Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability announces new Director for DHRS and Superintendent of Health Insurance

The Ministry of Health, Environment and Sustainability (MHES) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Annikki Hill as Director for the Department of Health Regulatory Services (DHRS) and Superintendent of Health Insurance.

Director Hill succeeds Mr. Mervyn Conolly, who retired from the Cayman Islands Government at the end of August 2026, after more than 45 years of public service, including his leadership of DHRS and the Health Insurance Commission.

For Director Hill, the appointment represents a return to an environment that has been part of her professional life since childhood. Her first job, at the age of 14, was at the Cayman Islands Hospital, where she worked during the summer in medical records. She also spent summers working in the insurance industry.

Although she subsequently built her early professional career in law, Director Hill returned to the health-insurance sector within her first month of practising as an attorney, joining International Healthcare Solutions Ltd. (IHSL), Generali Worldwide’s General Agent in the Cayman Islands, as its attorney. She went on to serve as the company’s Country Manager and In-House Counsel for 12 years.

Reflecting on her career path, Director Hill said the experience has prepared her uniquely for her new responsibilities.

“My path has always been to do the next good thing in front of me. But if I’d set out to plan my way to becoming Director of DHRS, I couldn’t have designed a better one.”

Director Hill takes up the leadership of DHRS at a time when the Cayman Islands continues to strengthen its health and regulatory framework. The Ministry is advancing a programme of health legislative reform, including reforms intended to modernise and strengthen the country’s health system.

Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, the Minister for Health, Environment and Sustainability, said the appointment forms part of Government’s wider work to strengthen the country’s health system.

“Strong health systems depend on clear policy direction, sound legislation and effective institutions working together. As Government continues to advance the reforms needed to support a modern, resilient and sustainable health system, the regulatory function will remain an essential part of that work. Director Hill brings a valuable combination of legal, health-insurance and Caymanian experience to this role, and I look forward to seeing that experience contribute to the Ministry’s broader health agenda.”

The Chief Officer for Health, Environment and Sustainability, Ms. Tamara Ebanks, said Director Hill’s appointment comes at an important point for the continued development of the Department.

“DHRS plays a critical role in the day-to-day functioning of Cayman’s health system, and effective delivery depends on strong internal systems, capable teams and clear lines of accountability. Director Hill joins a department with considerable expertise and an important operational mandate, and we will work closely with her and the DHRS team to ensure continuity of service while supporting the department’s continued development.”

Director Hill said one of her immediate priorities will be to build on the foundation established during Mr. Conolly’s tenure.

“It is important to me that we honour the legacy Mr. Conolly created. He founded a functioning regulator where none had existed before. That foundation is what allows us to look ahead.”

Looking forward, Director Hill said she intends to focus on modernising DHRS’s systems and technology, supporting the development of the healthcare legislative framework and strengthening the use of healthcare intelligence to support informed decision making.

She also emphasised the importance of ensuring that DHRS remains accessible and responsive to the public.

“The most important thing the public should expect from me and my team is courage, in particular the courage to tackle difficult problems head-on and to question the way things have always been done rather than simply repeating it. Our intention is to work smarter every year, meeting  the challenges in both healthcare and health insurance with fresh thinking and the willingness to change.”

Director Hill said the department’s role in health insurance is particularly important as Cayman residents continue to navigate the cost and complexity of healthcare.

“Affordability is one of the most personal issues in healthcare, because it’s the point where regulation meets people’s everyday lives and hard choices,” she said. “DHRS is uniquely placed to help here. We collect the data, maintain the standards, enforce the law, and inform the decisions that shape the healthcare journey for the country.”

She said DHRS must continue to uphold regulatory standards while also helping residents better understand their health-insurance coverage and rights.

Among her priorities for the coming years are completing the department’s transition toward being fully paperless, supporting the Ministry’s work to mature the legislative framework and addressing gaps that can leave vulnerable members of the population without the support they need.

Director Hill also identified the Cayman Islands’ size as an opportunity for regulatory innovation.

“Being a small nation, we have a dependence on resources and expertise from overseas. However, I believe that our greatest advantage is also in our size, allowing us to pivot quickly to face changes in our environment,” she said. “This agility means we can adapt our regulatory approach as needs change, rather than being weighed down by the process a larger system would carry.”

Looking ahead three years, Director Hill said she would measure success by stronger understanding and compliance among the entities regulated by DHRS, progress toward more affordable healthcare and health insurance, and greater awareness among employers and employees of their rights and responsibilities.

“Above all, I would want every stakeholder -  whether a practitioner, an insurer, an employer, or a patient, to know how to reach DHRS, and to feel genuinely welcome doing so.”