The investments the Public Hospitals Authority has made in upgrading and expanding the Community Counselling & Assessment Centre (CCAC), emphasizes the Authority’s commitment to enhancing the quality of care and delivery of services to the Bahamian people, said Managing Director, PHA, Herbert Brown.

“It is my cardinal conviction that there should be no appreciable differentiation in access, quality or patient experience between facilities that are part of the public health system and those that are privately owned,” Mr. Brown said at the Commissioning Ceremony for the CCAC, Wednesday, April 26, 2017.

“Achieving this high standard, demands the allegiance of all of us in the health sector to the implementation of patient-centred care; and an essential component of this transformative model of care is the upgrading of facilities and other infrastructure necessary to the delivery of care.”


Mr. Brown said the important work performed by the multi-disciplinary team at the CCAC reflects the mandate and essential values of its parent institution.

“From its inception Sandilands has played a unique and essential role in providing inpatient care and outpatient treatment for the mentally ill, developmentally challenged and chronically ill older adults among our population.

“These persons represent some of the most marginalized and vulnerable demographics in society. Sadly, they are often overlooked and often forgotten.”

He explained that one of the principle considerations made in prioritizing the relocation of the vital outpatient mental health clinic was the vulnerability of the clients served by the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre and the Community Counselling & Assessment Centre.

“Overlooked and often dismissed by society, it was vital that we paid specific attention to the needs of persons who require mental health services.”

The Managing Director said that as a walk-in healthcare facility catering to the entire community, the CCAC has been consistently challenged to accommodate the public demand for its expanded spectrum of services. “Today, I believe with the official commissioning of this facility we have set the tone for what is to be expected.”

He explained that the services provided at the facility include Forensic Services for Substance Use Disorders, Psychiatric Nursing, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Psychiatry for child and Adolescent and Adults, Consultant Liaison, Referrals to Hospital Base Centre, Follow-up and Transitional Care, Child and Adolescent Substance Use, Social Services, Mental Health Promotion, Collaborative referrals, assessments and treatment interventions from Primary Health Care Centres and Addiction Psychiatry among others.

“With such a broad spectrum of services and such a diverse clientele, I am sure that you will imagine that the process of planning for the relocation of this essential component of mental health services, therefore, demanded an involved consultative process that sought input from clinical, administrative, engineering and architectural professionals.”

He noted that the new and improved Centre is the latest in a series of capital projects that have expanded, improved and transformed key elements of the Sandilands Campus.

Mr. Brown said significant works completed at both the Psychiatric and Geriatric Hospitals at Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre are part of a national plan to strengthen health systems nationwide, and the evidence of the Health Systems Strengthening Initiative is evidenced in substantial improvements to health infrastructure and services across the country.

“The implementation of National Health Insurance makes the relocation of the Community Counselling and Assessment Centre a most timely development as the strengthened linkages between primary care centres, like our community clinics, and mental health services will likely drive an increased demand for referrals to mental health professionals.

“This again reflects the many benefits derived from a synergistic approach to health policy and healthcare development in the Bahamas,” Mr. Brown said.

By Llonella Gilbert Bahamas Information Services

HBO has a new lineup of exclusive movie premieres every Saturday night at 22hrs throughout May and June. Through exclusive agreements with four of the largest film studios worldwide – Warner Bros., Disney, Sony Pictures and Universal – HBO continues to have the exclusive first non-theatrical premiere rights of films that combine sublime talent with unforgettable storylines, available exclusively for subscribers.

The following films premiere this May, exclusively on HBO:

· Captain America: Civil War – May 6: After political pressures cause a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man, the remaining Avengers are forced to pick a side. Chris Evans returns to the screen as Captain America, joined by Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Anthony Mackie, among others.

· Central Intelligence – May 13: Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart come together in the comedy Central Intelligence as two old classmates whose lives take an interesting turn upon reuniting at their high school reunion. After becoming unlikely allies, they achieve the impossible by relying on one another and their strengths in order to save the world.

· The Secret Life of Pets – May 20: This animated family favorite follows the quiet life of a spoiled terrier named Max, whose life is turned upside down when his owners adopt Duke, a giant, boisterous canine. After getting themselves in some trouble while their owners are away, a rebellious bunny, Snowball, saves the doggie duo in exchange for their help on a mission against the humans who did them wrong.

· Alice Through the Looking Glass – May 27: An all-star cast brings one of the most beloved storybooks to life in Alice Through the Looking Glass. In this fantastical film, Alice returns to Wonderland after slipping through the looking glass. Immersed back into the world of awe and whimsy, she travels back in time and comes to the aid of the Mad Hatter. Starring three-time Oscar® nominee Johnny Depp, two-time Oscar® nominee Helena Bonham Carter and Oscar® winner Anne Hathaway, the film explores the depths of imagination and beyond.

The following films premiere this June, exclusively on HBO:

The Legend of Tarzan – June 3: Starring Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s Big Little Lies and True Blood), the film follows the life Tarzan, also known as John Clayton III, ten years after leaving Africa. Having already acclimated to his life in England, Tarzan and his wife, Jane, are lured back to the Congo where they will face the ultimate test of love and survival. Margot Robbie also stars.

