Amid Financial Challenges, Health Projects Run Smoothly and Additional Medical Staff Hired

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Amid Financial Challenges, Health Projects Run Smoothly and Additional Medical Staff Hired
The Juan F. Luis Hospital, Charlotte Kimelman Cancer Institute, Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center, and Schneider Regional Medical Center are among the facilities discussed during the V.I. Government Hospital & Health Facilities Corporation Territorial Board’s monthly meeting. (Source file photo)

The V.I. Government Hospital and Health Facilities Corporation’s Territorial Board meeting Wednesday highlighted financial, staffing, and project updates. Financial shortfalls were noted, but much-needed medical staff have been hired, and upcoming raises need to be addressed.

Schneider Regional Medical Center’s Chief Executive Officer, Tina Comissiong, said the department’s FY2026 budget presentation was well-received by the Senate.

“We feel the Senate really understood the large amount of uncompensated care that exists in our market,” said Comissiong.

She added that other small hospitals, like those in the territory, are facing the rising costs of health care nationally. Comissiong mentioned that Schneider Medical Center has fully dispersed $6.5 million the facility received on May 28 of this year from the government, but has not yet received an August allotment, which creates “difficulties.” She added that payroll will continue to be prioritized for the hospital but due to limited cash on hand, timely vendor payments continue to fall short.

“Collections are improving, and they look a lot better in July than they did in previous months as we continue to build back from the effects of the cyberattacks,” she said.

In addition to configuring and installing multi-factor authentication due to the recent cyberattacks, Comissiong said the health department is working to onboard First Source, a revenue cycle partner to handle tasks such as billing, collections, and coding.

“We have now also issued the payment to the company that will be assisting us with updating our pricing, our chargemaster,” said Comissiong. “We‘re planning to work on that and share the results of our initiative with JFL.”

Though the health facilities continue to grapple with tight budgets, the Schneider chief executive officer noted that there will be up to $6 million in upcoming salary increases over the next fiscal year due to minimum wage legislation, step raises, and union negotiations.

Additionally, Comissiong added that additional staff have been recruited to accommodate the lab staff shortage, and positions for a speech therapist, OBGYN, ER physicians, and nurses.

Board member, Christopher Finch, congratulated Comissiong on “the success of finding CRNAs.”

More so, facility issues are being addressed at both the Schneider and the Myrah Keating Smith Community Health Center. Air conditioning systems and boilers need repairs. There is also a medical waste backlog that needs to be reduced; however, the waste has been secured for the current hurricane season, according to Comissiong. Lastly, during her presentation, she acknowledged that the reopening of the Charlotte Kimmelman Cancer Institute is of top priority, and is anticipating the opportunity to take care of patients starting in January.

Territorial Hospitals Redevelopment Team Executive Director, Darryl Smalls, addressed the board and provided project updates. There appeared to be no major project setbacks.

The Juan F. Luis Hospital 5 Acres project, which will have 250 parking spaces, has “no unforeseen issues at this point in time [and is] slated to be completed by December,” according to Smalls. The project’s 10,000-square-foot building will be used for ready storage, maintenance operations, medical records, and the disposal of medical waste.

According to Smalls, demolition of the main Luis facility is slated to begin in January, once operations have been removed from the building and a contractor has been selected.

Regarding Cassave Gardens, “We were able to get a payment to the vendor,” Smalls said of the building. He added that it will be move-in ready for October after completion of construction, but will announce an official move-in date during the next board meeting.

Further, the Charlotte Kimmelman Cancer Center “project continues to move smoothly,” and the Keating Health Center had a kickoff meeting with a vendor selected for pre-construction services. Projects for Schneider and Luis facilities are currently under review. Bids were received and Smalls said he hopes to have finalization by next week for a contractor to construct both facilities.

In regard to the development of the dialysis center on St. Croix, the cost alignment for funding from FEMA was received at the end of July. The contractor was contacted and the redevelopment team is preparing to execute a notice to proceed for next month.

During the meeting, the board unanimously approved the reappointments and appointments of the following medical staff: Olajide Olawepo, Jane Bruno, Jamil El-Jacob, Katherine Willett, John Cook, and Elyse Stevens.

Board members Jerry Smith, Julio Rhymer, Christopher Finch, Frank Odlum, Greta Hart-Hyndman, Faye John-Baptiste, and Albert Titus were present.

Elder Abuse Workshop Targets Financial Exploitation

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Elder Abuse Workshop Targets Financial Exploitation

On National Senior Citizens’ Day, banking and financial service workers gathered for a workshop on financial abuse targeting the elderly in the Virgin Islands. The guest speaker at the Elder Justice Summit called it “a perfect day” to tackle the topic.

