The state of dialysis at Luis Hospital, Schneider Hospital’s "crumbling" emergency room and CEO compensation were just a few of the topics covered when the Senate Rules and Judiciary Committee met Thursday to consider nominees for spots on the governing board of Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital and the territorial hospital board.
Facing questions from the committee were nominees Carmelo Rivera and Deepak Bansal. Rivera is up for re-nomination and is currently the Juan Luis board chairman when not working at his full-time job as assistant commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources. Bansal is a certified public accountant and, if confirmed, will be serving for the first time. The board is a part-time voluntary position, paid a small per diem when the committee or its subcommittees meet.
When asked by Sen. Sammuel Sanes about the hospital’s dialysis section and where they are "in terms of quality of health care," Rivera responded that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which threatened to decertify the dialysis clinic earlier this year, had recently asked for more information, which the board and hospital were providing.
So far, he said, the agency had approved the hospital’s improvements and changes and had been satisfied with efforts thus far.
During inspections earlier in the year, CMS flagged equipment failures, lack of adherence to protocols, staffing issues and incomplete documentation, among other issues, Rivera said.
"Facing the shock of questionable patient care and the prospects of decertification," Rivera said, "our board was aggressive in ensuring that everything possible was done immediately to bring about the necessary improvements and changes."
Rivera then recounted a laundry list of changes, which included adding and training technicians, disciplining personnel, replacing malfunctioning equipment and adding dialysis machines.
More needs to be done, he said, both to improve these programs and to more effectively promote kidney transplantations.
"Would you get dialysis for yourself or a family member at Juan F. Luis?" asked Sen. Celestino White.
"Yes, sir, I would," Rivera said. "I would stay because of convenience and because of the quality of service. The nephrologists know what they are doing. Some (facets) could be better but the quality of service is there."
With both hospital boards in the process of vetting and selecting new chief executive officers for Schneider and Juan Luis, Sen. Carlton "Ital" Dowe said Rivera and the two boards should make sure the new CEO compensation contracts are fully transparent. Former Schneider CEO Rodney Miller received substantial compensation above and beyond his official government salary, Dowe recalled.
"The time for that is long over," Dowe said.
Rivera agreed and said the process and compensation would be "fully transparent."
Dowe said the emergency room at Schneider Regional Medical Center was "crumbling" and asked if there were architectural plans for upgrades yet. Rivera said there were not.
Sen. Nereida "Nellie" Rivera-O’Reilly had some sharp questions for Bansal over his preparation for testifying, saying for future appearances he should prepare a written statement. O’Reilly asked Bansal what he hoped to accomplish on the board. Bansal said he hoped his accounting skills could help bring greater financial accountability and efficiency to the hospital, especially in billing. While working on auditing at a hospital in Miami, one of his projects was "to see that everyone who walks in receives a bill," he said.
Born in India, Bansal was raised on St. Croix, then went to college on the mainland, receiving a master’s in taxation from the University of Miami. From 1993 to 2000 he worked in various auditing and accounting capacities for the Miami-Dade County government and area hospitals. From 2000 to present he has been sole proprietor of his own accounting firm on St. Croix. He had taught various accounting and tax courses at the University of the Virgin Islands and is on the board of directors for the Mini World jewelry store in Sunny Isles Shopping Center.
Rivera, up for a second term on the board, was born in Vieques and raised on St. Croix. After graduating from St. Joseph’s High School, he received his bachelor’s from UVI and master’s from the State University of New York at Albany.
Voting yea on favorable recommendations to both nominations were: Dowe, White, Sanes and Sen. Michael Thurland, the committee chairman. Absent were Sens. Neville James, Usie Richards and Patrick Sprauve. O’Reilly was present but is not a member of the committee and could not vote.
Both nominations will now be voted upon by the full Senate.
