH
programme to my new job functions.

In 2009, the country experienced the WHO declaration of pandemic Influenza H1N1. As a
trainee MO(H) in Westmoreland I was integrally involved in the increasing the awareness of key
stakeholders and investigating suspected cases and outbreaks. This was a very interesting
experience for a young MO(H). This was one of the first times I had to be the team lead
especially when doing the community investigations. I think this helped to build my confidence in
public health practice, analytical thinking and working in multidisciplinary teams. Outbreak
Investigations were a mainstay in my public health experience especially in managing and
investigating GE outbreaks in hotels.

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I am my harshest critic as I have high expectations of myself. I came across an email I had
written my MO(H) regarding my oversight in not submitting the budget for the health
department, forgetting to circulate the duty roster, chairing the parish HIV/STI meeting whilst
preparing for a radio programme that week. I apparently was so overwhelmed, I felt incompetent
at not being able to adequately multitask and accomplish everything. I was afraid I had
disappointed the MO(H). She however reassured me that this was the furthest thing from reality
and expressed her confidence in my growth and public health leadership, over a very short
space of time – her words “I am proud of you” made me smile from the inside out. Ironically, this
was also the year I was awarded Regional HIV/STI Prevention & Control Programme for
outstanding performance.

January 2009 to September 2010

Trainee Medical Officer (Health) - Western Regional Health Authority, Westmoreland Health
Department, with direct responsibility for curative services, HIV/STI and CNCD programmes in
the parish. Participated in hotel outbreak investigations and the

Achievements:

 Successfully conducted in-service training for:

1. Medical records personnel in the use of the Monthly Clinical Summary Report
(MCSR) manual with a view to improving data collection and collation.

2. Health personnel in the use of the Chronic Non-Communicable Disease (DM/HTN)

registers.

 Actively participated and mentored colleague healthcare workers in improving the quality
of the presentations done at parish zone conferences - improved data analysis with a
view to using information gained to inform intervention response.

 Designed and implemented the use of a DM/HTN investigation checklist to improve

monitoring of CNCD patients at routine visits to health centres.

 Developed in collaboration with the Health Education team, an Accidental Poisoning

brochure for use in the parish due the increased number of cases being notified through
public health surveillance.

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  Conducted a needs assessment among staff members to facilitate the establishment of
a workplace wellness programme.

 Managed disease outbreak investigations within the parish

ACT III SCENE II

In 2010, just a year after returning to Westmoreland, a job opportunity arose at the Regional
Health Authority – Coordinator of the HIV/STI programme. This was a Medical Officer 3 position,
for which I personally felt, I was not qualified to apply. My colleagues and friends encouraged
me to pursue this opportunity and in the end I was successful in being selected for the post.

In the beginning, this appeared as if it would be a very daunting experience and in many
instances it was especially knowing I was responsible for managing a yearly budget of
approximately $81M. This experience honed my leadership skills as I was the accountable
officer for the programme for the entire region. It was also a challenging experience in having to
lead a very diverse team, with some interpersonal conflicts among team members, which had to
be managed carefully. As a team leader, I truly believe in the tenet of leading by example and
was willing to do whatever was necessary I order to get the job done. This experience also
taught me how to make unpopular and difficult decisions – for example terminating contracts for
non-performance; writing warning letters, etc. I wasn’t the most popular or liked team leader but
in my estimation, I was somewhat effective in helping to achieve programme goals and targets.

This job experience afforded me the opportunity to hone my skills in programme development,
strategic thinking and management as well as communication and advocacy.

October 2010 to February 2012

Regional STI/HIV Programme Coordinator - Western Regional Health Authority, charged to

manage the comprehensive and holistic approach to the HIV Prevention and the Treatment,
Care and Support of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS, with the following core functions:

 Planning, supervising and guiding the implementation of the STI/HIV Prevention and
Control Programme

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  Providing technical support to the Western Regional Health Authority, Parish Health
Departments and Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations as well as
Community Based organizations in the execution of the National HIV/STI Programme
project activities.

Achievements:

 Finalized design and implementation of PMTCT registers for use in antenatal and
paediatric clinics within the Region. This was facilitated through CHAI and adopted
nationally for implementation islandwide.

