The St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation (STEEMCC) will officially reopen at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 18; it will offer limited service until 2 p.m. because of approaching Tropical Storm Maria. The center will operate between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to provide immediate medical care, issue prescription orders and secure the workspace.
Services will be provided on a walk-in first-come, first-serve basis. Patients are advised to bring medication bottles, government issued identification, and insurance cards including Medical Assistance.
A humanitarian relief gift of approximately $1.2 million in medical supplies donated by Direct Relief, a non-profit humanitarian medical relief organization in Santa Barbara, Calif., will help supplement provided services.
Prescription refill orders, tetanus vaccines, insulin, prenatal and urgent care will be provided on a walk-in first-come, first-serve basis. Patients are advised to visit the health center early, and to bring medication bottles, government issued identification and insurance cards including Medical Assistance with them. The center’s regular appointment operations will be suspended until telephone service and electricity in the St. Thomas-St. John districts have been restored.
Through the referral of Jason Charles of Alpine Securities USVI LLC, a local investment firm, STEEMCC secured a humanitarian gift of medical supplies to serve St. Thomas-St. John. The health center applied for the gift on Sept. 8. A total of five skids or highly piled pallets of medications, emergency medical backpacks, hygiene kits and personal care items were shipped to the health center on Sept. 13 free of charge.
Moleto A. Smith Jr., executive director of STEEMCC, expressed gratitude for the referral and gift, “This donation would allow us to address the immediate emergency needs of thousands of persons severely impacted by Hurricane Irma. We will ensure that it is coordinated among the public health entities. Contact has already been made with the Department of Health officials and acting CEO of the Schneider Regional Medical Center to coordinate distribution.”
Supplies from the medical relief donation will be shared with the Schneider Regional Medical Center, the Myra Keating Smith Clinic on St. John and the Department of Health clinics on St. Thomas to ensure access to medical care.
For more information on Direct Relief go to http://www.directrelief.org/
