SINT MAARTEN (ST. JOHN’S ESTATE) - The White & Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) hosted a successful symposium on December 1st dedicated to strengthening primary healthcare on Sint Maarten. This symposium, held at the Belair community center, was organized in tribute to the remarkable tenure of Mr. Michel Soons, the retiring chairman of the WYCCF Board, who has served the foundation steadfastly for 33 years.
Approximately 100 healthcare (and allied) professionals came together to partake in this event. The symposium commenced with an insightful lecture by Parveen Boertje of SZV, enlightening attendees about prevention and health literacy. Her message that prevention is not only a benefit, but a country’s value was well received, as was her proposal of a “mini med school” to foster a culture of health and wellness. Dr. Adacia Bourne, a local family physician who last year returned to Sint Maarten, expounded upon the importance of primary healthcare to achieve healthy communities. She delivered a clear picture of what the ideal practice of a General Practitioner can look like, and how this will positively impact the health of our community.
Cardiologist Dr. Emiko Bird-Lake presented the impact of lifestyle interventions on chronic diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. With lifestyle management 80% of chronic illnesses can be prevented, making a strong case to invest in lifestyle coaching. The dynamic duo of Physical Therapist Naomi Korstanje and Physical Therapist/Lifestyle Coach Sebastiaan Hoendervangers then shared their perspectives on fostering sustainable healthcare improvements by altering certain habits through lifestyle coaching.
Drs. Spencer and Zamora Perez delivered an illuminating presentation addressing the perils of Diabetic foot ulcers and outlined their innovative approach within their newly established D-Foot practice. Reducing the number of lower limb amputations can be achieved with regular foot examinations and adequate wound care, which is offered in their D-Foot clinic. WYCCF Quality Manager and symposium organizer Marleen de Bruin spoke on behalf of Sanne van Kampen, who is a Non Communicable Disease advisor within the Ministry of VSA. She outlined the hard work of the Cardiovascular Risk Management workgroup and the next steps needed to implement lifestyle coaching in primary care.
The symposium was moderated by Dr. Albert van der Waag, guiding the discussions and interactions throughout the day.
Following a brief intermission, attendees engaged in a brainstorm session, strategically seated at various tables comprising diverse expertise. Two groups did a baseline assessment on what lifestyle counseling is already provided on Sint Maarten. Other groups worked on when and how to refer clients for lifestyle counseling and the last two groups focused on what “team-based care” can look like on Sint Maarten. The outcome of these brainstorms was then presented as part of the symposium's conclusive highlights.
The symposium concluded on a note of proactive commitment and collaboration, underlining the collective dedication towards improving preventative activities within primary healthcare on Sint Maarten.
Operations Manager of the WYCCF Bregje Boetekees looks back at a successful event: ‘’it was great to see so many of our healthcare professionals come out and actively participate in the symposium. Our retiring board chairman has seen with his own eyes the many young persons who are treated in our WYCCF rehab center for a stroke and the endless admissions after amputations. He looks forward to the collaborative effort of everyone involved in healthcare to invest in prevention programs to improve the health status of everyone on our island. The content of our symposium really underscored that importance, it was a great success.’’
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