Banker Patrick Hylton is poised to lead the hospital board of management of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) following Cabinet approval of his appointment as the new chairman.

According to a release on Monday, Hylton, who will serve a three-year term, has been appointed alongside realtor Dwain DeAndre Cox. Their appointments follow the recent resignations of the former chair, Wayne Chai Chong, and Dr Andre Foote, following discussions on the strategic direction of the hospital and deliberations on the way forward for critical projects.

The resignations reportedly triggered a review of the Board’s functionality, with the Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, seizing the opportunity to initiate a governance reset for the hospital through the appointment of a new Board Chairman.

The new Board Chairman is expected to bring about the synergy and cohesion necessary to effectively pursue the reform mandates for the UHWI.

According to the release, the reform mandates include, among other things, the recruitment of a new Chief Executive Officer, the restructuring of the organisation, completion of the implementation of the computerised health information system, and construction of the new six-floor tower.

Hylton and Cox’s nomination for selection for appointment to the Board was conducted in accordance with Section 10 of the Public Bodies Management and Accountability (Nomination, Selection, and Appointment to Boards) Regulations 2021, ensuring that all nominees are registered on the Public Bodies’ Database of Prospective Directors and confirmed by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service by email.