 Initiated and organized the development and cleaning of the Lost to Follow-up (LFTU)
children database for WRHA, which resulted in:

1. Development of parish databases

2. Tracing of LTFU children for testing and referring defaulters back into treatment, care
and support.

 Wrote the TOR for a Regional Social Worker ‘position’ – designated to help to coordinate
aspects of the treatment, care and support arm of the STI/HIV Programme.

 Coauthored the workplan for the programme with appropriate justification to receive
funding for programme activities.

 Authored the justification submitted to MoH for the retention of WRHA STI/HIV Project
staff positions.

 Produced consistently monthly, quarterly and annual reports for the programme.

 Planned and coordinated annual HIV/STI retreat/review

ACT III SCENE III

The saying ‘The only thing in life that is constant is change and death’. Here I go again, with
another change just shy of 18 months later. This was a higher post which offer an opportunity to
widen my scope of responsibility, exposure and experience. Plus, it offered an even greater
opportunity for autonomy.

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This was probably one of the most enjoyable experiences of my public health career. As MO(H)
for Hanover Health Services, I worked with a core team of public health practitioners who were
experts in their area and always gave 110% to the job. I used to term the parish, ‘the little parish
that could’.

This experience highlighted the importance of public health practice, as practice make perfect,
analytical thinking, communication and advocacy. The heart of public health is being able to
work in multidisciplinary teams, across sectors and within communities. Leadership, leadership,
leadership is also key to being successful in this arena, and the parish taught me when, what,
where and how to listen to the input of team members. Wisdom comes not only with age but
experience as well and so the team helped to guide me through this tenure.

July 2011 to December 2012

Medical Officer (Health), Actg. – Hanover Health Services, charged to direct, monitor and
coordinate all technical aspects of the development and delivery of health services in the parish,
in accordance with government policies and regulations, with the following key inputs:

 Management of Health programmes

 Technical Advice

 Performance and other reports

 Surveillance System

 Parish Emergency and Disaster Management programmes

Achievements:

 Produced Annual report for Hanover Health Department 2011-2012, first in a few years.

 Along with senior team members prepared a budget with justification for Primary Health
Care programmes

 Mentored senior staff members in improving the analysis of the data presented and
quality of the reports submitted.

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  Mentored clinicians by assigning:

o programmes to coordinate

o topics for presentation at doctors’/nurses meetings

o manual review and testing knowledge transfer

 Provided feedback to clinicians on patient management post review of patient records

 Managed and coordinated outbreak investigations for hotels

 Conducted in-service training for nurses, doctors, community health aides, etc. in:

1. Disaster Management

2. Disease Surveillance

3. Use of the DM/HTN (CNCD) Registers and the CNCD passports

 Updated Parish disaster plan and hosted Parish health disaster committees

During the period January 2010 – December 2012, I served as the secretary of the Medical
Officers’(Health) secretariat. It was a very demanding task but during my tenure we revised the
MO(H) career path document, which although submitted to the then CMO was not approved.
Planned along with the other secretariat members, MOs(H) monthly meetings to include
continuing medical education as well.

ACT III SCENE IV

Some may say this was a natural progression but the circumstances were not the most ideal.
Initially, I certainly felt that I was not qualified to assume this role, neither on paper or in reality. I
took the leap of faith however, not that I had much of a choice and like with everything else
along this journey dove in head first.

This work experience was a rich one, fraught with many challenges which tested my resolve
and my capacity as a team leader. I tried to tackle policy concerns in relation to:

1. equitable assignment of Medical Officers in secondary care to facilitate development and

expansion of specialty services

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 2. appropriate administration and management of services and clinicians within Type C
facilities within the region
3. release of direct entry midwives (DEM) from secondary care to PHC

These tasks proved to be challenging and had varying levels of success. For example:

1. Assignment and establishment of an O&G service at FPGH

2. Recruitment of SMOs for both Type C facilities – this was very difficult as persons were
very reluctant to go

The interference of the Regional Board of Management was consistent and constant. Trying to
carry out your job functions without compromise was very difficult under these circumstances. I
often got the feeling that persons felt that anyone could be a public health practitioner or
specialist and so your expertise was undervalued. I used to ask the question why I was my
expertise interrogated so much and the secondary care specialist did not experience the same
level of scrutiny or questioning.

Crisis management is a public health practitioner ‘bread and butter’. The experiences are too
numerous to recount and the pitfalls even more so but these types of situations help you to
focus on the things that are really important and help to build your tolerance, level headedness.

