Senate Vice President Kenneth L. Gittens is calling for an immediate emergency meeting with the Territorial Hospital Board and the Chief Executive Officers of Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix and Governor Roy L. Schneider Hospital on St. Thomas to address the escalating operational, financial, and workforce crises impacting both facilities.
For months, the Legislature has heard the growing concerns of the public regarding long emergency room wait times, shortages of supplies, malfunctioning or outdated equipment, wage discrepancies, delayed payroll, and deteriorating working conditions. In recent weeks, those concerns have intensified with public statements from hospital employees and official advisories from hospital leadership warning residents of overwhelmed emergency departments and extended waiting periods.
“These are not isolated incidents. They are clear indicators of a system under severe strain,” Senate Vice President Gittens said. “Our healthcare professionals are showing up every day under incredibly difficult circumstances, yet the problems persist and continue to worsen. This demands immediate, serious, and private discussions focused on solutions.”
Vice President Gittens emphasized that the Legislature has consistently stepped in to assist the Territory’s hospitals and other semi-autonomous agencies when they face financial shortfalls, often through appropriations and re-appropriations of public funds. While that assistance has been necessary to keep essential services operational, he stressed that financial support must be paired with accountability, transparency, and sound management.
“We do not have a money problem, we have a money management problem,” Vice President Gittens stated. “This is evident as the Legislature continues to appropriate and re-appropriate funding for semi-autonomous entities that were designed to generate their own revenues. The people of this Territory cannot continue to pay the price for systemic mismanagement.”
The requested meeting would allow for candid discussion of sensitive financial, personnel, and operational issues without compromising patient privacy, employee protections, or ongoing negotiations. The goal, Vice President Gittens said, is to identify immediate needs, assess leadership decisions, and determine what legislative actions may be required to stabilize hospital operations and protect both patients and staff.
Senate Vice President Gittens further noted that any necessary legislative action, including potential funding reallocations or policy measures, should be addressed promptly, particularly ahead of the Governor’s upcoming State of the Territory Address.
“Our hospitals are critical lifelines for our community,” he said. “The people deserve a healthcare system that works, employees deserve respect and reliability, and taxpayers deserve accountability. This emergency meeting is not optional — it is necessary,” Vice President Gittens concluded.
