New CEO Wants to Make Belizeans Proud of KHMH

A renewed sense of optimism is taking hold at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Stepping into one of the most scrutinized leadership roles in the country, new KHMH CEO Sharine Reyes says she’s already feeling the weight and the support of a nation watching closely. In her first interview since taking office on April first, Reyes acknowledges the challenges she inherited, from low staff morale to strained relationships within the hospital. For Reyes, the path forward starts with fixing the work environment, improving communication and ensuring staff feel heard and supported. At the same time, she is pushing to rewrite the negative narrative that have overshadowed the nation’s only tertiary level hospital by pointing to its cutting-edge services, life-saving care and the more than seven hundred staff members committed to serving Belizeans.

 

Sharine Reyes, CEO, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital

“I do feel blessed and grateful for the confidence shown. To me, not only by the staff here at KHMH, but also by the country as a whole, because we’ve all seen the share comments and support prayers that the nation has been given since my appointment. Boosting morale starts with fixing the environment in which people work or team are committed, but they need the right system, resources and structures. To perform effectively, my focus will be on addressing operational challenges, improving communication, and ensuring that accountability across all levels. When staff feels that their issues and concerns are being heard, I believe that is what it takes to boost morale. There’s a lot of positive coming out of KHMH that we do plan on highlighting in the upcoming months and. Like we have the best CT in the country. We have our oncology unit that people are ringing the bell downstairs. There are people walking away from this institution with a second brand renew of health. There are people walking away from this institution. Prayers have been answered. We have our. Surgeons that does the best care here, we have our nurses, our entire staff, the 700 plus of us. Yeah. We are here to serve and our mantra is we take care of you. That is what we’re here to do. That is what we want the public to know, that we are here to take care of you.”

 

Reyes says rebuilding trust won’t happen overnight, but she’s confident that with the right systems, support, and a renewed focus on patient care, KHMH can once again become an institution Belizeans are proud of.

 

New KHMH Union President Encouraged by Reyes’ Leadership Style

 

And after years of strained relations between management and staff, there are early signs of a reset at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Newly appointed CEO Sharine Reyes is already at the table with the hospital’s new union leadership, led by President Roy Briceno, in what both sides are describing as a productive first meeting. With staff morale at a low point and long-standing issues still unresolved, there is cautious optimism that a more open, collaborative approach and a willingness to listen on both sides could mark a turning point for KHMH. News Five’s Shane Williams sat down with Roy Briceno for his first interview since assuming leadership of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Union.

 

Roy Briceno, President, KHMHAU

“We had our first meeting yesterday with the CEO because we myself was elected in October. So I had a long waiting, waiting for the selection of this new CEO. So we met yesterday and it was very amicable. We discussed many issues that we have and she agreed that we will return to the table. We will be discussing those issue and see how we can raise staff morale because morale is quite low right now at KHMH and that’s something both of us as the union and management will work on to the eradicate. What we definitely encourage is upwards mobility so that’s definitely a plus. And knowing Ms. Reyes, she have always maintained an open door policy and so the staff was very receptive in knowing that she was named as the new CEO. And likewise with union was okay knowing that upwards mobility and it’s someone we know, someone who is definitely open and amicable and willing to settle with staff here.”

 

Shane Williams

“Now, describe staff morale for us at this moment. You said it was very low. What have you seen as President?”

 

Roy Briceno

“The relationship I don’t think was there with the union and the past management or the CEO, I must say. So that is what made the situation a bit tense and that trickled down to the staff. So this, so my new objective going in and the new executive is definitely having a much more closer relationship with management to allow that space for us to move on, to understand each other, to work with each other so that they may trickle down to the staff and my membership so that we can get what we need and improve the service of KHMH.”

 

On Monday, we’ll bring you both sides of the new leadership at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. CEO Sharine Reyes tackles unusual challenges, from managing staff caught up in U.S.–Cuba tensions to ongoing union demands for a twenty percent wage increase.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: