Minister of Labor and Social Development, Sen the Hon Dion Foulkes (right) shares a light moment with Chief Medical Officer Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis (centre) and Director General of the World Health Organization Dr Margaret Chan. Dr Dahl-Regis won the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Award In Administration for 2009. (Photo/David Spitz)
Hailed for her foresight and leadership skills,
and for positioning The Bahamas as a voice to be heard internationally on
public health matters, Chief Medical Officer Dr Merceline Dahl-Regis last night
accepted the Pan American Health Organization Award for Administration for
2009.
The PAHO Award Committee noted that Dr
Dahl-Regis was awarded for her contribution to health care management and
research and to medical education in primary health care.
Made up of representatives from Argentina,
Bolivia
and the US,
the Committee also cited her leadership in institutionalizing public health
surveillance across all of The Bahamas and in evaluating and redefining the
parameters for Caribbean Cooperation in Health.
The award was given at a special reception held
in Washington,
DC,
on September 29, 2009,
during a meeting of the 49th Directing Council of the PAHO.
Dr Dahl-Regis said the award was an honor for
not her alone, but for those who work in public health, “particularly the
women, and my country, The Bahamas.”
“I think it’s very special to be recognized in
such an arena,” she said.
During her formal remarks, she said that public
service and public health had been the most rewarding experiences of her
medical career.
“As I accept this award, I do so remembering
that I did not accomplish this on my own,” Dr. Dahl-Regis said, lauding her
parents, mentors, family and friends.
“I envisage a public health care system where it
is second nature for practitioners to put their clients first, where practice
is based on evidence rather than economics, where preventative health care has
become the flagship of healthcare systems globally, providing equitable,
culturally relevant care.”
Also at the special ceremony was Labor and
Social Development Minister, Sen the Hon Dion Foulkes. He described Dr
Dahl-Regis as a “daughter of the soil,” and spoke of her “tremendous investment
in advancing the health and well-being of the people of The Bahamas, the
Caribbean and the world.”
“Dr Dahl-Regis, because you are at the helm as
the Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and because of
your proven commitment to preparedness, prevention and people, we sleep at night
when the challenges of hurricanes, malaria, SARS, tuberculosis, dengue, AHIN1
and other diseases threaten to destabilize our economy, quality of life and
overall well-being,” Senator Foulkes said.
Dr Dahl-Regis’ leadership has been recognized
throughout the region, as recently as the Caucus of CARICOM Ministers of Health
a week ago, where references were made to her active engagement in addressing
the health challenges faced by the region.
At a private reception, Bahamas Ambassador to
the US Cornelius Smith noted that Dr Dahl-Regis was a health ambassador, and
that the award recognizes her leadership in the region particularly with
respect to her contribution in primary health care.
Ambassador Smith pointed out that Dr Dahl-Regis
was Bahamas and Caribbean educated, and that although she had the option of
staying in the US after obtaining a degree in Public Health from the
world-renowned Johns Hopkins University, and a time lecturing at Howard
University, she had chosen to return to The Bahamas and make her contribution
at home.
“Through her, it has been said, we found our
voice in the public health arena,” the ambassador said.
Dr Dahl-Regis began her career at the Princess
Margaret Hospital, and was appointed as Chief Medical Officer in 1997.
She established a Planning Unit in the Ministry
of Health, designed to predict and map future developments in medicine and to
plan national programs in the public system while considering the advances
being made in the private sector.
In its letter nominating Dr Dahl-Regis, the
Ministry of Health said the importance of her contributions to health
administration could not be overestimated.
It cited, in particular her “ability to manage
personnel from varied backgrounds and draw benefit from their varied experience”
as “crucial in a public health sector with a significant amount of expatriate
medical professionals.”
“In addition to this, Dr. Dahl-Regis was
instrumental in revamping the public health clinic system and in introducing
non-medical administrators in clinics, thereby releasing nurses and doctors
from the performance of administrative duties, allowing them to focus on
delivering health care,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry also cited her handling of the
discovery of malaria in The Bahamas, noting that under her leadership, the
management of the episode limited the fallout to the nation’s tourism industry
while highlighting the challenges faced in delivering health care in an
archipelago.
Her leadership during the crisis, according to
the Ministry, also resulted in protocols to be followed in emergency
situations.
Another aspect of Dr Dahl-Regis’ accomplishments
highlighted by the Ministry was her “competent representation at the regional
and international level.”
“The positioning of The Bahamas as a voice to be
heard regionally and a voice to give expression to regional positions is a
direct outcome of tireless, constant, active, superlative representation of The
Bahamas’ position at CARICOM and at World Health Organization meetings such as
the World Health Assembly and the Pan American Health Organization gatherings,”
the Ministry said.
