C.M.S. Has Accepted Juan Luis Hospital Plan Of Correction

ST. CROIX — The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (C.M.S.) accepted the revised plan of correction (P.O.C.) submitted by the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (J.F.L.) this month, a press release the hospital issued late Wednesday has revealed. J.F.L. executives were notified of the decision on Tuesday.

In a letter dated February 16, 2016, C.M.S. officials wrote, “The Plans of Correction submitted for the survey conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on December 11, 2015 were reviewed and found acceptable.”

Last month, J.F.L. received news from CMS that it had achieved condition-level compliance with required conditions of participation after the full book survey conducted by the federal agency. However, there were some deficiencies identified by CMS, and federal officials required a P.O.C. submitted to them by January 14, 2016 to address those deficiencies.

In a press conference held on January 5, J.F.L. said the citations included medical staff accountability, patients rights, seclusion restraints, nursing care, administration of drugs, timely completion of medical records, having therapeutic diets for some patients, environment care and infection control (which is tied to environmental care).

The hospital submitted the plan of correction on January 12, 2016 and re-submitted it for approval on February 4, 2016 with revisions made to areas identified by CMS. J.F.L. Acting CEO Ken Okolo was pleased with the decision. “JFL management and staff are delighted to receive the news that CMS has accepted the hospital’s plan of correction,” he said.

C.M.S. officials are requiring the medical facility to submit monthly status reports on the installation of extensions of the sprinkler system for the next three months as part of the P.O.C. They are also asking for a letter of completion once the sprinkler extension project is finished.

“The governing board of directors and the entire staff of JFL have worked very hard to meet the CoPs and we continue to strive on a daily basis to deliver quality healthcare to the residents and visitors of the Territory,” said JFL Governing Board Chair Troy de-Chabert Schuster. “We view our success thus far as an incentive to work even harder to surpass the mandates and requirements of C.M.S. We hope to inspire the people’s confidence in our delivery of healthcare, and we hope the people of the Virgin Islands will continue to entrust us with their healthcare.”

C.M.S. surveyors were in the territory during the week of December 7-11, 2015 to conduct a five-day conditions of participation hospital survey. The survey included record and document reviews, interviews and observation. The six-member delegation looked at JFL’s improvements, and the efforts the JFL team put into achieving compliance under its SIA, and sustaining that compliance.