Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative

Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative

Trinidad and Tobago
2006 - 2014 

Overview

The Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative, which took place 2006-2014, was a collaboration between the University of Trinidad and Tobago, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago’s ministries of Health and of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, and several other government ministries and local organizations aimed at improving the health care sector through:

  • Educational collaboration
  • Academic and research
  • Specialty and clinical programs
  • Infrastructure and management training

Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative (Collaboration 2007 – 2014)

The Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative is a collaboration between the University of Trinidad and Tobago, Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago's ministries of Health and of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, and several other government ministries and local organizations aimed at improving the health care sector.

Launched in 2007, the TTHSI programs included:

  • Executive-style master’s in health administration program at the University of Trinidad and Tobago to enhance the skills of public and private sector health care managers
  • Cardiology training and education program to train local clinicians in cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, echocardiography and preventive medicine
  • Herbal medicine research institute to conduct rigorous clinical research on local herbs for the treatment of common ailments
  • Master plan to create new and renovated government hospitals on the twin islands

About Our Agreement

Under the agreement signed in 2005, Johns Hopkins experts:

  • Conducted assessments of various aspects of the Trinidad and Tobago health system
  • Assisted in identifying an experienced architectural partner
  • Developed a curriculum in line with accreditation requirements for the master’s in health administration program
  • Consulted on the development of phytochemistry and clinical chemistry laboratories for future in-country research
  • Participated in speaking engagements on topics ranging from clinical research to hearing and speech impairment in children
  • Mentored local physicians in creating rigorous and ethically sound clinical research protocols

Points of Pride

  • First cohort completed the new MHA curriculum and graduated from the University of Trinidad and Tobago (2010)
  • Trinidad and Tobago internists began 24 months of comprehensive cardiology
  • Implementation of pilot for Telewatch, a home hypertension management program
  • Developed a Point-of-Care Information Technology (POC-IT) guide that covers more than 160 topics, from drug complications to nutrition, including locally specific information
  • Diabetes outreach program that facilitated coordinated care and reduced the burden of disease and its compli­cations; the program includes health assessments with instant results—more than 1,000 health assessments conducted with goals to add retinal examina­tions to better triage patients with vision problems

What Our Affiliate Says

The Trinidad and Tobago Health Sciences Initiative [revolutionized] the health sector in keeping with the vision of what the Government shares, of a people empowered to live healthier and more productive, happier and longer lives.

John Rahael, former minister of health, Trinidad and Tobago