Behind every successful open-heart surgery is a highly specialized medical team, and at the center of that team is a professional operating the life-sustaining cardiopulmonary bypass machine. Known as a Perfusionist, this healthcare specialist effectively manages a patient’s physiological status, keeping them alive while their heart is temporarily stopped during complex cardiac surgeries.
Recognizing a critical shortage of this vital skillset within Jamaica’s local healthcare system, the CHASE Fund stepped forward in 2020, inviting qualified medical personnel to apply for specialized scholarships in Perfusion Medicine under its Health portfolio. This strategic intervention began when the I Have a Heart Foundation brought this critical deficit directly to the attention of the Prime Minister. Recognizing the urgent risk to national cardiac care, the Prime Minister mandated that the CHASE Fund identify and sponsor qualified recipients to bridge the gap.
Today, that mandate is bearing fruit through the inspiring, resilient journey of two dedicated Jamaican healthcare professionals: Ms. Faith Johnson, and Mr. Moses Linton, the only Jamaican perfusionists in the country, and CHASE Fund scholarship recipients.
The path to securing this advanced training for Jamaica was a testament to perseverance. In 2020, three medical professionals from the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) initially qualified for the scholarship and were accepted into Barry University in Florida. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the university to suddenly withdraw the program later that year.
Undeterred, and with the continuous backing of the CHASE Fund, the applicants spent the next two years navigating international admissions hurdles, including limited space for overseas students at other institutions like Hofstra University in New York. During this prolonged waiting period, one applicant migrated and withdrew from the process.
The ultimate breakthrough came in early 2023, when both Faith and Moses successfully secured acceptance into the prestigious Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion program at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom for the 2023/24 academic year. CHASE covered their tuition.
The Head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at UHWI played a pivotal role in championing this scholarship initiative, recognizing how critical these specialized skills are to the hospital’s daily, life-saving operations. To ensure the students gain the mandatory practical experience required to sit their professional qualifying examinations, UHWI established a dynamic international training network. A senior Perfusionist from Canada travels to Jamaica to provide on-the-ground clinical instruction at UHWI, and the students are also slated for hands-on practical rotations in Martinique.
