ST. CROIX — The head of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center accepted an offer for help today from a group of protesters who committed to donating much-needed resources to aid the hospital, which is struggling to keep basic supplies in stock like hand soap, toilet paper, and pillows.
About 20 protesters stood on the side of the street across from the hospital to participate in the hour-and-a-half demonstration. Half of them held signs made from poster board with slogans such as, “St. Croix Lives Matter,” “Health is Wealth,” and “Help the Children, Please.”
The protest was organized by members of The People’s Choice, described as a grassroots collective dedicated to advocating for the rights of Virgin Islanders. It kicked off with the blowing of a conch shell and the playing of Bob Marley’s “Get Up, Stand Up.”
Karen Dickenson, one of the organizers, promoted the protest the day before on social media, urging supporters to convene outside JFL and Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.
While most of the support came from residents on St. Croix, a handful of protesters gathered in front of SRMC. One of them, Margaret Price, carried a sign that read, “Save Our Hospitals Now.”
“We’re having a protest because we need to save our hospitals,” Price said. “They don’t have the supplies. They don’t have the staffing that they need to take care of the people. Our seniors are dying. Our children are moving away because they can’t get the proper care.”
Although there was not as big of a turnout among protesters on St. Thomas, their message was the same as those who gathered on St. Croix.
Dickenson was among a group of protesters outside JFL who spoke through a microphone connected to a speaker.
“Our mission today is life, and life here in the Virgin Islands is deplorable,” she said. “As we stand here before the Juan Luis Hospital and we simulcast with our sisters on St. Thomas at the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital, we’re here fighting for life.”
Dickenson, who runs the Collective Collaboration homeless shelter in downtown Christiansted, said the protest was not political. Instead, she emphasized it was about survival.
“As we stand here before you today, we probably have children in this hospital that is fighting for their lives because we don’t have the necessary equipment and the necessary manpower for savior of our lives,” she said.
The protesters raised concerns about the lack of hospital equipment and basic supplies.
“We ain’t got no MRI machine,” Dickenson exclaimed, her voice rising with urgency. “We don’t have portable X-ray machine. We’re taking feeding tubes and washing them out and putting them back in our children. We don’t have doctors. We don’t have the necessary sanitary equipment for doctors to wash their hands to take care of our people. We don’t have a neurologist, and the list goes on of don’ts.”
At one point, Dickenson called for the resignation of the hospital’s new CEO, Darlene Baptiste, a former Health commissioner who joined JFL in February. Baptiste eventually walked outside the hospital and stood across the street from the protesters to listen. Dickenson invited the CEO to join her by the microphone so she could address the crowd.
“In the last four months, I have had an opportunity to learn about the issues and challenges that we have, and it’s nothing for us to hide behind,” Baptiste said. “We do have challenges. As a matter of fact, we do have a lot of challenges, but at the end of the day, I am extremely hopeful, and that’s one of the reasons I want us to have this collaborative discussion.”
Baptiste said it would take the hospital a while to turn things around but assured the protesters her team is working to address their concerns.
“There is validity in a lot of things that were said,” she said.
Baptiste discussed the hospital’s desolate location in the Caribbean as a contributing factor that negatively affects supply and demand, noting it takes time for supplies and equipment to be shipped to the island.
“If we make the payments today, we’re not going to get the supplies in tomorrow,” she said.
Baptiste responded to questions asked by protesters. When asked about the hospital’s plan to pay down debt, Baptiste said JFL negotiated a contract with a U.S.-based firm in reference to the hospital’s revenue management cycle and revenue integrity.
“So, it behooves us to strengthen our billing system, our collection system,” she said, adding that JFL is also working to send out bills in a timely fashion. “We’re looking at getting more certified coders and billers into the business office.”
The hospital is also strengthening its case management system for its clinical documentation, Baptiste said.
The question came up again regarding a lack of basic supplies like hand soap and paper towels. Baptiste said basic supplies are being ordered.
“Everything that we have readily listed has been ordered or being ordered,” she said.
When asked how long ago the supplies were ordered, Baptiste admitted that ordering supplies is tied to available revenues. She said JFL is still rebuilding its relationship with vendors. She said information about the supplies that are needed is shared during morning meetings.
“As soon as it comes to our attention, we look at the cash position and we make the necessary purchases that are needed,” she said, clarifying the issue with the hand soap was rectified. “Once the revenue is there, we make the priority for what is needed to make sure that we have the quality and safety not only of the patients, but of our staff as well.”
Dickenson urged Baptiste to reach out to The People’s Choice for help. Baptiste told Dickenson that she needs assistance.
“We extend our olive branch to you, my sister, because this hospital is all of us,” Dickenson said. “We may have the resources to come in quicker than you could do it, because there’s so much Virgin Islanders that’s part of The People's Choice near and far.”
In addition to shipping a trailer of supplies the hospital needs from supporters in the U.S. mainland, Dickenson offered to replace the hospital’s broken portable X-ray machine. Members of The People’s Choice agreed to meet with hospital executives on Friday to discuss the supplies the hospital needs before coordinating the transport of a trailer with a shipping company.
