Medical Staff

Barbados Fertility Centre provides a team approach to your care. Throughout your treatment with us, a highly specialized team of doctors, nurses and embryologists will manage your case individually to provide the best possible outcome. They are all highly skilled individuals who provide support, education, information and encouragement. This is a step-by-step journey where we are happy to walk with you. While we deal with solving fertility issues on a daily basis, we also recognize that this is a unique event in your life and should be respected as such in all our interactions with you. And when we refer to ‘you’ we mean you as a couple.

At Barbados Fertility Centre you will always know what your next step is. You can ask us as many questions as you would like. Our counselors are experienced and registered psychologists who work closely with our medical team.
 
YOUR TEAM AT BARBADOS FERTILITY CENTRE

Back Row - Left to Right:
Rachel de Gale, Office Manager; Wendy Gregory, IVF Theatre Nurse; Heather Griffith, Embryologist; Damian Pike, Senior Embryologist; Nicole Bryan, Medical Assistant; Bethann Wright, IVF Nurse Coordinator; Veronica Little, Marketing Manager

Front Row - Left to Right:
Rhonda Greaves, Admin. Assistant; Dr. Juliet Skinner, Consultant Gynaecologist/Medical Director; Anna Hosford - Clinic Director; Cyrilene Austrie – Head Receptionist

Missing from photo: Lauren Marshall, Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Juliet Skinner, MRCOG, MRCPI
Medical Director

Dr. Juliet SkinnerAfter being awarded the Barbados scholarship, Dr Skinner, completed her undergraduate medical training at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Women’s health was always of special interest to her from early on in her training and she specialised in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Juliet worked in the Coombe Women’s Hospital and was the youngest doctor to ever be appointed the position of Assistant Master of this prestigious Dublin maternity hospital. After completing her specialisation in Dublin she continued as Perinatal Research Fellow. During this time she developed and evaluated a number of ultrasound diagnostic tests both for fertility and for obstetrics. In 1999 she returned home to Barbados where she dedicated her time to expanding the medical care options to women on the island and within the Caribbean. Over the years, fertility and IVF have become the focus of her interest and Dr Skinner gained invaluable experience working with the team at Sims Fertility Clinic, Dublin.

Dr Skinner is a Consultant Gynaecologist who leads the team at Barbados Fertility Centre.

Ms. Anna Hosford, RGN
Clinic Director

Ms. Anna HosfordAnna, originally from Ireland, has had extensive fertility experience from both sides of the Atlantic. After completing her nursing training in Dublin, Ireland she moved to San Francisco, USA where worked with Dr Christo Zouves and Dr Geoffrey Sher in Pacific Fertility Center. Anna spent 4 years managing the daily clinical operations at PFC and specialized in coordinating overseas couples for IVF cycles. This experience is invaluable for her role at Barbados Fertility Centre. In 1999, Anna moved home to join a new team of Irish fertility specialists and was an integral part of setting up and running the Sims Fertility Clinic. Throughout Anna’s nine years of exposure to the pain infertile couples experience, her dream has always been to create the ultimate fertility care within a reduced stress environment. This dream has become a reality in Barbados.

Damian J. Pike, B.Sc(hons)
IVF Senior Embryologist

Damin J. PikeDamian was born in the Wirral, UK. His family are NHS healthcare personnel. He originally qualified (state registered) as a Lab Scientist specialising in histo & immunopathology. He graduated with an honours degree in Anatomy & Cell Biology from the University of Sheffield, 1992.

Damian started work as an Embryologist in 1993 and was promoted to Senior Embryologist in 1995. In 1998 he was appointed as Senior Embryologist at Woking Nuffield Hospital where he introduced a number of new techniques such as assisted hatching and extended culture techniques. The Unit became one of the more successful Unit’s in the UK. In 2000, Damian became a licensed ICSI practitioner. Damian was invited to become a Scientific Inspector for the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority in 2003.

Damian has performed a number of presentations to his peers, including the British Fertility Society and the Royal College for Obstetricians & Gynecologists, London. He has been a member of the Association of Clinical Embryologist since 1993 and as a State Registered Embryologist is participating in the Continuous Education Program.

Since joining Barbados Fertility Centre, Damian has introduced a sequential media system which permits Extended (Blastocyst) culture and Blastocyst cryopreservation. The success rates for Barbados Fertility Centre 2004 are a source of pride to all staff.

