Dr Heskith Vanterpool, M.B.B.S., F.R.C.P. (London), M.Sc. (Cardiology), is a renowned physician and business entrepreneur in the BVI. He is also the owner of, and Medical Director at, the Eureka Medical Clinic and Bougainvillea Clinic (Private Hospital) in Road Town, Tortola. At the medical centres, he serves as a Consultant Physician, a specialist in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, and Cardiology, as well as the Medical Director.
Dr Vanterpool has close ties to Anguilla as a native son, with many siblings and relatives still living here. He was born in 1954 to the late Geneva Harrigan and the late Walter Hodge of Island Harbour and Junks Hole. In 1958, his mother moved to Tortola with her four young children in search of employment.
Heskith received his formative education in Tortola and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of the West Indies. He did his post-graduate studies in internal medicine and gastroenterology in London before returning to the BVI in 1985 where he practised his craft as a warm, caring, and competent medical specialist. However, with a limited number of physicians in the BVI at the time, Dr Vanterpool quickly broadened his skills and expertise and also served as a paediatrician, emergency room physician, assisted with surgeries, delivered babies, and established the internal medicine department at Peebles Hospital in Tortola.
Later on, Dr Vanterpool and his wife established a private medical practice which became known as the Eureka Medical Clinic, in 1990. Dr Vanterpool recounted: “It was called ‘Eureka’ because a lot of the services offered were diagnostic in nature – the ‘aha, I found it’… the ‘eureka moment’”. To date, the clinic and its competent staff continue to provide primary, diagnostic and specialised medical care to patients across the BVI and the region.
Over the years, Dr Vanterpool’s medical services have evolved from a solo practice at Eureka Medical Clinic, to an established multi-service, medical centre. Its offerings include specialised care in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Paediatrics, ENT, urological services, Gynecologic, Orthopedic, and Dermatology services. There is a state of art imaging department with ultrasound, digital x-rays, and mammography and is integrally connected with the imaging department at Bougainvillea Clinic where the MRI and CT scanning services can be accessed. Eureka is also closely connected with Medicure Pharmacy and Laboratory services.
In 2010 the rudimentary Bougainvillea Clinic was purchased from Dr. Robin Tattersall, a plastic surgeon, and has since been expanded into a hospital that offers an impressive range of advanced surgical and medical services.
The Hospital has two modern Operating Theatres – equipped to do General and laparoscopic surgery, total Knee and Hip replacements, Spinal surgery including Cervical Disc Replacements, Ear-Nose -Throat surgery, Urologic surgery – kidney, bladder and prostate operations with latest Laser equipment. Patients with early prostate cancer are treated by Brachytherapy by a visiting team of specialists from the USA that does implantation of radioactive seeds into the prostate. A different team of doctors does Kidney transplant surgery.
Plastic and reconstructive surgery is now offered by a visiting Plastic Surgeon who has replaced Dr. Robin Tattersall.
The Cardiac surgery team is also offering Open Heart surgery – valve replacement and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting. The first case of Open-heart surgery done at Bougainvillea Clinic was covered in The Anguillian newspaper on December 6, 2021.
The Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory (Cathlab) – is equipped to do Coronary angiograms and Stent placements to open blocked arteries in the heart. Here Cardiologists implant Pacemakers, Defibrillators and other devices in the heart (CRTD, ICM). The Imaging Department includes a 1.5T MRI machine and a 128 slice CT scanner, along with digital X-rays and Ultrasound.
Both medical centres are tightly connected with staff, being of one ownership. There is a total of 20 GPs and specialists providing this extensive and sophisticated health care offering.
Many international patients from the Caribbean and wider afield are now able to access the services of Bougainvillea Clinic. The Clinic would like to be considered as an alternative for referrals when patients from Anguilla and other Caribbean islands have the need to travel overseas for advanced medical/surgical care.
Dr Vanterpool draws people and patients with his genuine, warm, gentle and humble approach while remaining focused on patient care. While he continues his medical practice in the BVI, he would like to extend the life-changing and life-saving services of the Eureka Medical Clinic and the Bougainvillea Clinic to fellow Anguillians – as well as other patients throughout the region.
The Anguillian would like to extend hearty congratulations to Dr Heskith Vanterpool and the Eureka Medical and Bougainvillea family, and wishes them well in future endeavours.
