Inter-America

Memorandum of Understanding to benefit Adventist hospitals across Inter-America

The agreement between Health City Cayman Islands and Adventist Healthcare Services Inter-America will seek to provide free surgeries to children with cardiac malformations.

Miami, Florida, United States | Libna Stevens/Inter-American Division

(Correction - May 4, 2016: The sub-head was changed to reflect that the partnership between Health City Cayman Islands and Adventist Healthcare Services Inter-America will provide the free cardiac surgeries. The previous sub-head implied that the services would only be provided by Adventist hospitals.)

A Memorandum of Understanding signed last week between administrators of Health City Cayman Islands and Adventist Healthcare Services Inter-America (AHS-IA) will seek to provide free cardiac surgeries to children and minimally-invasive surgeries at affordable costs across Adventist-operated hospitals in the Caribbean.

Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI) is a JCI accredited state-of-the-art tertiary care hospital located in Grand Cayman which provides world class affordable medical care through centers of excellence that deliver health care.

The Memorandum of Understanding will help establish a working relationship in six initial Adventist hospitals in Inter-America, which will help screen and recruit patients with cardiac malformation ages 0-18 and other medical services for adults.

The memorandum also includes the establishment of cardiac cath labs managed by HCCI as well as the acquisition of new medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and consumables at lower costs.

“We are honored to be part of this project,” said Chandy Abraham, CEO of Health City Cayman Islands as he addressed Inter-American Division church leaders on April 18, 2016. “The Seventh-day Adventist Church has mission hospitals across the Caribbean islands which align with the way we think.”

The signed memorandum will serve as an agreement of five years with the option to renew for an additional three-year period, the document stated.

“This is a significant moment for the Inter-American Division,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America. “This joint project will expand the mission of this world renowned institution and our Adventist hospitals to the general public where we are operating.”

Adventist Hospitals which fall under the AHS-IA agreement include Andrews Hospital in Jamaica, Community Hospital in Trinidad, Antillean Adventist Hospital in Curacao, Vista del Jardin Medical Center in Dominican Republic, and Haiti Adventist Hospital in Haiti, said Elie Honore, AHS-IA president.

The affiliation with HCCI will bring the institutions at the same level, and have direct access to professional technical and other resources to them, according to Honore. “This is a good opportunity to serve our community at a very high level, where we would not be able to assist otherwise,” added Honore. The aim is to refer 100 patients, 0-18 years of age for free surgeries to HCCI per year, he added.

“Our hospitals will be crucial in screening patients what can benefit from this wonderful missionary ministry in our health institutions,” explained Honore.

The agreement document also include AHS-IA to agree to refer patients needing adult and pediatric services to HCCI such as cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, cardiology, orthopedics, sports medicine, oncology, neurosciences, pulmonology, GI and bariatric surgery, and other specialties.

The signing took place at the Inter-American Division (IAD) headquarter office in Miami, Florida, United States, with dozens of top administrators from the IAD’s unions, or major church regions, in attendance.

The agreement will be initially for the five hospitals in the Caribbean and one in Mexico, but leaders hope this project can be extended to the rest of the 14 hospitals managed and operated by Adventist Healthcare Services in Inter-America, said Honore.

Both institutions will collaborate on training and educational opportunities, assist in training and mentoring in “Quality in Healthcare” and management techniques such as “Lean in Healthcare”, stated the memorandum of understanding.

“We have been working on this memorandum for more than six months now and are so thankful to be part of this venture with Health City Cayman Islands,” said Dr. Honore.

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