From February 28 to March 14, 2025, the Issa Trust Foundation spearheaded a critical initiative to enhance neonatal care in Jamaica by providing specialized training for nurses.
Led by Foundation President Diane Pollard, the mission brought together a team of doctors and nurses from Connecticut Children’s Hospital to conduct the Neonatal Nurses Essential Training and Skills Program.
The initiative, led by Dr. Naveed Hussain from Connecticut and Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Sheron Wagner from Dallas, worked in collaboration with Dr. Samantha Walker at Victoria Jubilee Hospital. The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) also played a crucial role in facilitating the training, which aims to address a shortage of trained neonatal nurses in the country. The lack of specialized nursing care puts many premature and critically ill newborns at risk, making this training a vital intervention.
Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston, the largest maternity hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean, served as the primary site for the training. Dr. Hussain, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut and a neonatologist at Connecticut Children’s Hospital, highlighted the program’s structure.
“We actually started the training online in November 2024 via Zoom and are now here for hands-on training with a site visit,” he explained. “At the end of the training, nurses who meet the requirements of 75% attendance and 90% competence will receive a certification.”
In addition to the core training, the team also conducted the Helping Babies Breathe Program, which equips nurses with skills to provide critical oxygen support in the first minute of a newborn’s life, significantly improving survival rates.
The mission received commendation from the Most Honorable Juliet Holness, who recognized the Issa Trust Foundation’s longstanding efforts in improving healthcare access for Jamaica’s most vulnerable populations.
“The Issa Trust Foundation has continued to make high-quality healthcare available to our most vulnerable and underserved Jamaicans, and for this, they must be applauded. I have continued to be impressed by their dedication to the cause, from their annual medical missions on the north coast to leading in creating a state-of-the-art neonatal facility at St. Ann’s Bay Hospital, to now facilitating the training of neonatal nurses at Victoria Jubilee Hospital. Organizations like the Issa Trust Foundation continue to inspire hope and prove to be invaluable partners for investing in our future by securing the health of our children.”
By strengthening neonatal care through hands-on training and collaboration with local healthcare authorities, the Issa Trust Foundation is playing a pivotal role in enhancing the survival and well-being of Jamaica’s most fragile newborns.
