HSFB names new CEO

THE Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados (HSFB) has appointed a new CEO. She is Fiona Anthony.

 

Speaking to the media recently, she announced that she officially took up the position on January 9 and expressed her pleasure at her new position.

 

“I am very honoured to have been selected to take up this position. A position like this is a dream of mine. I come from a background in health care. I am actually a trained Physiotherapist and I specialise in the rehabilitation of complex patients including those suffering from stroke and cardiac disease. From there, I have experience in the pharmaceutical industry where I have been involved in the sales and marketing of cardiovascular drugs and also I held a position in healthcare management as well. So this position really brings together everything that I have done in my career and I am very excited to be in a position where I can give back to the public, the society, back to Barbados with the skills that I have.”

 

She stated that in addition to this Physiotherapy degree, which she acquired with First Class Honours from the University of Manchester; her chemical knowledge and her work experience in both the public and private sector, she also holds an MBA with Merit from the University of Durham and the combination of these things would help her to bring the HSFB “into a new era”.

 

“My physiotherapy practice was in the UK. I worked for 10 years in the National Health Service. I moved to Barbados in 2003. Since I have been in Barbados, my career has taken me into the private sector into the pharmaceutical industry and into health-care management. But my physiotherapy training and practice was in the UK.”

 

Anthony said that doing so would not be a difficult task given the excellent programmes that the Foundation has, the hardworking and dedicated staff, and the great core of volunteers.

 

The new CEO, who took over from Gina Pitts who went back home to the UK in December of last year, said that some of the areas that she would be focusing on are educating the general population – but with a specific emphasis on the young people – on how they can adopt healthy lifestyles; guiding the local population on what constitutes as healthy and unhealthy foods and beverages and getting them to lean more towards the healthier versions; continuing to maintain and enhance their rehabilitation services; developing initiatives that inform persons on cardiovascular diseases and how to avoid becoming a victim; and continuing their work on advocating for smoke-free spaces in this country.