Over 80 per cent of the Health Services Authority (HSA) staff, including Faith Hospital in Cayman Brac and all district health centres, were honoured in July for their years of service.

The HSA celebrated all its staff members in its Annual Rewards and Recognition Ceremony; with special recognition to those who have been working with the organisation for five and more years.

Staff members were honoured in four groups: 5-9 years, 10-19 years, 20-34 years and 35+ years.  At each event, honourees were ceremonially pinned by senior managers and presented with a gift of appreciation. A special awards function was also held in Cayman Brac for the Faith Hospital staff.

The HSA is proud to highlight that 679 of the authority’s approximately 830 employees have achieved this feat. A turnover rate of 8.34 per cent is impressive considering the high turnover rate of hospital employees which, according to the U.S. 2016 National Healthcare Retention and RN Staffing Report, average 17.1 per cent. It is also an indication of the great work environment and culture that exists at the authority and the high level of job satisfaction among its employees.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Health Services Authority, Lizzette Yearwood congratulated the awardees for playing a very significant role in helping the HSA to deliver on its vision and mission.

“We want employees like you to continuously challenge ourselves, strive to raise our standards and make HSA the best. Colleagues, we are proud of you and deeply appreciative of the service that you have rendered to this organisation in the years you have been with us. As our most valuable assets, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued commitment, loyalty and support, and I look forward to working together with you for many years to come,” Ms Yearwood said in her speech at the awards ceremony.

Adding to this in his address to the recipients, HSA Board Chairman Jonathan Tibbetts noted, “Your dedication to your work is nothing short of exemplary and for this we recognise you our caretakers, healers, spiritual warriors and smiling faces of the HSA. Today you will receive your pins for service and we trust that you will wear them proudly so that others will see in a glance that what makes our organisation so great is not the buildings we work in but rather the people that work in them,” he said.

The highpoint of the annual awards ceremony was the celebration at the Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman on 19 July for the employees who had served the organisation for 35 or more years. This event celebrated the longest serving employees and persons regarded as pillars of healthcare in the Cayman Islands.

Twelve of the awardees were from Grand Cayman while four were from Faith Hospital. They were all presented with a keepsake in addition to gift bags and pins. West Bay Clinic Healthcare Aide, Beverly Wilson, was also recognised as the longest serving staff member, having worked with the organisation for 47 years.

Ms Yearwood noted that these recipients are the people the HSA has relied heavily on over the years and who embody the organisation. She said their contributions, commitment and loyalty are important in healthcare and greatly valued by the HSA.

“Your knowledge, your skills, your experience is crucial and this ceremony is to say thank you and to pay tribute to you. You have greatly shaped the culture of the organisation over the years,” Ms Yearwood commended.

Councillor for the Ministry of Health, Roy McTaggart, also in attendance at the service, praised the staff who have served 35+ years for their tremendous accomplishment. He said it exemplifies their outstanding reliability, loyalty, dedication, hard work and willingness demonstrated throughout their years of employment.

He mentioned that many of these awardees have worked in the healthcare field since he was a young boy and have cared for multiple generations of Caymanians; for instance, Maternity Unit Nurse Manager Shannon Hydes has delivered over three generations of babies including his children and grandchild.

He further advised that the younger and newer staff members would be wise to consider these individuals as role models as there is much to be learned from them.

The long service honourees expressed that they thoroughly enjoyed the Annual Rewards and Recognition Ceremony. It made them feel truly appreciated and considerably encouraged them to continue their tenure at the HSA.

Visit www.hsa.ky for more information and services offered at the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority.