Gubernatorial candidate Ken Mapp Purposes Plan to Save St. Croix’s Luis Hospital from Potential Closure
ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – After consulting with health administrators, doctors and community leaders, Gubernatorial candidate Ken Mapp announced today his proposed turnaround plan to rescue the Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center from potential closure after the federal government decertified and removed the accreditation of St. Croix’s only hospital.
The federal agency, US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), recently notified the Juan F. Luis Hospital that its certification to participate in the Medicare program will be terminated effective October 9, 2014 because of numerous violations of standards of care and conditions and non-compliance with local and federal laws. In addition, it was stated that the hospital does not have a proper governing body, does not protect patient’s rights and has insufficient medical staff and nursing services. Because of the decertification, the hospital will lose millions of dollars of revenues and basic healthcare services for all of St. Croix’s residents, especially the elderly, are in serious jeopardy.
After discussions with the Juan F. Luis Hospital CEO, Dr. Kendall Griffith, former Health Commissioner and former Governor Roy L. Schneider, MD, various prominent doctors and community leaders, Mapp is proposing what steps should be taken to move St. Croix’s only hospital back towards certification and avoid imminent insolvency. Mapp stated that he does not believe that fighting with CMS is the best road back to an accredited and certified hospital.
“Even if we were to accept the notion that only a percentage of the CMS report is true, then we must face our responsibilities and address many of the issues that have brought us to this point,” said Mapp. He believes we should begin by:
1. Filling vacant positions on the JFL governing body
2. As Governor, I would sign the VI State Nurses Association contract to attract and retain nurses and rehire the laid off LPNs to correct the shortages that CMS noted in its report of the violations.
3. Contracting a crisis team and seek the assistance of the community to work with the CEO and hospital staff to address and correct the numerous deficiencies noted in the CMS report
4. Doing a top down assessment of the Juan F. Luis Hospital Administration to address the deficiencies noted in the CMS Report and the corrective measures to be taken with the local medical community.
5. Implementation of a medical review task force to review and ensure improvements and adherence to patient’s rights
6. Developing and implementing a strategy to take full advantage of those provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as Obamacare, applicable to the Virgin Islands to drive revenues into our healthcare system
After reading the CMS report, the two main issues that appear to be most important and require immediate attention are protecting patients and delivering the highest quality of care.
Mapp stressed the need for political leaders and members of the Virgin Islands medical community to come together and work towards the needed improvements and solutions to the current crisis, “I do not believe that turning to Washington with all of our problems is the answer,” he said. “We need to work collectively as a community to find the solutions to our problems and I will work with the community, the medical society and our local leaders to make that happen.”
The Harvard-educated Mapp, a former Lt. Governor, Senator and businessman and Osbert Potter, a former senator, Commissioner, military officer and entrepreneur, are running for Governor and Lt. Governor to create jobs, lower energy costs and rebuild the Virgin Islands economy.
To keep updated on the Luis Hospital situation and learn more about Mapp-Potter’s positions, visit www.mapppotter.com.
