Twin pillars of public health

Twin sisters Dr Tamara Henry-Gilpin and Dr Tamika Henry are quietly reshaping Jamaica’s public-health landscape, working in parallel roles that reflect not only their training but also their shared sense of purpose.

Henry-Gilpin serves as Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for St Mary, overseeing technical services in primary care across the parish. In neighbouring St Ann, Henry holds a similar post, ensuring systems are in place for primary healthcare while coordinating responses at the secondary level, particularly during disasters.

Their professional symmetry is striking – and often confusing.

“Sometimes people think it’s one of us. They’ll ask why I’m in the wrong parish because they don’t realise there are two of us,” Henry says with a laugh.

For Henry-Gilpin, reactions range from curiosity to fascination. “Some persons are stunned, and some are fascinated. They’re not used to seeing twins who are this close in so many areas,” she explains, noting that their closeness underpins everything they do.

“We don’t have a high level of sibling rivalry. I just love being around her. She’s one of my favourite persons in the world,” Henry adds.

Her sister echoes the sentiment with humour: “I like to call people who are not twins singletons. Sometimes I don’t know how they manage every day without a twin. I really cannot imagine life any other way,” Henry-Gilpin says.

For them, being twins is not merely a biological fact but a built-in support system–one that has proved invaluable in the demanding world of public health. Their days are long and unpredictable, often stretching well beyond standard working hours. In such an environment, Henry-Gilpin says, having someone who understands the pressures without explanation is a rare advantage.

“We bounce things off each other all the time. You may not always have a structured approach to everything, but the other person might, and together, you’re able to coordinate and put systems in place,” she notes.

Their collaboration has become a quiet strength behind their leadership. Both women oversee healthcare systems serving thousands and make decisions that influence entire communities – yet they remain each other’s sounding board.

PATHS TO PUBLIC HEALTH

For Henry-Gilpin, the turning point came during the Ebola crisis. She had planned to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology and had been accepted into a programme. But illness in the family forced her to delay those plans, and in that period, a new calling emerged.

“When the Ebola crisis came, I was so intrigued. When everybody was afraid and didn’t want to go to the training, I was excited to go and respond,” she recalls.

Her sense of purpose led her into public health in 2015, beginning with quality assurance – building programmes spanning infection prevention and control, clinical effectiveness and patient safety. She later expanded into non-communicable disease prevention before assuming her current role in St Mary.

Henry’s journey, by contrast, was shaped by personal loss. Originally set on becoming a paediatric emergency physician, she was working in emergency medicine and accepted into a specialist programme. But the death of a close family member – treated in the same department where she worked – changed everything.

“I wasn’t on duty when she came in, but she died there. Every time I saw a patient with a similar condition, I couldn’t function properly. It just kept coming back to me,” Henry shares.

The emotional toll pushed her towards a path focused on prevention rather than crisis intervention. “I wanted to be a part of seeing people before they get that ill – to be involved in prevention and promotion,” she says.

She transitioned into public health, working in surveillance and disaster management–a field that quickly drew her in.

“I loved it. It’s a fast-paced area that combined preventive health with emergency medicine,” Henry says.

Her career advanced rapidly into regional roles in epidemiology and programme management, including oversight of HIV initiatives and surveillance systems, before she moved into parish-level leadership in St Ann.

Despite their different beginnings, the sisters’ careers have aligned in remarkable ways. Both now operate at the forefront of Jamaica’s public-health system, balancing strategy, service delivery and crisis management. And they still contend with occasional mix-ups.

One memorable incident occurred while they were working at the same hospital.

“He said, ‘Doctor, I just saw you and told you I want to go home’, and I had to explain, ‘I have to look in your docket. I don’t know your case’,” Henry-Gilpin recounts.

“I had to ask a colleague to tell him that I’m a twin, and even then, he didn’t believe it at first,” she says with a smile.

Such moments highlight both the novelty of their situation and the strength it brings. In a field where decisions are often made under pressure and with limited resources, Henry says having a trusted partner who understands both the technical and emotional demands of the job is invaluable.

“You’re able to share best practices, inspire each other, and just work through things together,” she explains.

Faith also shapes how they interpret their journey. Both see their paths as guided by God and forged through experiences that led them to where they are today.

“I think the Lord saw that I needed her, and so He made me a twin,” Henry-Gilpin says, beaming.