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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsJFL Stepping up Recruiting Efforts

JFL Stepping up Recruiting Efforts

Still faced with insufficient medical staff in many areas of the hospital, Richard Evangelista, acting chief executive officer of the Gov. Juan Luis Memorial Hospital, announced plans at Monday’s board meeting to send staff to job fairs in several cities to recruit doctors and nurses.

Historically, low wages and difficult working conditions – due, in part, to lack of staff – have prevented medical personnel from accepting positions and staying at JFL. Evangelista listed more than a dozen applications that had been received recently to fill specific positions. Medical staff is needed cover the emergency room, internal medicine and anesthesiology. Surgical physicians, nurse practitioners and certified registered nurse anesthetists have also been vetted.

Ten clinical positions were filled, but five full-time employees left the facility in August.

Near the end of the year, Evangelista said, JFL and Schneider Regional Medical Center will join forces and send representatives to job fairs and host receptions in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Maryland, Florida and New York with hopes of attracting medical students and professionals.

Currently, he estimated the cost of sending two staff members to job fairs in Philadelphia and Las Vegas at around $8,500. More than 1,000 job seekers are expected at the events.

Board member Theresa Frorup-Alie questioned the cost and where the funding would come from.

“Don’t neglect the vendors. Some of them have been waiting a long time,” she cautioned.

Evangelista said they hope to line up corporate sponsors for the receptions and travel expenses would have to come from the hospital. Board Chairman Troy de Chabert-Schuster requested a report of recruitment costs to date.

Also during the meeting, the board approved a 2017 budget, without disclosing it to the public. Tim Lessing, chief financial officer, said an amount to pay retirement for 400 JFL employees was budgeted for the Government Employees Retirement System. He added that payments have been up to date since February 2015.

Lessing reported gross patient service revenue for August was $13.1 million – almost 10 percent more than budgeted. Expenses were higher due to there being three pay periods in t he month, he said. The bottom line net gain, after government appropriations, was $383,000, almost $7 million year to date. The bottom line gain for this year was $4.5 million more than budgeted.

The board also approved three medical staff reappointments and six initial appointments.

Evangelista and board vice-chairwoman Vera Falu updated the board on the status of the kitchen and dietary department. Until the repairs to the drainage system are completed, the dietary staff will prepare meals for JFL patients from the Herbert Grigg Home for the Aged. A contractor has been selected for the kitchen work and it should be completed within 60 to 90 days after the contract has been negotiated, Evangelista said. 

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