The Senate Health and Hospitals Committee meeting on Wednesday heard two sides to health care on St. Thomas-St. John. Vast improvements to the Roy L. Schneider Hospital and St. John's Myra Keating Smith Community Health Center were hailed, while an acute nursing shortage was lamented.
The meeting was a continuation of a hearing last week on St. Croix called by Committee Chairman Douglas Canton Jr. to inform the new committee on health issues from the perspective of health care providers.
Eugene Woods, Schneider Hospital chief executive officer, lauded the 1999 legislation that allows the hospital more autonomy, allowing it to manage its own finances, procurement and hiring processes.
"We no longer exist in a daily state of crisis," Woods said. "More importantly, we have begun in earnest our mission to restore confidence in our hospital, one patient at a time."
Canton said in a February interview that he favored more autonomy for the hospital. On his Web site, he has detailed information on his trip to Washington, D.C., in January where he met with several federal health officials on health matters affecting the Virgin Islands. His committee has also had meetings with the boards of both Schneider and Juan F. Luis hospitals to explore hospital concerns.
Delores Marshall, Schneider vice president for patient care, bemoaned the nursing shortage in the V.I., detailing the reasons. "The demand for and supply of qualified personnel fluctuates over time," she said, "and health care has been downsized." She said the territory is facing severe education cutbacks, an aging population with increasing health care needs, and aging nurses.
Erica McDonald, administrator of the health center on St. John, sounded another note. She agreed with Woods' assessment of greater autonomy. "We have increased revenues by 150 percent," she said, "with new equipment purchases, increased integration with the Roy L. Schneider Hospital in purchasing, pharmacy, radiology, medical staff and nurse recruitment." The clinic was moved from the Health Department and put under the aegis of Schneider Hospital shortly after the hospital was granted autonomy.
As part of the improvements at Schneider Hospital, a dedication ceremony for the newly refurbished reception area and an awards presentation to Health Department employees is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday.
Committee members Sens. Lorraine Berry, Roosevelt David, Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, David Jones and Vargrave Richards attended the hearing in addition to nonmembers Sens. Carlton Dowe, Donald "Ducks" Cole and Norma Pickard-Samuel.
