80.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesSchneider Officials Working to Improve Services, Despite Fiscal Challenges

Schneider Officials Working to Improve Services, Despite Fiscal Challenges

Officials from Schneider Regional Medical Center went before the Senate’s Committee on Appropriation and Budget Wednesday to tell senators that despite significant fiscal challenges, they are working to bring about improvements.
Hospital Chief Executive Officer Alice Taylor said the hospital is projected to be about $4.2 million in the red for fiscal year 2011, despite an increase in revenue. She said the hospital expects to see about $12.3 million in bad debt – money owed to the hospital but not collected. She also said the hospital has seen a decrease in the number of people who self-pay, and an increase in those using Medicaid, which only reimburses about 14 cents on the dollar.
Despite that, Taylor said the hospital has been busy working to increase customer satisfaction and employee relations. She said they have been working to reduce the time patients wait in the emergency room, as well as streamlining the process by which they check in there. She said they have also brought aboard more specialized medical experts, thus reducing the need to transfer patients off-island.
The hospital is expected to receive $27.9 million in appropriations for FY 2011. It has also received special appropriations of $325,000 for hemodialysis equipment, $250,000 for its Licensed Practical Nurse school and $1.5 million for Emergency Department renovations.
Senators questioned hospital officials about the $24 million the hospital owes to the Health Revolving fund. Interim Chief Financial Officer Eugene Welsh said there is no set schedule to pay the money back, but the hospital is working to pay what it can when it can. He told Sen. Craig Barshinger that he hoped to have the money paid back in about 15 years.
They also looked closely at the workers employed under contract by the hospital.
“I would really like to go through this list, item by item,” said Sen. Terrence “Positive” Nelson, speaking of a list of over 200 vendors the hospital does business with.
Taylor said that the list needed to be reviewed to see if all of the services were necessary.
Committee chairman Sen. Carlton “Ital” Dowe also emphasized the need for the hospital to focus on hiring local people. He said it is important that hospital officials keep working on ways to train and hire local young people.
“Somebody had to give each and every one of you your first job,” he said.
Present for today’s hearing were Sens. Carlton “Ital” Dowe, Louis Patrick Hill, Wayne A.G. James, Terrence “Positive” Nelson, Nereida “Nellie” Rivera-O’Reilly and Patrick Simeon Sprauve.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.

1 COMMENT