9 July 2007
Press Announcement from Premier Ewart Brown

Good afternoon to the team of healthcare community professionals assembled here, invited guests from the Opposition, and members of the press. We're glad all of you could be present to hear this exciting news.

There is a bold new vision for healthcare in Bermuda and it is now taking shape.

In this room we have representatives from some of the world's most well respected and trusted hospitals and all of them have agreed to partner with this Government as we move the country's healthcare forward.

It is a landmark commitment for Bermuda and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Kurron.

Kurron moved quickly to secure collaboration commitments from the Lahey Clinic in Massachusetts, Partners Healthcare System also in Massachusetts and Johns Hopkins in Maryland. It was a critically important move and it was handled with the urgency it deserves.

These reputable institutions are now on our team.

These reputable institutions are committed to helping us improve the quality of healthcare for all Bermudians.

These reputable institutions are part of our country's future.

With these healthcare providers we are enlisting partnerships with hospitals that Bermudians will recognize and respect - hospitals synonymous with excellence: Johns Hopkins, Lahey Clinic, and all the Harvard University Hospitals including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mass General, and Brigham and Women's.

Our medical professionals at King Edward will soon have access to the medical professionals at the hospitals I just named. It means our doctors and nurses and technicians can tap into the resources of some of the world's most talented medical personnel. This immediately improves the culture of healthcare at King Edward for every Bermudian. Through targeted training and improved services, we can build new levels of public confidence in our entire healthcare system.

Furthermore, patients who come to King Edward can trust that their hospital is backed by the likes of some of the finest hospitals in the world.

Part of this visionary plan includes doctors from these partner hospitals coming to Bermuda to provide specialized care. It's easy to see the benefit of bringing one doctor to Bermuda over sending 20 Bermudian patients to Maryland or Massachusetts. This new partnership will facilitate progress and efficiency for Bermuda's healthcare system. The expert care Bermudians have chased around the world will soon come home to them.

Today our critics should know that this Government has brought together a coalition of hospitals in a way not seen anyplace else in the world.

Our bold new vision for healthcare is now taking shape and Bermudians are the beneficiaries.