Summer 2014

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E SSAY CONTEST WINNER obtaining a Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Services Administration. Here is the winning essay: My Major Benefits the Jamaican Community by…

Congratulations to Sheree Bevett Angell-Clarke for winning the annual Delroy Facey essay contest. She attends Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas (via distance education) and is in the process of

The Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree is a valuable degree that gives health care workers the opportunity to advance within their technical field to levels of leadership.

Within the radiographic profession, there is limited scope of growth or specialized areas of study in Jamaica. The MHA in Health

Services Administration degree offered by the Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas is an excellent programme because it provides me with the relevant course material via distance education and is equipping me with the relevant information necessary for effective leadership, while remaining on the job.

As a Diagnostic Radiographer at the St. Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital, I take xrays of a wide cross-section of patients from all 14 parishes, who present with a wide array of conditions.

These include some of the most traumatic (road-traffic accident) conditions in Jamaica and acute diseases.

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T RIVIA : Question: What is the Jamaican connection to the founders of the city of Dallas, Texas?

ANSWER: THE VILLAGE OF DALLAS ST ANDREW JAMAICA IS THE ANCESTRAL HOME OF THE DALLAS FAMILY. ALEXANDER JAMES DALLAS, LAWYER AND PUBLIC OFFICIAL WAS BORN IN JAMAICA ON JUNE 21,

1759.

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DEGREE WILL ENABLE ME TO ASSUME LEADERSHIP ROLES WITHIN THE R EGIONAL AND N ATIONAL H EALTH SYSTEM , WHERE I WILL BE INVOLVED IN MAKING BETTER FINANCIAL , HEALTH AND PATIENT - CARE POLICIES TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF J AMAICA .

Our department is fast-paced, yet severely under resourced, as there is only one x-ray machine which sometimes malfunctions. It takes radiographic competency and leadership skills to complete the hundreds of patients seen daily by our department while enlisting the co-operation of the patients, their relatives and the other members of staff.

Apart from technical duties in the x-ray department, I am frequently called upon by my

supervisor, to make educational presentations on different topics. I have done presentations within my department and also in the physiotherapy department on ‘Hygiene in the Radiology Department’ and ‘Osteoarthritis of the spine’ respectively. Both of which were enjoyable, learning experiences for both myself and the audience, as I did extensive research. Recently, I was asked to make an impromptu

representation of the Radiology Department at a developmental planning meeting for the hospitals’ diagnostic departments and its response to trauma cases. It was the first meeting of this kind for me with external stakeholders, the hospitals’ management team and the head of each department in attendance. I am proud to say that I successfully delivered the strengths, weaknesses and areas necessary for improve-

areas necessary for improvement for my department. Just this week, the Senior Medical Officer sent commendations through my supervisor, on me representing the department so well, having been asked to the meeting mere minutes before. The benefits of the Master of Health Administration programme are already being displayed in my daily role as a radiographer,

whilst relating to staff; organizing work to be more efficient in handling patients, while not compromising on patient care; representing the department and making educational presentations. The benefits will continue throughout my studies, and ultimately I will learn how to be more efficient in the business of healthcare within the North East Regional Health

Authority and how to lead a few hundred people; providing I am able to complete the programme given my financial difficulties.

the people of Jamaica. Finally, to further the profession of radiography and satisfy the shortage of Radiographic educators in the nation’s only radiographic school, I hope to become a part-time lecturer at the University of the West Indies within the School of Medical Radiation Technology. There are only three fulltime radiographic lecturers to

three years of full-time students, totaling at least 120 students. I have a passion for education and will possess the relevant skills to administer the course, thanks to the Master of Health Services programme.

This degree will enable me to assume leadership roles within the Regional and National Health system, where I will be involved in making better financial, health and patientcare policies to better serve

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RANDOM THOUGHTS ABOUT JAMAICA Most visitors come to Jamaica see a little of one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

Unfortunately they get to interact with only some of its people, and they leave with the impression that all Jamaicans are Black. Visitors rarely see or have the opportunity to recognize that some Jamaicans are also Caucasians with different ethnic and cultural ancestries. Some Jamaicans have European and Middle Eastern ancestry, and some

Jamaicans are Chinese and Indian. Consequently they don’t know that many Jamaicans are also the offspring of unions between White and Black or Chinese or Indian or Lebanese. And they don’t get to know that regardless of ancestry, they all feel one hundred percent Jamaican.

Jamaica’s motto, “Out of Many, One People” tells only a part of Jamaica’s social story. In my opinion, “One People” describes a fierce feeling

of patriotism felt by all Jamaicans regardless of ethnic or socio-economic background, but tells nothing of the social separation that exists because of skin color and class. This has always been a part of the life of Jamaican people, and Out of Many” correctly suggests that Jamaicans are white, black, yellow, and many shades of brown.

WWW . JAMAICASTORIES . COM The attitudes towards skin color in Jamaica have changed slowly, influenced by the emigration of large percentages of the white, Chinese and light-skinned Jamaicans.

Facilitated by Jamaica’s Independence from England and access to higher education which was limited when I was a boy, highly visible jobs today in almost every sector of Jamaican business and its civil

service are held by black men and women. But poor, rural Jamaicans still struggle for education and decent jobs, and very few ever get an opportunity to move away from poverty. Jamaicans speak in a dialect which is basically a spoken language without grammatical rules, and is not taught in schools. It cannot even be accurately imitated by anyone who has not lived

in Jamaica. It really can’t be spoken with the correct intonation and associated meaning by anyone who has not spent many years living on the island with Jamaicans. While educated Jamaicans are able to speak the “Queen’s English”, they are equally able to converse in the local patois depending on the situation.

WWW . SOMETIMESJAMAICA . COM The humor in normal everyday communication in Jamaica conveys precise meaning which frequently defies literal translation. Jamaican descriptions of people, places and things include humorous metaphorical comparisons, some of which are used with frequency and are well known, and others which are concocted on the spot. Jamaicans’

special “English” set them apart from others in the Caribbean, and it is difficult to tell a Jamaican story without relying on communication in which the Jamaican dialect is not used. Bawdy curse words and expressions trademark Jamaica’s dialect, and have meaning to Jamaicans alone.

The above paragraphs combine excerpts from the fore-

words of my two books, “Sometimes There’s A Winner” and “Delbert And The Ginnal Woman.”

J AMAICA ’ S MOTTO , “O UT OF M ANY , O NE P EOPLE ” TELLS ONLY A PART OF J AMAICA ’ S SOCIAL STORY .

This would be a good place to insert a short paragraph about your organization. It might include the purpose of the organization, its mission, founding date, and a brief history. You could also include a brief list of the types of products, services, or programs your organization offers, the geographic area covered (for example, western U.S. or European markets), and a profile of the types of customers or members served.

It would also be useful to include a contact name for readers who want more information about the organization.