Lt. Gov Tregenza Roach shares his concerns about the financial exploitation of senior citizens at Thursday’s workshop. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Thursday marked the second in a series of elder justice workshops sponsored by AARP-Virgin Islands State Office and the Department of Human Services. Police and other law enforcement officials joined the first session held jointly on St. Thomas and St. Croix.

A third session is in the works for September, where organizers say they will invite seniors and caregivers. Through its Adult Protective Services division, Human Services has tried to help those who have suffered loss at the hands of strangers, helpers, and loved ones. District Manager Heather Richardson-Henry said she has even received phone calls from witnesses reporting suspicious activity taking place in banks.

The director said financial exploitation has been on the rise since the recent COVID-19 pandemic, when many elderly residents were quarantined at home with their abusers. “We recognize the need for a more formal approach to this malady,” Henry said. “We are becoming elderly and living longer, and we become more vulnerable as we become more dependent on others.”

Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach — who also holds the title of Commissioner of Banking and Insurance in the V.I. — agreed. “I think it’s great that we approach it from a collaborative place because no single person can solve it,” he said.

Those remarks prepared the audience for a presentation by Puerto Rico Banking Association President and CEO Zoime Alvarez Rubio. Listeners heard about common financial fraud schemes, protocols adopted at some Puerto Rico banks to assist fraud victims, and changes in the law adopted to combat wrongdoing.

But the most memorable part of Rubio’s presentation was images from the banking association’s financial abuse campaign. One image showed a white-haired woman in bedclothes aboard a watercraft. The narrative translated from Spanish said, “I am bedridden but I just bought a Jet Ski.”

The slogan used to drive home the elder financial abuse message is “No Me Cuadra” … it doesn’t add up.

Executives from two local financial institutions said they already have procedures in place to address suspected fraud when it appears. “We see a lot of elder abuse and financial exploitation, and the credit union does financial exploitation training because many of our customers are elderly,” said St. Thomas Federal Credit Union CEO Keisha Richards.

Nonprofit Charity Resurrecting Beloved West End Beach Bar

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Nonprofit Charity Resurrecting Beloved West End Beach Bar
The Loops Foundation is rebuilding the former Coconuts Restaurant on the West Coast of St. Croix. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
The Loops Foundation is rebuilding, from the ground up, the former Coconuts Restaurant and La Grange Beach Club on the West End beach, which was destroyed by the 2017 hurricanes. “It’s going pretty fast, so I’m hoping they’ll open by the New Year,” Rudy Seikaly, the Loops founder, told the Source. The Foundation was started in 2018 to commemorate Seikaly’s late son, Chris, a musician and artist known as “Loops,” who passed seven years ago. The foundation’s mission is “to empower communities through the arts, technology and education” following Chris’s values of love, creativity, integrity and perseverance. “This is a legacy project for me in memory of my son, whom I lost at a young age. He went by the artist name Loops.” The new building will be roughly the same size, with the kitchen and bar on the ground level and a rooftop deck to enjoy the sea view. The patio on the south side will be covered with tables and umbrellas. Seikaly envisions the food as Mediterranean or a combination of Lebanese and Caribbean. He said he wants it to become the “top local spot where everybody wants to go hang out.” The Loops Restaurant is on the beachfront across the street from the property Seikaly fenced recently to be used by Ruff Start Rescue for their monthly community dog care clinics.
A colorful sign was placed beside the road by Loops Restaurant, north of Frederiksted. (Source photo by Susan Ellis)
The civil engineer also purchased more than 13 acres to construct a Loops Village. The village will comprise several residences, a school, a robotics school, an amphitheater for music and lots of gardens. He said the village should employ 850 people or more to construct and can become a template for villages he would like to build elsewhere in the world. “This is more a social justice project. While it will have for profit businesses so it is sustainable and provides employment, it will be mostly the social justice work that we want to do,” he said. Seikaly, a civil engineer originally, came to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands after the 2017 hurricanes to advise about rebuilding schools and hospitals. He ended up with a contract to rebuild the Arthur Richards School, the first reconstruction on St. Croix. Only local contractors are being used, so the money stays here. In the past, Seikaly helped rebuild Beirut after the war in 2006. The organization has supported art and music therapy for children, internet and technology in underserved areas and education and mental health programs for at-risk children. Some of the worldwide programs supported by the Loops Foundation included a hospital in Sinai, a digital library in El Salvador, tuition assistance for teachers and students in Lebanon, and traumatized youth in Washington, D.C. “So there’s a lot of stuff that we do all over the world that we want to try to bring here. It’s mostly community support,” Seikaly said.

St. Croix Man Arrested Following Domestic Assault Report

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St. Croix Man Arrested Following Domestic Assault Report

A 32-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after a woman reported being assaulted by an acquaintance, the Virgin Islands Police Department reported.

The VIPD said the woman arrived at the Ancilmo Marshall Command Police Station around 2:12 p.m. and reported the assault, which left visible injuries on her body.

