New USF Health partnership to combat severe health care shortage in Jamaica

In the vibrant heart of the Caribbean, Jamaica is facing a silent healthcare crisis. Nearly half of its healthcare workforce is leaving the island for opportunities abroad. It's a daunting challenge for the University of the West Indies (UWI) - the region's largest producer of healthcare professionals, - working to train and retain new nurses quickly enough to replace those who leave.

USF Health leaders are acutely aware of the realities of a nursing shortage. So a team from the College of Nursing and Morsani College of Medicine traveled to UWI and the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in Kingston to identify opportunities to help them combat the attrition and migration of healthcare workers, specifically oncology nurses and physicians.

"Our collaboration with UWI aligns with our commitment to global engagement, enabling us to broaden the impact of our oncology graduate specialization and cultivate reciprocal partnerships that advance the development of the global nursing workforce," said Usha Menon, PhD, RN, FAAN, FSBM, senior associate vice president of USF Health and dean of the College of Nursing.

This collaboration, solidified through a memorandum of understanding, aims to optimize the efficiency of clinical operations, offer training for oncology nurses and faculty development. USF Health will also help establish a Cancer Center of Excellence and partner on future research. The goal is to improve patient outcomes, care and delivery.

"Even as we work to expand the USF Health College of Nursing to address Florida's nursing shortage, we are well aware that the lack of qualified nurses is not just a state and national concern, but an international problem," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. "We are pleased to be able to work with the University of the West Indies and the University Hospital of the West Indies to help increase the number of nurses, and thus improve patient care, in Jamaica, as well as to conduct more nursing research. Our mission to keep Making Life Better is global."

International partnerships like these are critical. Founded in 1948, UHWI is an internationally recognized academic institution and Jamaica's largest hospital. With 579 beds and a specialization in advanced and critical care, UHWI is at the core of Jamaica's struggle with a dwindling healthcare workforce.

"We are thrilled that the University of South Florida has found it fitting to join us on this journey, especially in this unique area of cancer research, said UWI Principal, Densil A. Williams, "I am sure the outcome will be something great."

In the coming months, USF Health College of Nursing faculty will assist in creating and implementing the necessary models to establish and adapt the nursing oncology framework to support the training and retention efforts in Kingston.