The community on St. John turned out Saturday evening to celebrate the retirement of Dr. Elizabeth Barot in Frank Powell Sr. Park in Cruz Bay.
Barot worked at the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center for 40 years, often arriving in the middle of the night to tend to the medical needs of countless residents and visitors.
Barot was praised during warm testimonials from Health Department colleagues and patients. Alston “Big Al” Smith presented a handmade clock of mahogany wood in the shape of a stethoscope. More than 26 family members — some from the Philippines, Barot’s native country — attended the celebration.
She gained fame by delivering babies at (what is now) the Westin Beach Resort when the clinic was twice badly damaged by hurricanes, and the hotel served as an emergency center. Two of these “newborns,” now adults, briefly appeared on the bandstand with her.
Throughout the evening, you’d hear people say, “She saved my life.” They’d recount stories of an appendicitis diagnosis, or a suicide attempt, or a bad fall leading to a head wound, or even a cow goring.
Whatever the emergency, patients were met with a professional who was competent, reassuring, kind, and nonjudgmental. Of course, part of Barot’s mojo was making it look easy.
When he got up to speak a few words, Dr. Joseph De James, her co-worker, suggested that her job was more difficult than she let on. “She taught me every bad swear word in Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines),” he said.
De James, who has worked at the clinic for 25 years and is still known as “the new doc,” said Barot helped ease him into the challenges of working in a rural health center. “She taught me not to complain,” he said.
On the Schneider Regional Medical Center Facebook page, Barot is quoted as saying, “Before I treat a patient, I make sure that they feel at ease – because comfort comes before care. That’s how trust is built. Every patient deserves time, attention and kindness.”
At the end of the formalities, Alecia Wells, who organized the event and served as the mistress of ceremonies, sent the crowd off to eat and dance with the words, “You’re all in Love City, so remember, it’s all about love.”
