After viewing the viral video of Black doctor Susan Moore alleging poor and racist treatment from hospital staff before she died of COVID in December 2020, Aubynette Rolle, an internationally-recognized nurse who is also a medical attorney, says now more than ever, there must be a change in the way healthcare is delivered.
“I was heartbroken to see the videos Dr. Moore recorded before her death and she is not the only one who has experienced or has recordings or allegations out there,” said Rolle. “I have read and seen footage so many times about Black women in the USA dying giving birth and their husbands and relatives are left with questions. In the majority of Black nations, it isn’t quite the case as infants and mothers do receive care generally from people who look like them. Regardless of what title you hold, at the end of the day, we are all mortal and we will need medical assistance. I remind my colleagues in healthcare to remember that they can go from being the doctor or nurse to being the patient in an instant and they don’t know who may end up caring for them, especially if they are unable to speak. That is why it is so important for me to continue doing the R.I.C.H. experience training and establish the need for a culture of care across the board.”
Rolle has advocated for better care and strategies for improving quality and patient safety at regional meetings at the World Health Organization in Washington D.C., and was instrumental in working with the Public Hospitals Authority in The Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian in 2019. She also works with the Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Initially trained as a nurse and midwife, Rolle has a Master Certificate in Healthcare Leadership from Cornell University, earned her law degree and Masters in Business Administration with Specialization in Risk Management from the University of London, UK, and was called to the Bahamas Bar after graduating as Best All-Around Student from the Eugene Dupuch Law School. In addition to consulting and training, she presently serves as the Director of Risk, Quality, and Patient Safety at the Public Hospitals Authority.
She officially launched the R.I.C.H. Experience course in fall 2020 with a focus on policy and procedure development, leadership and team training, clinical outcomes, legal and regulatory compliance, as well as quality and patient safety management. She has also been essential in creating policies, identifying inefficiencies and developing better quality healthcare programs for healthcare organizations. The acronym she explained stands for Respect, Involvement in your care, Commitment of care providers, and Honesty.
“So far, my books are in hands of college professors and frontline healthcare workers in Florida and The Bahamas with people in Jamaica and Atlanta, Georgia expressing interest as well,” noted Rolle. “Healthcare, emphasis on care, is universal and as such, health professionals must remember the importance of patients being heard and being able to trust that they are being treated with dignity.”
For more information, please visit AubynetteRolle.com