Ossie to chair health services board

| 13/09/2021 | 63 Comments
Cayman News Service
New HSA Board Chair Osbourne Bodden (centre) with board members and HSA and Ministry of Health officials. (Missing are board members Tresea Brown and Nanalie Cover)

(CNS): Former health minister Osbourne “Ossie” Bodden has been appointed as the chair of the Health Service Authority Board. Bodden ran for office in this year’s election on the same ticket as Premier Wayne Panton and Heather Bodden, the MP for Savannah, but was defeated for the second time by Dwayne Seymour in Bodden Town East. Bodden was an MLA for ther district for two terms but was ousted from office in 2017 when he ran with the PPM, having been a Cabinet member in their 2013-2017 administration.

Bodden caused significant controversy in December 2014 when news of his offensive remarks and cursing at his chief officer, Jennifer Ahearn, was leaked into the public domain. Then premier Alden McLaughlin shuffled his Cabinet as a result and moved Bodden from the health portfolio to community affairs, youth and sports for the rest of the administration.

Bodden is one of four new appointments alongside Joy Vernon, Dr Luana Look Loy and Tayvis Walters while members Jaron Leslie (deputy chair), Tresea Brown and Nanalie Cover will continue on in their roles as directors.

“We are committed to ensuring HSA offers the highest quality healthcare and truly helping make a difference in the lives of people in the Cayman Islands each day through accessible, sustainable and patient-focused services,” said Bodden in a release about his appointment. “Each person on this board is a proven leader who will bring his or her unique expertise to the HSA board and we look forward to working together as we continue to oversee the organisation’s mission.”

HSA Chief Executive Officer Lizzette Yearwood said the members’ management experience, business acumen and knowledge in a diverse range of fields, including healthcare, bring added depth to the board. “As HSA continues to grow, their expertise will be of critical importance to the future of the organisation,” she added.

Despite promising a change to board members that would lead to more women and younger people serving, this government, like its predecessors, has been criticised for reshuffling the same old faces and selecting too many former politicians. Bodden is the second former Cabinet minister to be appointed after Cline Glidden was appointed as chair of the port authority. And while more women are appearing on boards, few have yet been named as chair.

See more about the board members on the HSA website.


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Category: Government Administration, Health, Politics

Comments (63)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Appointing Ossie is a really cod decision.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yep. It’s a load of bull.

    • Anonymous says:

      At least Jonathan is off that board. And they put him where? Education? Lord help us all.

      • Anonymous says:

        Jealous maybe?

      • Anonymous says:

        Jonathan did more for the HSA than you are doing by crowing down a successful Caymanian. If memory serves me correct, the HSA has had clean audit opinions for the last 3 or 4 years.
        Also, he was an deputy principal here in East End and has qualifications in Education… shame on you for trying to criticize this man.

      • Anonymous says:

        I humbly disagree with your statement. I’ve watched with great interest how the HSA has evolved since the Carepay debacle. The HSA board under Jonathan’s chairmanship was extremely effective. Clearly evidenced by the unqualified (clean) audits of recent times. We need more people like him producing results on every Government Board!

  2. Anonymous says:

    PACT, any surprises there?

  3. Anonymous says:

    Correction CNS, Bodden was appointed long before Cline Glidden. Check the gazettes.

    CNS: You may be right. It’s really irrelevant which one was appointed first.

  4. Anonymous says:

    CNS – an earlier release on this subject named Ronnie Dunn as Deputy Chair (he is pictured at far right); now it’s saying Dr. Look Loy. Did PACT already do a “re-shuffle”? Which is correct, please?

    BTW, Ronnie Dunn would be an excellent Deputy Chair!

    CNS: Ronnie Dunn is the deputy CEO of the HSA (i.e. deputy to Lizzette). This is the HSA board. See here for reference.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Same guy who couldn’t beat John John in an election? How embarrassing.

  6. Anonymous says:

    This is so sad cayman.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Same guy who oversaw CarePay, or a different Osbourne Bodden?

    • Anonymous says:

      Actually CarePay was Mark Scotland and NOT Osbourne Bodden. This is exactly the problem with Cayman…Slandering…

  8. Anonymous says:

    Wayne does favors for Bodden Town the same way MacKeeva did for West Bay.

  9. Anonymous says:

    It’s weird how, every time we look, Wayne is starting to remind more of Alden each day.

  10. Anonymous says:

    You all better watch out what you say about Ossie. He’s dangerous with a cow cod. He’s a 5 degree black belt cow cod Boden Town ninja warrior.

  11. Anonymous says:

    What is his medical background and experience in health matters? Has he even been vaccinated? That would be a start. Let’s go the whole hog and get Duhwayne ‘The Brain’ Seymour back as well in some spurious board appointment. SMFH.

  12. Anonymous says:

    Serious??? Ozzie?? Please try control all that stealing at the hospital

  13. Anonymous says:

    Disaster!

  14. Anonymous says:

    You can please some of the people some of the time but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.
    Looking forward to employment, training and fairness at the HSA.

  15. Anonymous says:

    I wonder if he will use a cow cod as a gavel?

  16. Anonymous says:

    So, if I run for office, but don’t win, I get consolation job on a board or committee? Seems legit.

  17. Slacker says:

    Based on his past behavior and the fact that the HSA has a significant Mental Health team, PACT should have requested full Psychiatric and Psychological assessments before appointing him to anything.

    • Anonymous says:

      He’s not nental just because he called someone a name that many Caymanians agree with. I for one am sick of for example the diftwood from JA that are now importing Covid in addition to their ghetto style.

  18. Anonymous says:

    When in doubt… cow cod.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Ossie is the big boss with the cow cod!

  20. Anonymous says:

    I doubt Oz can mash up that general HSA Cartel. Somebody nah smilin doh

  21. Anonymous says:

    Maybe he can find the Ebola tent he bought

  22. Anon says:

    Dr Luana Lookloy should be the Chairwoman of this board

    2
    1
  23. Anonymous says:

    Community creates nepotism.

  24. Anonymous says:

    Is phone service included?

  25. Anonymous says:

    Lizette, please don’t coddle him, just tell it like it is… but stay out of striking distance

  26. Anonymous says:

    Lizzette better look out

  27. Anonymous says:

    Ossie is a waste of space.Wayne what are you doing?

  28. Anonymous says:

    WHY? He was a shit minister of health and hoggish with everyone. The man is dreadful and a racist calling white Caymanian a driftwood

  29. Anonymous says:

    What does he have to offer a medical institution? No suh! PACT is really taking care of their people. What happened to diversity and young people and a fresh change? Feels like more of the same old Bull to me!

  30. Anonymous says:

    Is this the cow cod guy? Is there no other person available for this slot? He doesn’t command enough votes to get elected so why does he rate a payday?

  31. Anon says:

    Oh yes, Ossie going cow cod them into place!! Wayne did him a favor it seems!

    • Anon says:

      Lord knows upstairs needs a reshuffle, nothing but sitting on their asses collecting a check. Time for these incompetent and old dinosaurs in these management positions to go!
      Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Cmon Ossie, Whip um into shape!

    • Anonymous says:

      We know he likes cow cod more than driftwood!

  32. Anonymous says:

    Yo!! The old boys club in full effect. It never fails.
    Pot calling kettle black!!. There you have it. You can’t make this stuff up.

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