VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | May - August 2021 18 UTech, Jamaica and Ministry of Health & Wellness Sign agreement for Healthcare Professional Leadership Training Course Healthcare leaders from across Jamaica’s four regional health authorities will benefit from a new healthcare professional leadership course resulting from a cooperation agreement made between the Ministry of Health andWellness and the University of Technology, Jamaica.The agreement was signed by Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, Minister of Health and Wellness and Professor Colin Gyles, Acting President, University of Technology, Jamaica at a ceremony hosted at the Ministry’s New Kingston Offices on Friday, July 2, 2021. Under the agreement the Healthcare Leadership Training Programme will be delivered virtually by UTech, Jamaica through its College of Health Sciences over a 144-hour annual programme aimed at meeting the professional training needs for health care professionals and senior health management personnel across Jamaica’s public health care system. The Agreement is initially valid for a three-year duration. Welcoming the agreement, Dr. Tufton acknowledged that “in public health I have always believed that we have excellent clinicians, doctors, nurses..,” whom he noted work hard, many times under very adverse, difficult circumstances and for this reason, he stated that they must continuously prepare to confront the current and forecasted challenges ahead. The Minister pointed out that this preparedness is not just about technical competence, but “also about how we coordinate those technical competencies to deliver quality service with compassion, in a way that gets the optimal results.” He underscored that such desirable customer service outcomes are determined by client experiences in the public health sector. Minister Tufton praised the partnership with UTech, Jamaica, as a good one, noting that the institution “has always approached learning, teaching and the preparation of talent in a way that addresses the practical realities of the challenge.” Expressing hope that the healthcare professional leadership programme will transform public health leadership in a way that administers care and compassion to patients, the Minister expressed the view that “every manager within our public health system, whether they are the Senior Medical Officer, the CEO or the Head of Nursing, should go through a compulsory refresher training programme at least once per year to remind ourselves that we are here because we are providing a service and the people ultimately are our clients.” Professor Colin Gyles, (seated, left) Acting President, University of Technology, Jamaica and Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, MP, Minister of Health and Wellness affix their signatures to a Cooperation Agreement between the two entities for the offering of a new Health Care Professional Leadership Training Programme, at a signing ceremony held Friday, July 2, 2021 at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices. Sharing in the milestone occasion are Dr. Janet Campbell-Shelly (seated, right), Dean, College of Health Sciences, UTech, Jamaica, standing (from left) Dr. Paul Ivey, Associate Vice President, Graduate Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship, UTech, Jamaica, Dr. Stephanie Corinthian-Reid, Programme Director, College of Health Sciences and Miss Kadian Birch, Director, Programme Coordination, Planning and Strategic Initiatives, Ministry of Health and Wellness.
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