Detectives from the Criminal Investigation Bureau launched an investigation, and based on statements and evidence, arrested Erron Wallace. He was charged with second-degree and third-degree assault, according to the police report.

Wallace was advised of his Miranda Rights and booked. No bail was set in accordance with the territory’s domestic violence law. He was transported to the John Bell Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility and remanded pending his Advice of Rights hearing, the report stated.

St. Croix Woman Arrested in Child Abuse Case

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St. Croix Woman Arrested in Child Abuse Case

Detectives from the Virgin Islands Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Bureau arrested a 44-year-old woman Wednesday for allegedly assaulting her minor child, the V.I. Police Department reported.

According to the VIPD, Donnise Nicholas was taken into custody Wednesday, after officers responded to the scene and conducted an investigation into a reported child abuse incident, according to the police report.

Nicholas was charged with child abuse, second-degree assault, and simple assault and battery. She was advised of her Miranda rights, booked, and held without bail under the territory’s domestic violence laws, the police report stated.

Authorities transported her to the John Bell Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, where she awaits her advice of rights hearing, the report stated.

New Recreational Fishing License System

Mat Probasco
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New Recreational Fishing License System
Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources and the Division of Fish and Wildlife is pleased to announce the launch of the GoOutdoorsUSVI platform, an innovative online system designed to streamline the purchase of recreational fishing licenses in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources
This first-of-its-kind digital platform offers 24/7 access for both residents and visitors, making it easier than ever to obtain a recreational fishing license. Beyond convenience, the system represents a significant step forward in supporting the sustainable management and revitalization of the territory’s marine resources, ensuring their  preservation for future generations. All individuals intending to fish recreationally in Virgin Islands waters are required to obtain a license through GoOutdoorsUSVI. Certain groups may qualify for fee exemptions, which are outlined on the platform. By implementing this system, DPNR aims to strengthen its engagement with the recreational fishing community and provide enhanced resources to support responsible and enjoyable fishing experiences throughout the territory. To purchase a license or learn more, visit: www.gooutdoorsusvi.com For additional assistance, contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife at:  St. Croix: 340-773-1082  St. Thomas: 340-775-6762  GoOutdoorsUSVI Helpdesk: 1-833-340-0012

Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program Funding Available

Mat Probasco
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Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program Funding Available
The Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission (LEPC) is pleased to announce there is accepting proposals for a funding opportunity effective Sept. 2 and closing Nov. 21 for a federal Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program grant. The Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Planning Commission with funding through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), and Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is now accepting proposals for funding under the FY 2022 Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners Program (RSAT Program). The Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program (42 U.S.C. § 3796ff et. seq.) funding assists the state, with developing and implementing residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs within the state correctional facilities, and detention facilities, in which persons are incarcerated for a period of time sufficient to permit SUD treatments. Given the strong nexus between substance use and mental health disorders in prisons and jails. RSAT funding assists as well as in the creation and maintenance of community reintegration services for individuals with a strong emphasis on evidence-based best practices. RSAT funds may be used to implement three types of programs: residential, jail-based, and aftercare. Applications involving partnerships with community-based substance use treatment programs should be given priority consideration. Applicant must include the following documents in their application package: • A valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) number • Registration on SAM.gov Failure to submit all documents by the scheduled deadline will result in disqualification for funding. Each grant application must be received by LEPC electronically at rfp.responseS@lepc.vi.gov by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 21. LEPC is committed to supporting criminal justice initiatives and programs through collaboration, advice, and  resources to promote safer communities in the Virgin Islands.

Fish and Wildlife Office Closed for Mold Removal

Mat Probasco
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Fish and Wildlife Office Closed for Mold Removal
Commissioner Jean-Pierre L. Oriol of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources announces the temporary closure of the Division of Fish & Wildlife office located at 45 Mars Hill, St. Croix, due to necessary mold remediation following recent flooding. The office will remain closed to the public until further notice. To ensure continued support for the fishing community, DFW staff will be available at the Division of Enforcement office in Anna’s Hope. Please note that registration assistance will be offered only on Fridays at this alternate location during the closure. Commissioner Oriol extends his sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciates the community’s patience and understanding as the department works to restore safe conditions. For additional information or assistance, please contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife at 340-775-6762 (St. Thomas), or visit dpnr.vi.gov.

Open Forum: The Winds of Gaza — Our Moral Hurricane

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Open Forum: The Winds of Gaza — Our Moral Hurricane

Far away from a fast paced, complex world, Virgin Islanders are concerned primarily about issues impacting our island community. Yet, at times forces far away deserve our attention, command our concern; like distant hurricanes which can engulf us in winds so violent they destroy what we’ve spent a lifetime building. Indifference towards such distance forces can be catastrophic.