Lights Out – June 10: Based on the three-minute YouTube video produced by Swedish director David F. Sandberg, Lights Out is the story of a bloodthirsty supernatural creature that preys on a family. Teresa Palmer stars as Rebecca, a young woman who must unlock the horror behind her younger brother’s experiences that once haunted her, bringing her face to face with an eerie entity that is attached to her mother. The film also stars Gabriel Bateman, Alexander DiPersia, Billy Burke and Maria Bello.

Finding Dory – June 17: The animated Disney Pixar sequel follows the friendly-but-forgetful Dory on an epic adventure to find her parents with the help of her friends, Marlin and Nemo. The search for her long-lost parents teaches them all lasting lessons on the meaning of love and family. Ellen Degeneres returns as the voice of the fan-favorite fish, along with the voices of Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy, among others.

Jason Bourne – June 24: Oscarâ and Golden Globeâ winner Matt Damon returns as Jason Bourne, the CIA's most dangerous former operative. After nearly a decade of hiding, Bourne is drawn out of the shadows to uncover more explosive truths about his past, and soon finds himself back in action battling a menacing group that uses technology and terror to maintain its power. Damon is joined by a stellar cast including fellow Oscarâ winners Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vikander.

All of these films will also be available exclusively for subscribers on HBO GO, the premium digital entertainment platform, following their premiere on the channel. Subscribers can access HBO GO by visiting the website www.hbogoca.com on any desktop or laptop computer (PC or Apple) or by downloading the mobile app on devices with iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPad Touch) or Android (OS 2.3+) operational systems. The platform is now available with Chromecast, allowing subscribers to transmit their favorite movies on HBO GO to their TV screens.

*Atlantic Standard Time. For more information on the program schedule by country, contact your local provider or visit www.hbomax.tv.

About HBO Latin America Group
HBO Latin America is the premium, subscription based, television network leader in the region, recognized for the quality and diversity of its exclusive programming, including: series, films, documentaries, specials and original productions. The content is transmitted in HD in more than 40 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean through its channels HBO, HBO2, HBO Signature, HBO Plus, HBO Family, MAX, MAX Prime, MAX Up and Cinemax. Its programming is also offered across multiple platforms, such as HBO GO, Cinemax GO and HBO On Demand.

HBO Latin America

 Barbara Gomez

It has been 20 years since the Bahamian people reelected a government. That was the great landslide win of the Free National Movement on March 14, 1997. The party won 34 of 40 seats. Later it increased its majority to 35 seats after winning the by-election upon the retirement of Sir Lynden Pindling.
If Dr. Hubert Minnis and the FNM win and defeat the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) on May 10 at the end of its five-year term -- assuming it makes it five

-- we would be at 25 years since a government was reelected.
That period of changing governments every election would match the 25 years of unbroken PLP rule from 1967 to 1992.
Post-colonial leaders such as Sir Lynden became mythic figures to their people. He was considered a "Moses" who led a majority black nation from oppressive minority rule to a fairer representative democracy.
The lack of dissenting voices during those times helped keep the PLP in power. There was no Internet, no social media, and the PLP stifled the growth of independent media. Private broadcast stations were not allowed.
The PLP controlled the minds of its people through the propaganda of the state-controlled Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas, better known as ZNS.
By the end of the Pindling years Bahamians were more cynical about politics and politicians. The great leader they revered for so long ultimately let his people down. Sir Lynden's government ended up mired in allegations of drug-related. Elements of the Colombian cartel were operating from our shores with elements of the PLP all tangled up in a shameful web of corruption.
Assuming the PLP will lose this election, a Minnis government should look to the FNM of 1992 for guidance as to what to do to win again. Those FNMs were not afraid to tackle the challenges of those times. We have numerous challenges in these times.
The state electricity provider can't keep the lights on and its rates are too; taxes are too high; government is too big; there is too much waste and in the public service; more investment must be lured, as the economy is not growing and jobs are hard to find; the education system is poor; the New Landfill is regularly on fire; Grand Bahama is in a depression.
Bahamians are angry with Prime Minister Perry Christie because he says things he does not mean and gets little done. He is not a man of focus. He is not a man of discipline. He is man who is now only interested in remaining in power. Our welfare is of little to no interest to him.
The country wants a leader who will try. It wants a leader who will confront our dysfunction with wellthought- out policy. Such a leader will not always be successful. But if the people see a serious-minded person giving his best, who achieves some successes while learning from his mistakes, a leader who is honest and holds his side to that standard, they would be quite minded to return that person and his team to office.
It's healthy that it is difficult to get re-elected. Falling in love with Pindling led to him taking advantage of us for his own self-interest. Pindling damaged The Bahamas as much as he helped it. The drugs that came here during his watch destroyed the Bahamian family.
A generation of children grew up on the streets because their parents were either in jail from selling drugs or strung out from using them. Our crime problem today results significantly from the corruption of the Pindling years.
Politicians must now fight hard to win our trust, and then fight even harder to come back. We are maturing as an electorate. This strengthens our democracy.

Richard Coulson and his daughter, Amanda, offer different but approving views of a landmark occasion . . .