Jamaican doctor Carey Hines supports St. Elizabeth recovery while building medical career abroad

Dr. Carey Hines, a Jamaican physician practising in the United States, is linking his medical career, business work and ministry service to relief efforts in St. Elizabeth after Hurricane Melissa affected the parish his mother still calls home.

Before becoming a doctor, Hines said he was a young Jamaican drawn to helping others. He once hoped to become a neurologist after reading Ben Carson's Gifted Hands, but his route was not direct. He said he stepped away from that goal for a time, tried law, found it was not for him, and eventually returned to medicine.

Hines has worked for about 10 years in emergency and intensive care medicine, treating patients at some of their most serious stages of illness. He later moved into internal medicine and primary care, where he said patient progress continues to motivate him. He said it inspires him when patients respond to health education and begin taking a more active role in managing their wellness.

That same desire to serve also shaped his move into entrepreneurship. Hines is the founder and owner of KMED Medical Solutions in the United States. He said his Christian faith and belief in ownership helped guide that decision, explaining that running his own operation gives him more freedom to shape care and support people in the way he believes is needed.

Outside the clinic, Hines is involved in ministry through Pathway of Life Ministries in New Jersey. After Hurricane Melissa damaged parts of St. Elizabeth, he came back to Jamaica with a team that brought supplies and assistance to residents trying to recover.

Hines said seeing the storm's impact on his mother pushed him to act directly. While he acknowledged the work of established relief organisations, he said he wanted to be present in the affected communities. He also credited his father, whom he described as someone who always believed in being on the ground, as an example he grew up watching.

For young people, Hines said faith, discipline and hard work remain essential. "There's no shortcut to success," he said, adding that those who put in the effort will see results.