During this period is where the importance of experiential learning in public health practice is
important. Additionally, standing up for your principles is critical so as not to lose yourself and
compromise your ethics in the fray. Navigating this dynamic and being able to negotiate the
twists and turns of this path is not easy.

Leadership development was my most valuable learning experience at this level. The
management of human resources stretched me but made the leadership experience a valuable
one. Growth took place as well in communication and advocacy, strategic planning and
management.

January 2013 to July 2014

Regional Technical Director, Actg. – Western Regional Health Authority, to function as the
Chief Technical Advisor to the Regional Director and the Board.

Also directs, monitors and coordinates all technical aspects of the development and delivery of
health services in the Region. Key outputs include:

 Technical inputs to strategic, corporate and operational plans

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  Regional Surveillance System

 Clinical Effectiveness Programme

 Budget

 Technical Advice

 Norms, Standards, Protocols and Procedures to govern service delivery

 Policy recommendation

 Competent staff

 Technical and Performance reports

Achievements:

 Collaborated with team members to provide various reports throughout the period –
quarterly operational plan report, PIOJ report, report for PAAC, etc.

 Directed, coordinated and evaluated the development and utilization of norms,

standards, protocols and procedures to govern health services delivery in the Regions,
in tandem with national norms standards, in the context of continuous quality
improvement in the service, e.g., development of Quality Assurance SOP (standard
operating procedure)s manual (incomplete), led the establishment of QA committees in
the parishes, etc.

 Provided leadership and management oversight to programmes relating to Maternal &

Child Health, Disease Prevention, Surveillance, Environmental Health, Epidemiological
Research, Emergency Management and Hospital Services in the region. e.g., redefining
the role of key programme officers to maximize their potential and to be able to better
monitor and evaluate the programmes under my purview.

 Collaborated with key team members in the planning and implementation of Mass
Casualty Management Training workshop for WRHA.

I was afforded the opportunity to provide coverage for the desk of the Regional Director on
occasion. These were usually very short stints, for only a few days. As the accountable officer
for the RHA, managing the administrative functions is an awesome responsibility. The critical

11
decisions that need to be made by this Officer, in my opinion, requires that this person has
some public health management knowledge and experience. This is critical for the effective
functioning of this desk as health is like no other sector or service, plus it is a very dynamic field
so there is need to adapt to the changing practice.

ACT IV SCENE I

Just as I was getting comfortable and feeling like I’m about to hit my stride, life throws me
another curve ball and I’m on the move again. Life is filled with challenges and while making this
transition was not planned or easy (circumstances again were not ideal), this was the first time I
realized that this experience was an opportunity for growth.

Definitely felt like I wasn’t ready in any way to make the transition from the Region to the
National level. Family Health certainly wasn’t my love or particular area of expertise but another
leap of faith was required. I have to admit I was intimated by the prospect especially because
my predecessor had huge shoes to fill. I fretted about my ability to perform at this level and
didn’t want to disappoint.

There wasn’t much of a handing over so I had to learn to ‘ride and whistle’ but again the support
of colleagues, friends and family helped immensely.

I set targets and I’m always striving to achieve them. I expect my team to always strive for
excellence and accomplish the targets set. I think sometimes I set the bar too high and I’m not
patient enough to help others reach that level over time. I have an expectation that must be met
and end up very frustrated and disappointed when the objective is not attained. I had to learn to
temper my expectations and not unleash my frustrations on my team. This experience has
helped me to improve in the area of emotional intelligence, although I’m not there yet.

This type of experience/experiential learning has contributed immeasurably to my professional

growth and development. The level of exposure locally at the Nationally level and Internationally
has helped to groom me into the public leader I am today. This work experience has afforded
me the opportunity to develop in the all areas: - leadership, analytical thinking, policy analysis
and programme development, public health practice, working in multidisciplinary teams,
communication and advocacy for health, strategic planning and management and research.

