Page 59 - UWI Class of '74 Memory Lane

ISHMAEL, Richard “Ish”
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1974 Biography 2018
Paediatric Cardiology & Cardiology, Barbados
Dr Ishmael did his Internship and a SHO year in Internal Medicine at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Barbados before proceeding to New York where he did his Residency in Paediatrics, followed by Fellowships in Cardiology at New York University Medical Centre and Brookdale Hospital Medical Centre.
He returned to Barbados in 1982 as Consultant Cardiologist at the QEH where he pioneered echocardiography and cardiac catheterisation and angiography. He set up cardiac programmes with hospitals in New York (1982) and later, Jacksonville, Florida (2008) whereby approximately 600 Caribbean children and young adults have had surgery in New York and Jacksonville at significantly subsidised costs.
After being recruited back to New York for a short stint (1985-1988), during which time he continued to service the islands, Dr Ishmael returned to Barbados and was instrumental in setting up a successful Invasive Cardiology and a Cardiac Surgical Programme at the QEH. The Department of Cardiovascular Services, was formed in 1993 with Dr. Ishmael as its first Head, a post he held for 10 years.
He has also been actively involved in private practice and has been instrumental in setting up a ‘state of the art’ cardiac facility in the private sector in Barbados.
He is an Associate Lecturer in Cardiology at UWI and has been involved in teaching Medical Students and Residents during their Cardiology rotations. He has published his work widely and has presented many papers at International Conferences.
He has been President of The Caribbean Cardiac Society and Governor of the Caribbean Chapter of The American College of Cardiology.
He recently retired from public service at the QEH but continues to be very busy in private practice.