Milestones – 2002-2017
Milestones 1982-2002 | Milestones 2002-2017 | Milestones 2017-present
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An electronic Medical Record system would be started in 2007, and the MRFTT would lead the way as the first public health unit in the country to completely transition their medical records system to a fully electronic medical record system. A key factor in the successful transitioning process was due to the long-standing information technology support and services that was started at MRFTT in 1983 by Roger Moe & company… a solid collaboration which continues to this day.
Weekly education sessions led by Professor Bartholomew and supported by Dr Boyce, led to the building of an extensive body of knowledge among the staff of the MRFTT, and this would become an important factor for ensuring that treatment protocols were adhered to, in order to keep up with the dynamic nature of changing treatment protocols based on new findings. This then translated into maintaining the “Gold standard” care that Professor Bartholomew insisted on as his benchmark.
The rapid increase of its client population led to needs-based care in order to meet the changing demands of the clinic population, and this saw task shifting and specialized services including phlebotomy and psycho-social services being started. Furthermore, the MRFTT doctors started reviewing HIV clients warded at Caura Hospital (Tuberculosis), and the Port of Spain General Hospital-a relationship that remains in place to this time, with MRFTT doctors making monthly on-call rotations for currently warded MRFTT clients.
The Living Water Community would also partner with the MRFTT and together opened the Mercy Home Hospice which would serve as a lifeline for clients who needed hospice or palliative care.
Special attention and research activities into conditions including but not limited to late presenters, cancers, HTLV1, Hepatitis B and Natural Viral Suppressors would be undertaken under the supervision of Professor Bartholomew.