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July 2014 – December 2016

Director, Family Health Services – Ministry of Health

To direct, monitor and evaluate the Family Health Services in developing and executing policies
and programmes designed to maintain and improve the health of families in Jamaica as well as
to promote and maintain an integrated and well balanced health care delivery system which
reflects the Ministry of Health’s policies and priorities. Key outputs include:

 Preparation of monthly and quarterly reports

 Preparation of Annual Budget for the Unit

 Policy Advice and Formulation

 Professional and technical guidance provided to supervisees and field officers

 Conduct In-service training

 Development of IEC material

 Intra/Inter-sectoral Collaboration

 Development of the Operational Plan for the Unit

Achievements:

 Collaborated with team members to provide various reports throughout the period –
quarterly operational plan report, WHO/UNICEF Joint Reporting Form, etc.

 Provided leadership and management oversight to programmes relating to Maternal &

Child Health, Expanded Programme on Immunization, Adolescent Health and other
areas related to Family Health

 Collaborated with key team members in the planning and implementation of National
Maternal Mortality Review, MMR2 administration at 18 months (January 2015), Vaccine
Cold Chain Management, Implementation of web-based Vaccine Stock and Supplies
Management System (wVSSM), etc.

 Implemented and provided oversight for the introduction of new vaccines into the
National Immunization schedule: bOPV (2015), IPV (2016), HPV (2017)

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ACT IV SCENE II

I think at this point in the MOH, I apparently became known as ‘Ms. Get It Done’. Along with my
full time programme area to manage I was now assigned to coordinate the project activities
under PROMAC - €22M, 7-year project. This project was conceptualized to help Jamaica
achieve MDGs 4 and 5, so I guess it was a natural assumption that this should be managed by
the DFHS. This is a complex project which has many components and requires project
management skills, some of which I developed from the managing the Regional HIV/STI
programme.

The rules for procurement and contract award are convoluted and complex. Several failed
tenders and excruciatingly long review processes have frustrated many but the type of public
health experience I have gained over the years had prepared me well. This part of my work
experience has been invaluable – having to coordinate the many moving parts has honed my
skills in leadership, analytical thinking, working in multidisciplinary teams and communication.

In this instance, I cannot overemphasize the importance of having a good team to work with and
leadership at all levels. This opportunity has broadened my knowledge base and experience in
ways that I am yet to fully appreciate or define.

September 2014 - present

Coordinator PROMAC (Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child mortality) –
Ministry of Health

Responsible for the successful implementation of the Project with due application of relevant EU
Contract Procedures for External Actions.

 Coordinated implementation of the all PROMAC activities in conjunction with all relevant
team members

 Reviewed the detailed Implementation Plan, inclusive of a detailed Procurement

Schedule and updated Project Implementation Timetable, as needed.

 Reviewed and submitted for approval Programme Estimates implementing the Project

 Oversee the preparation and implementation of annual visibility plans for PROMAC in
keeping with the EU’s Communication and Visibility Manual

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  Prepared and submit monthly progress reports on project implementation

 Coordinated the activities of the Secretariat for the project Steering Committee. This will
include, inter alia, attendance to Steering Committee meetings; formal presentation of
the Project’s Progress Reports and respond to queries and comments; review of
minutes, including follow up actions; and follow up on decisions taken by the Steering
Committee

 Reviewed and approved tender dossiers prepared by the TAT, and contract dossiers as
relevant for project implementation

 Coordinated the management of all tender processes for project implementation,

including management of guarantees, collection of proof documents, tender
correspondences etc.

 Coordinated the management of the technical implementation of contracts as relevant

for project implementation, ensuring that all contractual terms and obligations are
respected

 Coordinated and facilitated the development of contract documentation including Service

Contracts, Terms of Reference and Negotiation Reports for the engagement of external
consultants in full compliance with the policies and procedures of the European Union

 Monitored the performance of contracted consultants against defined project schedules

and milestones

Achievements:

 Component 1: Successful contract award and signing for the Civil Works to establish
HDUs in Mandeville Regional, Victoria Jubilee and Cornwall Regional Hospitals
Bustamante Hospital for Children, St. Ann's Bay and Spanish Town Hospitals

 Component 2: PROMAC ambulances have been deployed to the assigned regions and
the standard operating procedure disseminated

 Component 3:

 Training of fellows in Neonatology (3), Maternal Foetal Medicine (8), Critical Care (4) -
UWI

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  Award of DM scholarships in O&G, Anaesthesiology and Paediatrics - UWI

 Twenty – three (23) nurses (1st cohort) completed training to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree
in Post-Basic Critical Care at the University of Technology (UTECH)