The genocide in Gaza is a moral hurricane. It is the moral issue of the 21st century, impacting the entire globe with its unconscionable inhumanity. The statistics are staggering, the images unbearable. The non-stop winds in Gaza are generated by men, not nature. Men motivated by vengeance and racial hatred, suppressing facts, holding a propaganda banner of self-defense which defies reason and caves to moral scrutiny. Notably, since Oct. 7, 2023 Israel has refused entry of any foreign press to Gaza, an area the size of St Croix, which for 58 years has been a fenced “occupied territory” completely removed from Israeli society, its two million inhabitants totally controlled by the Israel military.

The tragic legacy of the Gaza genocide lands heavily on the complicity of the United States. Simply stated, those inhumane winds could not have gathered and organized without U.S. support to Israel from both the Biden and Trump Administrations, i.e. supplying all the bombs, weapons and billions of dollars, essential for enabling Israel to wage an unrelenting assault. Most telling, neither president ever refused to discontinue military weapons or restrict financial support to Israel for its egregious violations of humanitarian laws, highlighted by public denouncements and condemnations by U.N. agencies and the International Court of Justice, as well as U.S. statutes clearly prohibiting such support.

U.S. support continues to this day: regardless of the 61,158 unarmed innocent civilians killed, and 151,442 injured; regardless of 90% of the homes destroyed; regardless of the destruction of all the schools, hospitals and clinics, roads, water and sanitation facilities, cultural and historical sites. All decimated, leaving behind 47 million tons of rubble and stateless residents living in tents, starving to death, lining up at food centers, hoping not to be murdered by IDF soldiers and hired mercenaries doing target practice.

Laws are enacted to guide a society towards achieving just ends by fair means, with the best laws based on morality. A morality that emerges out of spiritual and religious teachings, guided by a universal directive to love one another, without regard to race or creed certain that every one of us are children of God. Even when we have allowed our human frailties to give way and descended into organized violence, jurists have crafted laws to ensure humane treatment during war’s darkness.

International Humanitarian Laws, the Geneva Conventions and its Protocols, the Genocide Convention (signed by Israel) are intended to prevent inhumane acts which forfeit our morality and assault our conscience. In addition, the U.S. Congress has enacted specific statutes to prevent our “nation of laws” from a descent to unconscionable levels. Specifically, the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act forbidding assistance to any government engaging “in a consistent pattern of gross violations of international recognized human rights;” the Leahy Law, prohibiting funds to assist foreign security forces where there is credible information those forces are engaged in gross violations of human rights; the U.S. War Crimes Act, forbidding willful killing, torture, inhumane treatment and willful infliction of suffering, serious injuries, and unlawful deportation or transfer of civilians; the Arms Export Control Act, prescribing that recipients of U.S. military aid can only use that aid for legitimate self-defense and internal security.

Morality defines who we are. It is not a passive virtue, where lip service can suffice. Morality insists we overcome our indifference, our fears of criticism, and become visible to everyone; most importantly to ourselves. We needn’t fear that visibility which speaks to character. Public condemnation of the state of Israel for its genocidal killing and starving of unarmed civilians is not antisemitic. Public condemnation of U.S. officials when they have discarded their moral compass, ignored international norms, brazenly violated U.S. laws, is not unpatriotic, nor unAmerican.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

— John Sullivan is a retired international lawyer living on St. Croix.

Sources: World Bank; United Nations; European Union Interim Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (IRDNA); Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO); United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); World Health Organization (WHO); International Rescue Committee (IRC); UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COL) on the Occupied Palestinian Territories; UN Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories.

International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling of January 2024 that Israeli must take to verifiable steps to prevent genocide and allow necessary aid to enter Gaza.

UN Special Rapporteur report concluding Israel has committed at least three of the constitutive acts of genocide in Gaza, and that statements made by high-level Israeli military and government officials are evidence of genocidal intent.

Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com. 

Two Arrested on Firearms Charges Following St. Croix Search Warrant

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Two Arrested on Firearms Charges Following St. Croix Search Warrant

Two men were arrested Tuesday after police executing a search warrant on St. Croix recovered a firearm, ammunition, and a magazine, the V.I. Police Department reported.

The search followed a report on Aug. 11 from concerned citizens who told police they saw 33-year-old Raheem Louis and two other men entering and exiting his residence while armed with multiple firearms. Detectives with the Criminal Investigation Bureau investigated the complaint, according to the police report.

On Wednesday, officers with the Criminal Investigation Bureau and Special Operations Bureau executed the search warrant, leading to the arrest of Louis and 18-year-old Yomariez Davis, the police report stated.

Both men were charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm and possession with intent to sell ammunition. Police said they were advised of their rights, booked, and held on $50,000 bail each. Unable to post bail, they were transported to the John Bell Golden Grove Adult Correctional Facility, where they remain pending an advice of rights hearing scheduled for Thursday, in Superior Court, the report stated.

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