Officials at Schneider Regional Medical Center said at a board meeting this week that they are responding to recommendations recently made by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMMS) representatives for improvements to the hospital.
Those improvements include the replacement of 14 older hemodialysis machines, which were brought on line earlier this month, according to an SRMC news release. Schneider Medical Director Dr. Thelma Watson also reported that the hospital has launched its search for the board-certified nephrologist recommended in the CMMS survey.
Hospital board members were also brought up to speed on plans for other improvements, such as renovations to the cafeteria, which will be nearly completed by late May. During the project, a "somewhat-limited food service" will be available in the nearby Sun Room, the release said.
Capitalizing on a $1.5 million appropriation recently made by the Legislature, officials are in the process of soliciting bids for renovations to the medical center’s emergency room. So far, only Jaredian Design Group has submitted a proposal for the planning and design phase, according to the release.
Looking at some of the hospital’s challenges, SRMC’s interim Executive Director Elizabeth Harris told the board that a continued reliance on traveling nurses is costing about $8 million a year. But the cost can’t be reduced unless the hospital can recruit a permanent nursing staff, she added, saying that efforts are under way to recruit from off-island and bring in specialized nurses from places such as the Philippines.
The hospital’s goal, according to the release, is to replace the 60 traveling nurses working at SRMC by hiring three-to-four permanent nurses every few months. Board members mentioned that the national economic downturn has forced more nurses on the mainland to take on full-time positions, helping to reduce the nursing shortage that has plagued so many hospitals throughout the country.
Meanwhile, the hospital is looking into finding temporary housing for cancer patients that travel to St. Thomas for treatment, according to Edward Aribisala, administrator at Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute (CKCI).
Aribisala told the board that discussion is under way with representatives of the Lockhart Foundation about plans to renovate a nearby office building to house up to eight patients, while Villa Blanca at the top of Raphune Hill has said it is ready to offer "favorable" rates for short-term stays during the off-season.
CKCI is holding its annual prayer luncheon Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., and free cervical cancer screening clinics Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for women 16 years of age and older.