 2nd cohort of 27 nurses completed training in post-basic critical care in a one (1) year
certification programme at UTECH

 1st cohort of 22 nurses continued training in post-basic midwifery at UTECH

 Successful ongoing training of Primary Health Care Teams (Doctors, FNPs and
Midwives)

 Component 4: MOU between MOH and NFPB to implement health seeking behaviour
component

 Component 5: Baseline study and database for PROMAC’s monitoring and evaluation
completed; training in Project Management with MIND scheduled for January 2018 to
strengthen the capacity of the RHAs and the MOH

ACT IV SCENE III

When presented with this opportunity, I was unsure if this was yet another task I should
undertake. A little birdie, however, had told me that this was in my future path and I should
embrace it; and embrace I did. A very rewarding experience which I treasure.

I love interacting with students and imparting knowledge, especially in public health. I enjoy
sharing my perspective and my journey in public health. I love learning but most of all I love
sharing that knowledge so if I can inspire persons to delve into this field, for me that is a legacy
worth leaving.

December 2014 – present

Associate Lecturer at UWI, Department of Community Health & Psychiatry

 Masters of Public Health programme – Family Health Module

 Family Medicine programme - Family Health Module

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I have also served on the Governing Council of the International Association of
Immunization Managers (IAIM) from February 2015 – February 2017. This was a rich
experience getting to work with Immunization Managers from different regions in the world,
different cultural backgrounds and different levels of expertise.

ACT IV SCENE IV

The final chapter, thus far, in the journey. I don’t know but my life is so ordained that I continue
to believe that God has a much bigger plan for me. My Mom always says, ‘to whom much is
given much is expected’ and I have been truly blessed.

I have been able to refine my leadership skills from dragging team members ‘kicking and
screaming’ to facilitating a willingness to follow where led. The work experience and DrPh
programme have really helped me to develop in this area – given me a different perspective.
The importance of being able to communicate/articulate a vision and mission for the team is
important. What are we working towards? The importance of building the team, personally and
professionally, giving them the tools necessary to achieve the objectives of the organization,
redefining my role as a team leader has been eye opening.

This experience has also helped me to identify and hone another area of expertise, health
system development and management. This branch has many areas of responsibility and
provides a lot of scope to develop new systems and structures as the health system seeks to
transition and adapt.

Based on the breadth and depth of all that is required in this area, it has helped me to recognize
that delegation is critical to success but as the accountable Officer, I still need to maintain
oversight and control. I cannot do it alone and I cannot do it all; multitasking is a myth as
something will suffer. I honestly used to think that multitasking was a goal to strive towards and
I’m now just realizing that it’s a matter of prioritization. Multitasking doesn’t help you to achieve
anything faster and often affects quality negatively so prioritize and tackle one task at a time.

This work experience has afforded me the opportunity to develop not only my leadership skills
but also in the other areas of core competence.

January 2017 – present

Acting Director, Health Services Planning & Integration - Ministry of Health

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To develop, monitor and evaluate national health programmes for the establishment and
improvement of the health care services; and to develop norms and standards to guide health
care service delivery. Additionally, to provide technical guidance to RHAs, Government
Agencies/NGOs and International Organizations. Key outputs include:

 The development of Operational Policies and Procedures

 Preparation of Monitoring Quality Assurance Reports

 Policy Advice and Development

 Provision of Professional guidance

 Facilitate International Health and Intersectoral Collaboration

Achievements:

 Collaborated with team members to provide various reports throughout the period –
monthly reports, quarterly operational plan report, programme briefs, etc.

 Provided leadership and management oversight to programmes relating to Family

Health, Health Services Support & Monitoring and Mental Health

 Coordinated the compilation and submission of the following key reports: Overview of
National Radiotherapy Services, Ministry of Health guidance document for Zones of
Special Operations Initiative

On occasion, I have provided coverage for the desk of the Chief Medical Officer. This desk is
the pinnacle of public health leadership in the country (my view) and offers a unique opportunity
to have significant influence on the development and moulding of the health system and the
persons who work within and without. Key functions included providing technical advice to the
Minister and Permanent Secretary in order to make policy decisions.

I have made mistakes but I now view those mistakes as opportunities for growth. I’m still
growing and developing in the field of public health and look forward to the next chapter.

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