Tortola, British Virgin Islands – June 30, 2025 – The British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) is pleased to announce the awarding of a contract to Ernst & Young Cayman Ltd. to undertake a comprehensive compensation review and job reclassification exercise. This major undertaking forms part of the Authority’s broader strategic commitment to modernizing its human resources framework and ensuring a fair, competitive, and market-aligned compensation structure for its valued workforce.

Ernst & Young Cayman Ltd. was selected following an open and competitive tendering process and will lead the review based on clearly defined evaluation criteria and international best practices. The firm brings deep regional expertise in organizational design, workforce planning, and compensation modeling.

This initiative marks a major milestone for BVIHSA as the organization seeks to better position itself to attract and retain skilled professionals while enhancing overall service delivery across both hospital and community-based healthcare settings.

Speaking on the significance of the contract, BVIHSA Board Chairman Mr. Ron Potter stated: “It gives me great pride to see this process move from intention to action. As I shared during our Health Strategy Summit and at our International Nurses Week Ceremony in May, the Board was actively pursuing the engagement of a reputable firm to carry out this important review. With Ernst & Young Cayman Ltd. now on board, we are setting the stage for long-overdue improvements that will directly benefit our hardworking staff. This is a vote of confidence in them, and in the future of our healthcare system.”

The project will involve a detailed analysis of up to 100 roles, extensive stakeholder consultations, and benchmarking across five to eight comparable health institutions. The expected outcomes include:

• Updated job descriptions
• A revised organizational chart
• A compensation structure aligned with market standards and inflation
• Policy recommendations to support robust performance management

Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. June Samuel emphasized the transformative nature of the initiative: “This project represents a pivotal moment in our evolution as a healthcare organization. We know that our people are our greatest assets, and this review is about honoring their contributions by creating an environment that recognizes performance, supports professional growth, and reflects the realities of the modern job market. We are proud to take this step forward.”

Internal leadership of the initiative is being driven by Dr. Dierdra Wheatley, Human Resources Manager, and Mrs. Kishma Chalwell-Williams, Deputy HR Manager, who will coordinate with Cerena Mitchell, Associate Partner – Consulting, from Ernst & Young Cayman Ltd.

To ensure transparency and inclusivity, BVIHSA will also implement a robust communication strategy to engage staff at every stage of the process. Staff can look forward to regular updates, opportunities to participate in consultations, and clear timelines as the review progresses.

This exercise demonstrates the Board and Executive Management’s unwavering commitment to institutional strengthening, workforce investment, and improved healthcare outcomes for the people of the Virgin Islands.