While in Washington this week, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull joined Delegate Donna Christian-Christensen at a meeting of a team she assembled in January to assess Virgin Islands health care system and infrastructure needs.
Among the topics discussed by the Health Infrastructure/Resource Development Team on Tuesday, according to a Government House press release, were the high incidence of HIV/AIDS infection and mental problems in the territory.
According to a release from Christensen's Washington office, two major issues were discussed — "the structure and compliance of community health centers" and the needs of mental health and substance abuse programs.
"The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at HHS recently concluded an assessment in the territory and will be making specific, critical recommendations to the Department of Health," Christensen's release stated. That agency, it added, "is putting measures in place to provide our government with resources to fill the void that exists in the treatment of the mentally ill."
The release said the team, consisting mainly of HHS personnel and headed by Dr. Marilyn Gaston, assistant surgeon general, first met and toured the Virgin Islands in January. It will make a return visit on May 31-June 1 to work with local health officials to address the islands' health care needs.
The team has recommended the development of a territorial health plan and the establishment of a community health coalition "that will bring consumers, providers, payers and others into the planning and implementation of health services," the release stated.
Christensen said the "most important thing" about Tuesday's meeting was that "we could see progress" since the January meeting. "I am glad that the governor was able to join us," she said, "because on certain issues he is the only one who can make the requisite decisions."
The delegate, who is also a physician, organized the team after conducting a series of hearings on health needs in the territory in January. Its purpose is "to explore ways in which the federal government can better assist the territory," her release said.
