ST. THOMAS – Governor Albert Bryan, Jr. has rejected the need to declare a hospital state of emergency for the territory, despite recent concerns raised by physicians and renewed calls from a lawmaker.
“Absolutely not,” Bryan said when asked this morning if he would reconsider declaring a hospital state of emergency. “There’s no need for a state of emergency. The Legislature has the money. They need to do their job.”
Senator Ray Fonseca, Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services chair, has repeatedly called on the governor to declare a hospital state of emergency to access funding sources to purchase basic supplies, pay vendors, and hire more staff at both the territory’s hospitals. In a statement released today, Fonseca renewed his call to the governor.
“I urge the governor to act decisively to use any available funds and even consider approaching financial institutions to secure a short-term loan of $20 million — $10 million for each hospital — to immediately address the most critical needs, including staffing, equipment, and vendor payments,” Fonseca said in a statement. “These emergency funds are vital to stabilize our hospitals while longer-term reforms are implemented.”
However, during an interview with WTJX at the christening ceremony for the territory’s new fire boat this morning, Bryan said the solution to the hospitals’ funding problems was already available to the Legislature, referring to settlement funds the government received from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein.
“Senator Fonseca has access to over $130 million of funds that were garnered by the administration from all the Epstein lawsuits,” Bryan said. “If the hospital needs money, just give them the money. They have the money sitting there.”
The governor went on to explain that recent legislation restricts the executive branch’s access to those funds, including during a state of emergency.
“Even if I call a state of emergency, I can’t spend any of the money because the Legislature passed a law saying that even in a case of emergency, we can’t spend the $130 million,” Bryan said. “That don’t make any sense.”
Bryan also called for accountability within the leadership of the territory’s hospitals. Referencing the over $20 million the hospital received from the American Rescue Plan Act, the governor stressed that the hospitals’ ability to function was dependent on the proper management of money.
“At some point they’re going to have to make the executives at the hospital face facts and be accountable for the work that they’re doing,” Bryan said. “They got the money, and they decided to spend it all in raises. And now they’re having to come year after year and pay those raises, making the budget inflated for the hospital.”
After receiving letters from physicians that outlined chronic personnel shortages, an absence of supplies, and deferred maintenance of equipment at both the territory’s hospitals, lawmakers met with physicians from the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center Thursday at the hospital. Today, the senators caucused to determine a date for a legislative session to consider giving more funds to both the territory’s hospitals.
Senator Kurt Vialet, Senate majority leader, said the session will take place at 10 a.m. April 14 on St. Thomas. Vialet said he and his colleagues would have a bill on the agenda to get funding for the hospitals to operate, and that it would include accountability measures.
