At long last, St. John's primary medical-care facility has added a second staff physician — although hospital officials say it's only short-term.
Dr. Norbert Straub, a board-certified family practice physician, joined the staff of the Myrah Keating-Smith Clinic on Jan. 4, senior physician Dr. Elizabeth Barot said. As a result, the clinic has expanded its hours and is now open from 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday.
Barot had been the only clinic physician available to St. Johnians and their visitors since June. "It's nice to have a day off," she said.
But Barot said her relief is temporary, because Straub has come to St. John as a "visiting physician" on leave from his regular duties and is scheduled to remain on duty only until March. After that, she said, unless a replacement has been found, the clinic will go back to having just one doctor on staff, and its hours will probably revert to 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with patients being seen at other times on an "on-call" basis.
Dr. Judith Watson, medical director for both the Roy L. Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas and the Keating Clinic on St. John, said hospital officials are continuing to seek the right doctor for a permanent appointment. "We have some candidates we're looking at," she said.
Meanwhile, Watson said, other short-term arrangements are being considered. "We may hire another doctor on a temporary basis so Dr. Barot doesn't have to be alone," she said.
In addition to securing the services of Straub, Watson said, hospital officials recently added an emergency room physician to the Schneider Hospital staff, and a urology specialist is expected to join the St. Thomas staff next month.
