Fitzgerald Mitchell appointed CEO of UHWI

The Board of Directors of the University Hospital of the West Indies, UHWI, has announced the appointment of Fitzgerald Mitchell as the institution's chief executive officer.

He had been acting in the role for the last two years.

The announcement was made in a media release on Wednesday evening and followed a protracted recruitment process.

The UHWI board says Mitchell comes to the role after 27 years with the UHWI, having served in various management positions within the organisation.

It says, over the last two years, Mitchell has overseen the implementation of Jamaica's first comprehensive Hospital Information Management System at the UHWI. He has also overseen the procurement and installation of a 128 CT scan, a Fluoroscopy machine and a new ventilation system and is spearheading the expansion of the Ring Road and the construction of the new towers.

"He has a deep understanding of the organic relationship between the UHWI and the University of the West Indies as well as the healthcare landscape within Jamaica and the wider region, traits that will serve him and the institution well during his tenure as CEO. The Board is confident that under Mr. Mitchell's leadership we will chart a path to becoming a better hospital and a more efficient and effective medical service provider to the people of Jamaica," the board's release says.

Last December Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton dissolved the then Board of Management at the UHWI, citing "a clash of personalities and dysfunctionality" among reasons for the move.

He said the decision to dissolve the board was taken following a meeting with its members to discuss the way forward.

The meeting reportedly agreed that key strategic actions would need to be taken to realign the institution. Included in these actions were the recruitment and appointment of a new chief executive officer and the reinstitution of a new board of management to improve the governance, management, and operational efficiency of the institution.

The dissolution of the board came after the resignations of the then chairman of the board, Wayne Chai Chong, and his deputy, Dr Andre Foote.

At the time, Dr Morais Guy, then opposition spokesperson on health, had raised alarm at the sudden resignations, questioning whether their departures could be related to the protracted recruitment of a new CEO for the facility.

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