ONE SISTER IN ST MARY, THE OTHER IN ST ANN — BOTH LEADING AS MOH
ST ANN’S BAY, St Ann, March 30, 2026
By Peta Gay Hodges (JIS)
Twin sisters, Dr. Tamara Henry-Gilpin and Dr. Tamika Henry, are quietly transforming public healthcare in neighbouring parishes of St Ann and St Mary.
Dr. Tamara Henry-Gilpin serves as Medical Officer of Health (MOH) for St. Mary, where she is responsible for the technical services in primary care for the parish.
In St. Ann, Dr. Tamika Henry holds a similar post, where she ensures that things are in place for primary healthcare, while also coordinating responses at the secondary level, particularly in times of disaster.
Their professional symmetry is striking and often confusing for those whom they encounter.
“Sometimes people think it’s one of us. They’ll ask why I’m in the wrong parish because they don’t realise there are two of us,” Dr. Henry says with a laugh.
For Dr. Henry-Gilpin, the reactions range from curiosity to outright fascination.
“Some persons are stunned, and some are fascinated. They’re not used to seeing twins who are this close in so many areas,” she states, while pointing out that their closeness is the foundation of all that they do.
“We don’t have a high level of sibling rivalry. I just love being around her. She’s one of my favourite persons in the world,” Dr. Henry says in response.
Being twins is more than a biological fact; it is a built-in support system that has proven invaluable to the sisters in the demanding world of public health.
Their days are long and unpredictable, often stretching far beyond standard working hours.
Dr. Henry-Gilpin points out that in such an environment, having someone who understands the pressures without explanation is a rare advantage.
The sisters agree that their collaboration has become a quiet strength behind their leadership. Both physicians are responsible for overseeing healthcare systems that serve thousands and making decisions that impact entire communities.
Yet, even at that level, they remain each other’s sounding board.
Their journey into public health, however, was shaped by very different experiences.
For Dr Henry-Gilpin, the turning point came during the Ebola crisis.
At the time, she had her sights set on specialising in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and had even been accepted into a programme, but life intervened when the illness of a family member caused her to pause those plans, and in that period of uncertainty, a new calling emerged.
She took on the training with excitement, and that sense of purpose led her into public health in 2015, where she began working in quality assurance, helping to build programmes across multiple areas, including infection prevention and control, clinical effectiveness, and patient safety. Over time, she expanded into non-communicable disease prevention before eventually taking up her current role as MOH in St Mary.
Dr. Henry’s journey, by contrast, was marked by personal loss.
Her original ambition was to become a paediatric emergency physician. She was already working in emergency medicine and had been accepted into a specialist programme.
But everything changed after the death of a close family member – someone who had been treated in the very department where she worked.
The emotional toll caused her to reconsider her path, and she gravitated towards a different approach to medicine, one focused on prevention rather than crisis response.
“I wanted to be a part of seeing people before they get that ill – to be involved in prevention and promotion,” she states.
That decision led her into public health, where she began working in surveillance and disaster management, and it was there that she found her niche.
“I loved it. It’s a fast-paced area that combines preventive health with emergency medicine,” Dr. Henry shares.
Eventually, she transitioned into parish-level leadership, where she now applies both clinical and administrative expertise in St. Ann.
Despite the differences in how they arrived, the twins’ careers have aligned in remarkable ways. Both now operate at the forefront of Jamaica’s public health system, balancing strategy, service delivery, and crisis management.
They also occasionally must navigate the confusion that comes with people mixing them up.
Dr. Henry explains that in a field where decisions are often made under pressure and with limited resources, having a trusted partner who understands both the technical and emotional demands of the job is invaluable.
“You’re able to share best practices, inspire each other, and just work through things together,” she stated.
Faith remains central to how they interpret their journey. Both women speak of their paths as guided by God and shaped by experiences that, ultimately, led them to where they are today.
“I think the Lord saw that I needed her, and so He made me a twin,” Dr. Henry-Gilpin beamed.
Today, as they lead healthcare systems in neighbouring parishes, Dr. Tamara
Henry-Gilpin and Dr. Tamika Henry represent more than professional success. They embody a model of collaboration rooted in family, resilience forged through personal trials, and a shared commitment to improving lives.
Individually, they are accomplished physicians and leaders. Together, they are something far more powerful, a partnership that continues to shape the delivery of public health in the North-East Regional Health Authority.
(There was limited editing of this feature for the North Coast Times — Editor)
