Dr. Albert Titus will no longer be able to practice medicine in the U.S. Virgin Islands because the Territorial Board terminated his privileges at the Juan F. Luis Memorial Hospital, a member of the V.I. Medical Board said Friday.
The Territorial Board took the action at its meeting Nov. 7. Because Titus’s license is contingent on his employment at the hospital he is no longer entitled to practice, according to Medical Board Chairman Dr. Frank Odlum.
“If his employment is terminated, then so is the license, unfortunately,” Odlum said. Because of the nature of Titus’s license, he cannot practice unless he is on staff at JFL, Odlum explained.
The medical board did not revoke Titus’s license or take any action at a meeting last Friday, Odlum said, because the hospital board’s action effectively prohibits him from practicing medicine.
“At the time of the board meeting – other than what we read in the newspaper – we did not have notification from Juan Luis that he had been fired,” Odlum told the Source.
Titus can appeal the hospital’s decision to terminate his services and Odlum said that is what he would do in the same circumstances, since the “loss of privileges” could “blemish” his reputation.
Saturday, Titus said he had “no comment,” but may issue a statement through his attorney.
A few people told the Source that no one is likely to disclose the reason for Titus’s termination, though others said the cause should be released by JFL to protect the public.
Although the two had a public disagreement, Titus’s former partner, Dr. Christopher Seaver, said he didn’t know why Titus was terminated.
“I had nothing to do with it at any level. I was not even at the hospital, I was gone,” Seaver said. “I was not aware of what happened except through the newspaper.”
Seaver denied reports from other news outlets that his argument with Titus turned physical. He said they resolved their issues in a private meeting and worked together after that on at least one trauma case.
“It was a verbal disagreement – nothing more than that. There was no physical contact," Seaver said.
The Territorial Board discussed the renewal of privileges for several physicians at JFL at its Nov. 7 meeting because the Juan Luis board lacked a quorum to conduct business since July.