KINGSTON, Jamaica— The National Health Fund (NHF) last Wednesday topped the Public Sector Service Excellence Awards, copping four of the eight award categories contested.

The agency was awarded in the categories of:

Operational Excellence for modelling public sector efficiency;

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award for demonstrating commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,

The Digital Innovation and Modernisation Award for the use of digital technologies in service and

The Customer Experience Award for improvement to public service and enhanced constituent experience

Everton Anderson, chief executive officer (CEO) of NHF, in saying thanks shared with attendees a key principle adopted by the agency.

“The philosophy that we have at the NHF is that every person deserves to be treated with respect, and I’ve often said that if you care you don’t need customer service training because you will treat everyone with courtesy,” Anderson said.

“What we’ve done is try to understand what customers go through because if you don’t understand their experience you cannot improve it,” the CEO added.

In a statement announcing the win, the NHF stated that as a customer-centric organisation it consistently innovates and seeks opportunities to improve the delivery of healthcare to customers.

The fund holds certificates of conformity for the standard ISO 9001:2015 in sixteen NHF locations including warehouses, help desks, pharmacies and head office, after becoming the first Government agency to receive the certification, the statement read.

“At the end of the day the priorities of your customer must be your priority. We encourage all agencies to work together to improve the service offered,” Anderson said.

The Service Excellence Awards recognise Government organisations that have demonstrated a strong commitment to the promotion and implementation of improvements in key service delivery areas.