VSA Moves Healthcare Professional Registry Project Into Review, Design and Legislative Phase

GREAT BAY--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor is moving the Healthcare Professional Registrar Project into its next major phase, with stakeholders expected to review the project’s discovery report and proposed registry design options during June and July 2026.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Richinel Brug said the upcoming stage will focus on stakeholder review, practical system design and preparation for the legislation needed to establish a formal healthcare professional registry for St. Maarten.

The next immediate step is the finalization of the discovery report, which will include feedback gathered from stakeholders during the consultation process. Once completed, the report, together with proposed design options for the type of health registry St. Maarten should establish, will be shared with stakeholders for review.

Following this review period, the project team intends to host a follow-up stakeholder meeting in mid-to-late August 2026. During that session, stakeholders will be able to discuss the proposed registry models, provide additional input and help refine the preferred design for the future healthcare professional registry.

“We are now moving into a very important stage of the project where stakeholder feedback and practical system design will help shape the final direction of the healthcare registrar for St. Maarten, prior to drafting the actual legislation,” Minister Brug said.

The Ministry said this phase will also prepare the way for the next operational step, including publication of the Terms of Reference for an ICT Specialist. The ICT Specialist will support development of the future digital registry platform, which is expected to form a key part of the new professional registration system.

Once the stakeholder consultation process is completed, the project’s starting note is expected to be finalized in the third quarter of 2026. After all relevant stakeholder information has been incorporated, the legislative draftsman can formally begin drafting the updated healthcare legislation required to support the registry.

The Healthcare Professional Registrar Project has already completed several important components, including stakeholder consultations, legislative analyses, comparative reviews of healthcare registration systems within the Dutch Kingdom and the region, and working visits to Aruba and Curaçao to study best practices and opportunities for cooperation.

Under Dutch law, the existing BIG-register, short for Beroepen in de Individuele Gezondheidszorg, is the legal online public register for individual healthcare professions. BIG registration is mandatory for 11 healthcare professions in the Netherlands, including doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, midwives, physician assistants, psychotherapists, healthcare psychologists, clinical technologists and general educational psychologists. Only professionals listed in the BIG-register may use the protected professional title and independently perform reserved acts connected to that profession. The register also allows the public to verify a healthcare professional’s qualifications, entitlement to practice and whether a disciplinary measure has been imposed.  

Minister Brug said the establishment of a proper professional registration framework is intended to strengthen healthcare governance, improve oversight and safeguard patient safety in St. Maarten.

“This project is about building a stronger and more transparent healthcare system for the people of St. Maarten. By establishing clear professional standards and a proper registration framework for St. Maarten, we are taking important steps to strengthen healthcare governance, improve oversight, and safeguard patient safety for years to come,” the Minister said.

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