March 14, 2003 – Sens. Raymond "Usie" Richards and Douglas E. Canton Jr. exchanged accusations earlier this week over Canton's stewardship as chair of the Senate Health and Hospitals Committee, particularly with regard to the hospital in their home district.
Richards sent a letter to Canton on Tuesday — copying it to the news media — criticizing Canton's handling of the oversight powers of the committee and urging that he call a hearing to address the "numerous crises plaguing Juan F. Luis Hospital."
There is a "clear need for some type of intervention in the operations" of the hospital and for an investigation into the "high level of mismanagement and corruption" there, Richards said.
He said areas with particular problems include the hemodialysis unit, dietary unit, operating room, accounts receivable, cash advances to employees, more than $10 million in contracts and a medical staff that has issued votes of no confidence in the immediate past chief executive officer, past medical director and current board of directors.
"I am not satisfied, nor will I sit idly while you ignore such flagrant malfeasance and make light of this current state of emergency," Richards wrote.
Canton replied Tuesday evening in a letter to Richards stating that he is aware of the problems Richards cited and noting that the two of them had already discussed the issues. He also told Richards that he was "surprised" to receive the correspondence and at its "tenor and tone."
The committee is scheduled to hold its first meeting on April 7, when the focus will be on medical licensure for health professionals, Canton said. It is to meet again April 14 on St. Croix to address dialysis care and the establishment of a cancer registry, he said.
Richards in his letter also criticized Canton's leadership of the committee in the 24th Legislature. Canton called about 16 meetings, out of which only two bills became law — and they "served solely as buffers for the continued decline of the quality of health care available to St. Croix residents," Richards charged.
The hearings on matters other than the two bills, Richards said, included testimony on issues that "to date have served no useful purpose in improving the quality, quantity, availability, accessibility, continuity nor reduction of the cost of health-care services."
Canton told the Source that Richards was playing a "numbers game" and that the letter was "clearly designed to be confrontational."
In his response letter, Canton stated his belief that "my commitment to improving health care in the territory is without question."
Richards urged a "thorough investigative hearing" on conditions at the St. Croix hospital. However, Canton said a single meeting to discuss all of the issues on Richards' list would not be in the public's best interests. Instead, he said, the various matters of concern should be addressed individually and comprehensively.
In his letter, Canton said he understood the zeal exhibited by Richards "as a health planner by education and training, and as a freshman senator." But he said that Richards' letter "flies in the face of the spirit of cooperation."
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