Staff Being Recruited to Fill 1,208 Posts at Western Children and Adolescent Hospital

Recruitment is under way to fill 1,208 positions at the Western Children and Adolescent Hospital (WCAH) in St. James, says Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton.

The facility, which is currently under construction, will provide medical services for youngsters up to 18 years old across western parishes.

It is scheduled for completion in June 2025.

Addressing a press briefing at the Royalton Negril Hotel on Tuesday (June 25), to provide an update on the hospital project, Minister Tufton informed that four of five key managerial positions have been filled since April 2024.

These are Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Camille Lewin; Senior Medical Officer, Dr. Carleene Grant Davis; Director of Nursing Services, Allison Chambers; and Senior Public Procurement Officer, Nicola Forbes.

The Senior Human Resource Officer will join the team in July 2024.

The WCAH will boast eight floors and 220 beds and offer 17 specialties and sub-specialties including general pediatric and adolescent medicine, neonatology, pediatric cardiology, nephrology, neonatal surgery, critical care, among others.

Dr. Tufton said the WCAH will share some services with the adjoining Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) including diagnostics (laboratory and imaging), morgue services, dietary, laundry transport, maintenance and administration.

“Staffing in these departments at the CRH will be increased to meet this expanded service delivery. The admission of children will result in the need for social services and teachers. A day care is also to be operated at the facility with accommodation for staff as well,” the Minister noted.

The children’s hospital will require separate staff to deliver nursing, oral health care, medical records management, dialysis, physiotherapy, audiometry, customer service, administrative management, central sterilisation and supply department services and psychosocial area.

Dr. Tufton said that the completion for the WCAH next June will reduce the burden on CRH as well as the Bustamante Hospital for Children in Kingston.

“A decrease in referrals to the Bustamante Hospital is expected when the [WCAH] becomes operational, and bed space availability for adults at CRH will be improved with the repurposing of the pediatric ward as well as admission of adolescents to WCAH instead of CRH, ” he noted.