Roxborough Hospital’s outpatient clinic gets recognition

PARTNERS IN HEALTH: From left, Dr Nathaniel Duke, medical chief of staff at Roxborough Hospital, Dr Naila Edwards, specialist medical officer and clinical director of Age Friendly Health Systems Initiative at Roxborough Hospital and Dr Denise Mohess, co-chief of Geriatrics, Medical Director of Age Friendly Care and Clinical Leader of Palliative Care at Bridgeport Hospital in the Yale New Haven Health System and age-friendly advisor to Roxborough Hospital's clinical team. - Photo courtesy TRHA

ROXBOROUGH Hospital's medical outpatient clinic has been recognised as an age-friendly health system committed to care excellence by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). This designation is historic, as the clinic is the first in Caricom to achieve this status.

A release on November 12, from the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) said the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) movement is an initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation, and the IHI, committed to providing the highest standard of care for older adults.

This recognition confirms the clinic’s dedication to providing comprehensive, personalised care that improves the health outcomes for the elderly population in Tobago and the wider Caribbean region.

"This is not just a badge; it is a promise to our community," said Dr Naila Edwards, internal medicine consultant, geriatrician, and age-friendly initiative leader at Roxborough Hospital.

"The Age-Friendly framework ensures that every older adult who walks through our doors receives care that is guided by evidence, causes no harm, and is truly consistent with what matters most to them and their families."

The AFHS designation is centred around implementing four essential, evidence-based practices, known as the 4Ms:

What Matters: Understanding and aligning care with the older adult’s specific health goals and priorities.

Medication: Reviewing all medication to ensure they do not interfere with mobility, mentation, or what matters to the patient.

Mentation: Preventing, identifying, and treating depression, dementia, and delirium.

Mobility: Ensuring older adults move safely every day to maintain function.

The TRHA and Roxborough Hospital will be celebrating this achievement by hosting a community outreach event on November 14, from 1 pm-5 pm at the Belle Garden community centre.

This event will feature multidisciplinary educational booths, including physical therapy demonstrations, dementia screening, and medication safety consultations, designed to engage older adults and their social organisations.

"We look forward to collaborating with our community partners and the public to raise awareness about the critical need for age-friendly care," Dr Edwards said.

"This achievement places Tobago at the forefront of geriatric healthcare in the Caricom region, and we are eager to share the best practices that earned us this honour."

The Tobago Regional Health Authority provides comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services to the population of Tobago. The Roxborough Hospital Medical Outpatient Clinic is a key facility dedicated to improving patient outcomes through innovation and excellence.