Cayman Islands (November 19, 2018) – Health City Cayman Islands has been recognized for its commitment to education by the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce.

Along with Dart Enterprises Ltd., Health City Cayman Islands was the recipient of the Commitment to Education award at the 2018 Business Excellence Awards on October 27.

Health City was recognised for its Healthcare Explorers education program, and shared the award with DART’s Minds Inspired and Dart Scholar programs. Both programs put a strong focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

Regarding the Commitment to Education Award, Chamber President Paul Byles explained that the organization wanted to highlight the important philanthropic work of local companies in the Cayman community.

He said, “What has occurred over the many years is that there’s an idea that us in this room trying to pursue profits and do very well may not be the best thing in the world. The fact that you do all these other things gets missed a bit, and I think it’s important to remind the community of that.”

The Healthcare Explorers program at Health City Cayman Islands was founded in June 2014 to provide a STEM education pathway for young Caymanians with an aptitude for science and expose them to career options available in the medical field.

The Healthcare Explorers Program provided 1,428 free STEM education opportunities to Cayman Islands students from its inception through to July 2018. The program encompasses several education initiatives aimed at different age groups, including its Shadow a Doctor Program, STEM education webinars, a partnership with the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) School of Nursing and its Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program.

Several Shadow a Doctor and SURF students, including Lee-El Blake (University of Montevideo), Gledys Melany Gonzalez (University of the West Indies, Mona), Taneil Lee (University of South Florida) and Brandon DaCosta (University of Florida) have gone on to study for careers in medicine.

The Healthcare Explorers Program is offered to students at both public and private schools in the Cayman Islands from Year 8 through to university students.

Health City Education Coordinator & Chaplain Charles D. Bush accepted the award on Health City’s behalf.

He said, “On behalf of Health City Cayman Islands – our Chairman, Board of Directors, Executive team and associates – I would like to say ‘thank you’ to the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce for this Commitment to Education award. German theologian Frederick Buechner wrote that ‘The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet’. It is a blessing to work for an organization where that joy overflows to those in need and to our community every day.”

Mr Bush continued, “We are also grateful and honoured to be able to use our expertise to inspire children to become the next generation of doctors, nurses and technicians in the Cayman Islands. The real winners tonight are our children, our students, who have entrusted us with the opportunity to help them connect their love of science with a future career through our numerous educational products: 2,340 times to date. Our Chairman has been very clear that the future of Health City Cayman Islands is in the hands of the children of this country. We look forward to getting back to work on Monday, encouraged by this award, on making his vision, our vision, a reality. Thank you.”

Photo: Camp

Caption: Students get a behind the scenes look at hospital operations at the annual Healthcare Explorers STEM Day Camp.

Photo: Chamber Award

Caption: Health City Cayman Islands Education Coordinator & Chaplain Charles D. Bush accepted the 2018 Commitment to Education Award on behalf of the hospital.

About Health City Cayman Islands

Health City Cayman Islands, the vision of renowned heart surgeon and humanitarian Dr. Devi Shetty, is supported by Narayana Health, one of India’s largest private healthcare systems. Health City, only the second hospital in the Caribbean to receive the Joint Commission International’s “hospital accreditation”, provides compassionate, high-quality, affordable healthcare services in a world-class, comfortable, patient-centered environment. Offering healthcare to local, regional and international patients, Health City Cayman Islands delivers excellence in adult and pediatric cardiology, cardiac surgery, cardiac electrophysiology, medical oncology, orthopedics, sports medicine, pediatric endocrinology, gastrointestinal and bariatric surgery, neurology, interventional neurology and neuro-diagnostics, neurosurgery, minimally invasive spine surgery, gynecology, urology, pediatric allergies, colorectal surgery, dental, sleep lab and pulmonology services.

For further information, visit www.healthcitycaymanislands.com.