Funding will be used to support hospitals’ staff recruitment and retention efforts
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has approved using $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to give Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas and Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix $10 million each, the bulk of which will be used to support staff recruitment and retention efforts.
Both hospitals also will use about $2 million each to upgrade their IT systems to more efficiently track patients and improve medical coding and billing systems and is part of Governor Bryan’s initiative to improve health care in the Territory through the use of technology.
“Today, I am happy to be here to announce to you that in addition to the $100 million we have put forth in the last two years, we’re making an extra push at both of our hospitals to make sure we’re attracting the type of personnel permanently to our hospitals, and while we do that, that we have the level of funding able to retain the nurses, respiratory therapists and other professionals that we have currently,” Governor Bryan said.
The Governor said the grants will go a long way toward addressing some crucial health care system needs.
“This is not the end of the giving, but the beginning of the giving to create an environment where we can attract medical professionals that can help treat us and give people the health care they deserve,” the Governor said.
In addition to the $2 million that Governor Bryan wants the hospitals to use for upgrading their IT systems, the remainder of the grant funding can be used for whatever purposes the hospitals need, including recruitment, retention, upgrading the facilities or even just for the periodic maintenance issues that arise.
Schneider Hospital CEO Tina Comissiong and Luis Hospital CEO Douglas Koch both expressed gratitude to Governor Bryan for the funding.
“We very much look forward to using this money in the best interest of the people, to be able to recognize and reward and retain our hard-working staff, recruit much-needed personnel and continue to advance out information technology projects,” Ms. Comissiong said.
“This money will go along way towards securing our workforce into the future. We have many challenges at Juan F. Luis Hospital, recruitment and retention being at the top of our list,” Mr. Koch said.
The Bryan-Roach Administration is investing in the Territory’s people, infrastructure and future through transparency, stabilizing the economy, restoring trust in the government and ensuring that recovery projects are completed as quickly as possible. Visit transparency.vi.gov