"The entire faculty, administration, and students at the University are very saddened by her untimely death", said Dr. Peter Bell, AUA's Vice President of Academic Affairs and Executive Dean. “I have personally lost a good friend and mentor. The school has lost an outstanding colleague and the Caribbean a very strong advocate for the improvement of health care," he added.
Dr. McBarnette was instrumental in launching AUA's School of Nursing in September 2008 and served as its Founding Dean in charge of administration and academics. Through her relationship with Lehman College City University of New York (CUNY), she established an affiliation that allows AUA students who successfully complete the Associates Degree program to qualify for entrance into CUNY's BSc degree program in Nursing. At AUA, Dr. McBarnette served as Vice Provost for Health Professions and Vice President for Institutional Development. Dr. McBarnette was a recognized leader and pioneer in international education, having served as Chancellor of the University in St. Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles, Chancellor of American International University, and Visiting Professor at St. George's University in Grenada.
She held many high-profile executive positions in the healthcare industry in New York State where she served as Commissioner of Health, Executive Deputy Commissioner of Health, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Episcopal Health Services, Executive Vice President of St. Peter's Medical Centre, and Associate Executive Director of Queen's Hospital Centre. Additionally, she served as Professor and Dean of the School of Health, Technology and Management at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and was also Professor of Health Policy and Management at SUNY Albany’s School of Public Health. She founded a plethora of public health programs both in academia and the public domain.
Dr. McBarnette received her Bachelor of Arts from the College at Old Westbury, her Master of Science in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University, her Doctor of Education from LaSalle University and her Doctor of Science from American International School of Medicine. She also received a Certificate in Public Administration from Long Island University, C.W. Post College.
Originally from the island of Grenada, Dr. McBarnette lived in New York, but loved to visit the Caribbean as often as possible. She enjoyed sailing in Grenada and made the health issues of the region an area of tremendous personal concern. Dr. McBarnette led many students to become caring and thoughtful members of the global medical community.
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Lorna Scott McBarnette, ScD, EdD is Vice President for Institutional Development and Vice Provost for Health Professions at American University of Antigua School of Nursing. Dr. McBarnette is regarded as an expert in the fields of public health and health policy. She has served as Professor and Dean of the School of Health, Technology and Management at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. There, she was instrumental in the increase of class size, and creating several new undergraduate programs.
She earned a reputation for taking on and solving difficult policy problems while she was First Deputy Commissioner of Health of New York State. Dr. McBarnette was one of the first health professionals who publicly called for the re-training of medical doctors in an attempt to prevent future biological attacks in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. In addition, Dr. McBarnette lends her expertise, proven skills and leadership to the international level mostly in the Caribbean and Africa by creating new companies and offering consult on starting up new health programs and projects.