Audrey Hinchliffe makes career of healthcare, job creation

Audrey Hinchcliffe, a woman of character, integrity and profound determination is undoubtedly counted in Jamaican society as one of the distinguished.

She is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Caribbean Health Management Consultants Ltd. (CHMC) as well as establishing Manpower & Maintenance Services Ltd. Manpower & Maintenance is the umbrella organisation that includes the institute for Workforce Education & Development Ltd. (IWED), as well as Manpower & Maintenance Services Placement Agency Ltd. (MMSPA), and Manpower & Maintenance Services Foundation. Hinchcliffe is leader of them all.

"Audrey of all trades" many would say upon being educated about her admirable career in the healthcare system and education. She worked her way up from being a registered nurse through nursing specialisations to nursing administration, hospital administration, and educator.

After much success in the administration of healthcare, Hinchcliffe was based in the United States, was offered a position as CARICOM’s first health development officer in Guyana. Hyncliffe served the 17 Caribbean member states from Guyana from 1982-1988 before returning to Jamaica to begin her entrepreneurial endeavours.

In 1988 Mrs Hinchcliffe self-published ‘Taking Care: A Manual for Medical Office Administrators’.

Hinchcliffe, an alumnus of Excelsior High School, was also educated at the Fitz Henley Commercial School for Typing, Shorthand and Bookkeeping, The Bohemia Elementary School, where she passed first and second in the Jamaica Local Examinations, Long Island University in New York, St Francis College in Brooklyn, the University Hospital of the West Indies, School of Nursing (UHWI), and the University of York in the United Kingdom.

After high school, Hinchcliffe’s further studies paint the picture of a woman determined to be the best in her field of endeavour. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Community Health at St Francis, a certificate in health economics at York, a Master of Science degree in Health Administration at Long Island, and her registered nurse accreditation at UHWI.

She was awarded by The Caribbean Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (CAIPA) and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) for her contribution to Jamaica’s socio-economic development through investment. Hinchcliffe was nominated for the Special Award for Women Investors by Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO). Based on her outstanding contribution to the Jamaican economy and her philanthropic efforts, she was recognised by CEDA and CAIPA as an outstanding female entrepreneur. In 2006 Hinchcliffe received the honour of the Order of Distinction, Commander Class (CD) in recognition of her Entrepreneurial Enterprise and Leadership in Employer/Employee Relationships.

Commissioned as a Justice of the Peace (JP) in December 2012, Hinchcliffe was invited by US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, to serve on the US Department of State's International Council on Women's Business Leadership (ICWBL) and was re-appointed August 2014.

Just to list a few more of her awards and recognition; in 2014 she was awarded the Caribbean Woman Investor of the Year, Business Leader - Female Award 2011, Florida International University (FIU) JIM/Gleaner Manager of the Year 2008 and was inducted as a Fellow of the Jamaica Institute of Management, as well as being named Business Leader of the Year 2005.