1 July 2015
Darren Clarke has been appointed the new Director of Health for St Helena, and arrived on Island on Thursday 18 June 2015 on a two year contract.
Darren said:
“Firstly I would like to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of staff across the Health Directorate, and in particular the excellent work of my predecessor, David Jenkins and his senior management team.”
He remarked on the solid foundations currently in place to deliver and build on key initiatives in the Health Directorate, including the Hospital Redevelopment, nursing training programmes, better meeting dietary needs of admitted patients, strengthening of community nursing in Island clinics and enhancing surgical facilities.
Darren commented:
“I aim to actively promote and facilitate sustainable and evidence-based practices that are primarily focused on attainting the highest possible results. This will include a focus on further implementing and embedding a Directorate-wide quality and risk framework – to monitor and assess all aspects of our performance. In the longer term, we will pursue internationally-recognised certification and accreditation of our Health services.”
Having spent 32 years working in the health sector in the Australian Government, Darren has a very wide range of experience to draw upon whilst in post. He has spent time working for both State and Commonwealth Government in a regulatory capacity and has managed health services in rural Australia, including ones in New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Darren has also worked closely with community groups, identifying their needs and reflecting them in hospital delivery.
At the beginning of his career, Darren was employed in a teaching hospital, where he completed nursing and midwifery training, leading to him taking on the role of Quality Coordinator. Having both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Nursing has also allowed Darren to complete a Doctor of Health Science degree, in which he examined one of his key interests within the health sector – that of organisational culture and occupational stress and to develop strategies to prevent intra-professional workplace bullying – making several recommendations which were subsequently adopted.
SHG
1 July 2015