Leadership & Partners

Driving the Future of Healthcare on Staniel Cay

Our community members have shown exceptional leadership in revitalizing St. Luke’s Clinic, making significant strides in improving its facilities and services. This effort is driven by a Local Steering Committee composed of dedicated Staniel Cay businesspeople, contractors, builders, electricians, local government representatives, ministers, retired lawyers, and other community members. Committed to transparency and accountability, we aim to complete this critical initiative and beyond. Now, we're excited to collaborate with esteemed partners who share our vision, driving our continued success. Learn more about our partnerships below.

Staniel Cay St. Luke’s Clinic Foundation

Friends of Staniel Cay created a non-profit organization in the USA to serve as a fundraising entity for the benefit of St. Luke’s Medical Clinic on Staniel Cay. This organization secured 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status from the IRS, allowing you to deduct your contributions from your taxable income. This status is a significant boost to our fundraising efforts, and we are proud and appreciative to partner with this organization.

Ministry of Health

While the community of Staniel Cay owns the clinic and the land, the Bahamas Ministry of Health fully supports this initiative and is partnering with us throughout the process. In recent years, the Ministry of Health has provided medicines and supplies to the clinic, paid for nurses' salaries and housing, covered clinic utilities, and funded nurses' cell phones. The Ministry has committed to continuing and expanding this support. We give special acknowledgment to Ms. Charlene Bain of the Ministry of Health for her invaluable assistance—past, present, and future.

Lighthouse Point Yacht Club

We must give a shout-out to our very first partner, the Lighthouse Point Yacht Club. Long-time visitors to Staniel Cay, including annual summer boat pilgrimages, these mariners love our community. Like many visitors, they have also needed clinic services from time to time. With ideas born from a night at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, LPHYC was pivotal in hosting the first fundraiser for the benefit of the Staniel Cay Clinic, raising more than $200,000! They remain steadfast supporters of this initiative and have the eternal gratitude of our community.

Supporting Partners

The Coughlin Foundation is a vital supporting partner of the clinic because of its shared commitment to strengthening healthcare access for the Exuma community and the many families, employees, and visitors who rely on it. Their generous donation of $250,000

has accelerated critical phases of construction, allowing the project timeline to advance significantly while catalyzing broader philanthropic momentum. This investment has materially shifted the trajectory of the clinic’s redevelopment,

helping transform vision into reality.

“As a community member in the central Exuma area, I think having proper medical services is part of our responsibility to our guests, our Bahamian employees and their families, and the local community,” said Mr. Coughlin. “Boating-related injuries make up a significant portion of what the clinic treats, and this upgrade will tremendously improve their ability to respond. Having a facility that is close to the water, highly visible, properly staffed, and fully equipped is essential.”

Through both leadership and generosity, the Coughlin Foundation exemplifies the spirit of partnership—ensuring the clinic is positioned to deliver high-quality, lifesaving care now and for generations to come.

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History

Established in the early 1960s, St. Luke’s Clinic on Staniel Cay is one of the oldest Family Island Clinics in the Bahamas. Staniel Cay was the first community in the Bahamas (along with Long Island) to build its own medical clinic, with the local community owning both the clinic and the land it sits on. Before the clinic's establishment, there were no professional healthcare services available on the island.

Donna Chamberlain, a nurse and wife of one of the original founders of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, arrived on Staniel Cay in the late 1950s. Recognizing the vital need for healthcare, she began advocating and planning for the clinic. With the community's support and local men contributing labor and expertise, a new building was completed around 1961. It was staffed by Donna, visiting nurses, and doctors, including Dr. Saunders, an early expat homeowner who provided essential knowledge and supplies.

In recent years, due to a lack of maintenance, the clinic declined in both physical condition and capacity to deliver healthcare. By 2022, the situation was dire, leading to calls for its closure. However, closing the clinic would have left the island without any healthcare, making it necessary for residents to travel to other islands for basic or emergency care.

Recognizing the urgency, a group of community members came together in late 2022 to address the clinic's most pressing needs. They installed a new roof on the East Wing and improved the interior with new LED lighting, flooring, a pharmacy section, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, and fresh paint. These efforts, completed in 2023, were accomplished with privately donated materials and a mix of volunteer and paid labor.

The clinic now has two examination rooms, a pharmacy, and a waiting area, making it semi-operational. However, further advancements are needed to transform it into a fully functional medical center. The community aims to raise funds to complete the East Wing, renovate the West Wing, and add upstairs apartments for healthcare professionals.

The proposed “Public/Private Partnership” seeks to combine community efforts and government support. The Bahamian Ministry of Health will provide medicines, supplies, staff, utilities, and housing for nurses. Join us in supporting St. Luke’s Clinic to ensure it continues to serve our community and visitors with the high-quality care they deserve.

VIEW THE PLANS

Mission

Our mission is to provide high-quality healthcare for both residents and visitors of Staniel Cay.

Through community and government collaboration, we aim to transform St. Luke's Clinic into a fully operational medical center, ensuring exceptional care for all.

Photo Credit: Joan Mann

Community

Staniel Cay is a small, tight-knit community, approximately two square miles, with most native residents descending from five original families. This culture of friendliness and warmth has endured over the decades, drawing visitors year after year to enjoy Staniel Cay's unique hospitality. Many visitors have become seasonal residents with second homes, becoming an important part of our community.

The community of Staniel Cay has a unique history of resourcefulness and a strong ability to “fend for ourselves.” The existing clinic is a prime example of local initiative: Staniel Cay was one of the first communities in the Bahamas, alongside Long Island, to create its own medical clinic. We now aim to elevate the clinic to an even higher standard of medical access and services, becoming a beacon of success.

The community is actively involved in this building initiative through:

- Well-attended meetings and interest,
- Donations of funds,
- Donations of time and labor,
- Donations of meals for laborers,
- Other in-kind donations,
- An overall commitment to dramatically improve the clinic and medical services on Staniel Cay.