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