Canadian Dr. Tina Kaigas has been named as the Bermuda Hospitals Board?s new chief of staff, replacing Dr. Robert Vallis who has held the role on an acting basis for the past ten months.

An experienced medical practitioner with a strong background in administration, Dr. Kaigas will be responsible for overseeing all physicians practising at the hospital and liasing with members of the Board.

Born in Ontario, Dr. Kaigas was awarded her medical degree from the McMaster University School of Medicine and most recently was the director of Medical Quality Associates and chairwoman of the International Physician Assessment Coalition.

?We are thrilled that Dr. Kaigas, a self-described patient advocate, has joined the Bermuda Hospitals Board,? said outgoing chief executive officer Joan Dillas-Wright.

?Her combination of clinical and administrative experience and her passion for quality improvement make Dr. Kaigas an excellent fit for our hospitals.?

Speaking to yesterday, Dr. Kaigas said she was happy to have escaped ?the frozen north? and was looking forward to putting her efforts into a hospital which she believes has the potential to be ?top-notch?.

She conceded, however, that despite her rather ?superficial? viewpoint garnered from only two weeks on the Island, the hospital faced a number of challenges which had to be overcome.

Chief among these, she said, was the need to ensure a consistently high number of physicians on site.

?I?m not yet in a position to make any definitive assessments right now,? she said. ?But in the short time I?ve been here I have to admit I?m very impressed with the hospital itself. Obviously like any hospital it has issues that need to be addressed. One of those will be to maintain a full complement of medical staff. Bermuda being a small island, it cannot produce all the necessary physicians so recruitment I believe will be a big challenge.

I?ve got to make sure we provide the highest quality of care so it will involve looking carefully at applicants as they apply. It will also be important to help physicians currently on staff to continue their education and training and build on their foundation.?

Dr. Kaigas is well aware that healthcare in Bermuda is political hot-topic ? although she was cautious yesterday about delving too deeply into the debate until she has had time to properly acquaint herself with the system as a whole.

Pressed into responding to Shadow Health Minister Michael Dunkley?s recent suggestion that the hospital infrastructure was ?crumbling?, Dr. Kaigas admitted the building was old, expensive to maintain and showing some signs of ?wear and tear?, but said this was not unusual in all but the richest of countries and was part of a perennial dilemma faced by hospitals the world over whether to spend funds on medical provision or their buildings? physical infrastructure.

?I don?t know a hospital anywhere which doesn?t face this sort of problem,? she said.

?Fund raising will be important, but I would reiterate that I?m very impressed overall with the facility and the spirit of helpfulness among the staff.