Aug. 28, 2008 — Dr. D'Michelle DuPre is no longer on the job as medical examiner at St. Croix's Juan F. Luis Hospital because she didn't renew her institutional license that allowed her to practice medicine there, said hospital spokesman Rashidi Clenance.
"She was expected to renew her license, but she opted to resign," Clenance said Thursday.
DuPre also served as the hospital's vice president of emergency preparedness and risk management. DuPre did not work in the hospital's own pathology department, Clenance said.
Without her institutional license, the Justice Department was forced to let her go as its only medical examiner on St. Croix.
"She was great," said Justice Department spokesman Sara Lezama. "We're sorry to see her go."
DuPre was not listed in the phone book and could not be reached for further comment.
The outgoing medical examiner worked for the Justice Department from December 2004 to September 2005, and from July 2006 to July 2008. During the interim period away from St. Croix, she worked in New Orleans helping out with the post-Hurricane Katrina relief, Lezama said.
Without the institutional license, which allowed DuPre to practice only in a government hospital or health facility under the supervision of the medical director or other licensed physician, she could no longer use the hospital's morgue to perform her medical examiner duties, Lezama said.
Until the Justice Department finds another medical examiner for St. Croix or until the situation with DuPre gets sorted out, the St. Thomas/St. John medical examiner, Dr. Francisco Landron, is shuttling back and forth between St. Thomas and St. Croix.
"He being stretched thin," Lezama said.
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