The Pediatric Team of the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) was recently selected to present at the 3rd edition of the Dutch Caribbean Research Week 2023, a five-day online conference, featuring lectures and interactive sessions.
On Tuesday, June 27th, the selected research theme was ‘health and healthcare’ and SMMC’s team presented their research on respiratory tract infection epidemiology in children on the island on St. Maarten. The team consisted of Dr. Lilly Verhagen, SMMC Pediatrician and Infectious Disease and Immunology Subspecialist at Radboud University Medical Center (UMC) in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, Dr. Martijn Tilanus, SMMC Pediatrician and other members of SMMC’s Pediatric team. The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Radjin Steingrover, Medical Microbiologist, Dr. Chérina Fleming, St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) Director and Clinical Chemist and Mr. Gabriel Odono, SLS Supervisor of Clinical Chemistry, Hematology and Special Chemistry.
The data indicated that SMMC is notably burdened by respiratory tract infections and that island transmission dynamics are different, indicating that preventative measures, such as vaccination strategies, may need to be adapted. The team’s presentation was well received and they look forward to future results from this work. SMMC is proud to conduct and facilitate research that allows for tailored approaches to care.