Dr. Ishmael is chair at Barbados Accreditation Council

Consultant cardiologist Dr Richard Ishmael is the new chair of the Barbados Accreditation Council.

Dr Ishmael, who is a director of Cardiovascular Diagnostics Inc. and Interventional Radiology and Cardiology Inc. at Bracebridge Medical Centre, brings several decades of leadership and corporate governance experience as he takes up his new position.

In 1993, he pioneered the development of the Cardiac Catheterisation and Open Heart Surgical Programmes at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and served as the first head of the Department of Cardiovascular Services as well as director of the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory. He is Immediate Past President of The Caribbean Cardiac Society and was also Governor of the Caribbean Chapter of The American College of Cardiology.

In the space of tertiary education, Dr Ishmael is no stranger, with his 36 years of experience as an Associate Lecturer in Cardiology at the School of Clinical Medicine and Research at the UWI Cave Hill Campus.

Speaking on the new appointment, Executive Director Lisa Gale said: “We at the BAC are pleased to have Dr Ishmael’s rich wisdom and experience, which will add a unique perspective to Barbados’ sole external quality assurance agency. As a medical doctor, Dr Ishmael would fit well as BAC’s representative on the Medical Council, and his advice as it relates to offshore medical schools would be invaluable. We look forward to his tenure.”

She also extended gratitude to the former chair Ann Lady Hewitt, a previous educator and human resource practitioner who served with distinction.

Dr Ishmael commented on his objectives for the Council, stating that “the Council will work assiduously to facilitate the free movement of CARICOM nationals within the region through the Certificate of Recognition of CARICOM Skills Qualification programme. Also, it will seek to set high standards and efficient processes through which higher-learning institutions can operate and gain credible recognition and accreditation for their institution and/or programmes, to the benefits of the institution, its students and the community”.

(Barbados Accreditation Council) info@bac.gov.bb