Former KHMH CEO Passes

Outpouring memories from friends and colleagues have shown the profound impact of veteran doctor and former Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital CEO Dr Francis “Gary” Longsworth, who passed away over the weekend after a “short illness.”

Paediatrician Dr Egbert Grinage described Longsworth as a quiet mentor who influenced generations of Belizean doctors.

Longsworth studied medicine at the University of the West Indies before returning to Belize to serve in the public health system. “He was Belizean to the core. I think that’s why he returned home to Belize after training,” Grinage said.

He became CEO of KHMH in 2008. During his tenure, Longsworth helped lay the groundwork for the hospital’s combined neonatal and paediatric intensive care units.

Beyond titles, colleagues remember his calm presence and human touch. “He never let anything or anyone get to him,” Grinage said, adding that Longsworth’s “unmistakable infectious laugh” was an easy connection with people.

“He was to me the self-described go-getter, enviably laid back,” Grinage stated.

Dr Longsworth is survived by his former wife, Luz, and two adult children.