Dr Samuel Not Among CEO Applicants
Health Minister Vincent Wheatley has confirmed that acting BVIHSA CEO Dr June Samuel did not apply for the substantive chief executive post now being advertised. The BVI Health Services Authority board is conducting the recruitment and will forward a recommendation to the minister, with Cabinet not involved in the selection.
Health Minister Vincent Wheatley has told reporters that Dr June Samuel — who has been serving as acting chief executive officer of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) — is not listed among applicants for the permanent CEO role currently being advertised. "We are currently going through a recruitment process.
And as far as I know, I don’t think Dr Samuel applied to even assume that position," Wheatley said, describing the matter as part of a formal hiring exercise overseen by the BVIHSA board. He added that the minister must agree with any recommendation the board puts forward, but declined to offer further comment while the recruitment is ongoing.
The BVIHSA manages the territory’s public health services, including the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital in Road Town, and the CEO position is critical for operational leadership and long-term planning for the public health system. Dr Samuel has served in the acting role during the interim period while the authority seeks a permanent leader.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley clarified during a recent press briefing that the appointment of a permanent CEO is the responsibility of the health minister and the BVIHSA board, not Cabinet. "Based on the legislation, the board has to. The minister has to agree with whoever the board puts forward," he told reporters, and also expressed appreciation for Dr Samuel’s service in the acting capacity.
Officials have not provided a timeline for when the recruitment exercise will conclude or when a permanent appointment might be announced. Minister Wheatley said the list of applicants was submitted to him by the BVIHSA board, and that Dr Samuel’s name was not among those forwarded.
For residents, the process means continuity of leadership will be determined through the board’s selection and the minister’s subsequent agreement. The outcome will shape priorities for staffing, patient services, and any planned reforms at the territory’s main public hospital. The government has so far declined to release further details about the applicant pool or the selection timetable while the recruitment remains active.
Primary source: BVI News