The St. Thomas Vet Center Outstation has been without a doctor for almost a month, Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen said Monday.
Christensen said she was was disappointed when she learned about the vacancy Saturday.
The delegate said she contacted the medical director’s office at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System in San Juan, P.R., to rectify the situation and was told the doctor assigned to the St. Thomas Vet Center will be on leave for an extended time.
“I was told they are preparing to advertise for another physician for that position,” Christensen said. “In the meantime, the VA has already arranged for doctors to be at the St. Thomas Vet Center for the last week of September and first two weeks of October.”
Christensen said she was told the VA is working to have a doctor available until they staff the position permanently. In the meantime, she said, a nurse practitioner is on duty and is supervised by a VA physician with the authority to make referrals to local physicians or to arrange transfers when necessary.
She also issued a call to the local medical community to help out during the situation.
“I urge all local, private physicians to accept VA fee-basis patients referred to them during this crisis and encourage any local doctor who may be interested to apply,” Christensen said.