Damian has participated in a number of presentations to the public and healthcare professionals in St. Lucia and Trinidad. The purpose of these presentations was to share with the attendees the role of the Embryologist and how in this role he can help the people of the Caribbean.

In October 2004, Damian attended the College of American Pathologist’s (CAP) “Reproductive Laboratory Accreditation Program Inspector Training Seminar” with the goal of having the Barbados Fertility Centre become CAP accredited in addition to following HFEA’s 6th Code of Practice.

Damian continues to contribute to the management process and has designed the laboratory in our new state-of-the-art Unit.

Heather Griffith, B.Sc(hons)
IVF Embryologist

Heather Griffith: pon completion of her Biology degree at Bristol University, Heather followed the lead of her fertility nurse mother and began her embryology training in Exeter, England. She moved to the Centre for Reproductive Medicine in Bristol in 2001, gaining her ICSI license in 2003 and the title Senior Embryologist in the same year. Heather was co-author of a paper researching the success of different Assisted Hatching techniques, and was awarded the Certificate in Clinical Embryology in 2005.

In 2006 Heather accepted a position in the renowned Assisted Reproduction & Gynaecology Centre (ARGC) in London working alongside Mr. Mohamed Taranissi. This clinic has achieved the best success rates across the UK for the past 10 years.

Heather is a member of the Association of Clinical Embryologists and actively participates in their Continued Professional Development program. She is very excited to be joining such a dynamic, patient-orientated team in Barbados and she is happy not only to be bringing her experience to the Centre, but also to be learning new procedures such as embryo vitrification.

Rachel de Gale
Finance and Administration

Rachel de Gale: Rachel is originally from Barbados and has worked extensively with the international business market for the past 8 years. Though based in Barbados, Rachel has traveled extensively throughout the U.S and Europe, working with a multitude of persons from around the globe. With this experience, Rachel brings the customer assistance expertise to the team. She manages the financial and administrative side of the Barbados Fertility Centre’s program, to ensure that all overseas clients to the Centre have an exceptional stress free experience. Rachel can help coordinate travel arrangements and hotel accommodations.  She continuously strives to guarantee that your experience with Barbados Fertility Centre a pleasing one.

Cyrilene Austrie
Office Administration

Cyrilene Austrie: Cyrilene is originally from Barbados and she is the Head Receptionist at the Barbados Fertility Centre. Cyrilene is an expert in office administration. She worked as a legal secretary in a busy, successful firm in the UK. Cyrilene returned to Barbados in 1999 after many years in the UK and has since worked exclusively with Dr Skinner in the medical field. Cyrilene manages the front desk with precision and efficiency to ensure our couples get prompt medical and administrative attention.

Rhonda Greaves
Administrator

Rhonda Greaves: Rhonda, a Barbadian, worked with UK expatriates at the Department for International Development (British High Commission) for 21 years. She started there as a Receptionist and moved up through the ranks to Secretary and then to Network Assistant. Rhonda joined Barbados Fertility Centre in 2005 and brings to the team a wealth of experience in dealing with members of the public, from Barbados, other Caribbean islands and the UK. She is efficient and very caring in her interaction with patients.

Bethann Wright, RN
IVF Clinic Coordinator

Bethann Wright: Bethann is originally from Northern British Columbia in Canada. After completing her training in 1995 and working as a general nurse, she moved to the United Kingdom. Here she specialized in Women’s Health, which sparked her interest and focus on infertility and it’s emotional effects on the patients she was seeing. Bethann worked at Midlands Fertility Services under Dr. Gillian Lockwood for 6 years. In order to expand her knowledge and explore new opportunities Bethann and her family decided to re-locate to Barbados where she joined the Barbados Fertility Centre team in July 2006. Bethann and her family are loving island life and the sunshine.

Lauren Marshall, MA
Clinical Psychologist

Lauren Marshall: Lauren is our Clinical Psychologist who trained at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. She returned home to Barbados in August 2006 and has been in private practice since that time.

Lauren leads our Healthy Mind/Body program which is designed to help participants optimize their general health and well-being, as well as their reproductive health. The group teaches couples how to build their health, learn to elicit the relaxation response, and cope better with the stress created by infertility. It also teaches ways to reduce harmful thought patterns which can lead to depression and increase of stress levels. Studies have shown that the effectiveness of Mind/Body treatment for infertility can be dramatic and can significantly increase your chances of a successful treatment.