Thomas Robinson, chief executive officer of the Juan F. Luis Hospital, is hoping a new image for the oft-maligned institution will translate into more business which will, in turn, help improve service.
"We realize our hospital hasn’t enjoyed the best reputation with the people we serve," Robinson told members of the Senate Committee on Health and Hospitals on Thursday. "Believe me . . . we’re trying to change that."
He went on to explain that the hospital has undertaken a marketing campaign to highlight new and proposed services. For example, the emergency room is now staffed with board-certified physicians, he said, and is soon to be renovated.
Additionally, he said, the hospital plans to build a cardiac facility. The money would come from the funds received by the territory from the tobacco lawsuit settlement.
Against the rosy future, though, there are stark reminders of reality. Leaking water pipes throughout the hospital will cost $1.6 million to repair, even though maintenance crews have already replaced 32 miles of line.
"It’s a horrible situation. Leaking pipes have occasionally ruined lab results and dripped on equipment," Robinson said. "We could have a $10 piece of pipe ruin a $10-million piece of equipment."
And while the hospital is now semi-autonomous, it is experiencing funding and personnel problems like virtually every other government agency.
Funding
As the hospital has become more self-sufficient, the government has reduced the amount of money allocated to it. Robinson said the allotment has been cut by $2.5 million since fiscal year 1999.
But though that source of funds has shrunk, said Nellon Bowry, the hospital’s chief financial officer, collections have increased, from $13.8 million in fiscal year 1999 to $15.8 million in 2000. Fiscal year 2001 is estimated at $18 million, he said.
On the other hand, the hospital has $30 million in outstanding debt, mainly from patients not covered by insurance. Bowry said there was a perception among many people in the community that health care is free.
"The challenge is going to be to get those people who don’t have insurance and who don’t qualify for federal programs to pay," he said. "How much of that [$30 million] is collectible? Significantly less than that."
Nursing
Morale among staff nurses at the hospital is low, said Annie Day-Henry, president of the V.I. District Nursing Association on St. Croix. Of the 102 nurses employed, 46 are agency nurses on contract and 56 are on staff.
Day-Henry said 26 of the contracted nurses are paid $31 a hour, or $2 million a year with benefits. She said staff nurses, some with 10 years of experience, are making approximately $15 an hour.
"The association wants an investigation into the use of contracted nurses," Day-Henry told legislators. "When will you senators stop the misuse of the community’s tax dollars?"
Meanwhile, she said the Health Department has lost 10 registered nurses since May 2000. That has seriously affected the care of patients from the public schools to the hospitals, she said.
A dearth of new nurses has caused a crisis not only locally but nationally. That will force the V.I. government to become more competitive in the salaries it offers.
