Righting The Ship: Troy Schuster Makes Moves Aimed At Changing Image Of J.F.L.

ST. CROIX — Chairman of the Juan F. Luis Hospital Governing Board of Directors, Troy de Chabert-Schuster, above, took action during a hospital Finance Committee meeting on Thursday that he considers to be nascent steps in the right direction, following weeks of embarrassing and damaging revelations at the hospital.

And the moves come following a whirlwind Committee on Health, Hospitals and Human Services hearing, where hospital officials and board members were grilled by senators, who demanded that the board make changes to prevent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services intervention, which they contend would be devastating.

Mr. Schuster, who has repeatedly said that he wants the best for J.F.L., took action that demonstrated his sincerity and determination to cause positive change. He made five motions which were approved unanimously by the Finance Committee, and will be sent to the full board for approval during its regular meeting on Tuesday. They include the following:

• No bonus will be negotiated nor awarded to any employee nor contract worker of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center.
• No employee of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center shall commence employment nor transfer to another assignment until all employment documents have been completed.
• All new hires of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center must be approved by the Human Resources Committee of the Board and sent to the full Board for approval.
• Any wage or salary increase of more than 3% must be approved by the Human Resources Committee of the Board and sent to the full Board for approval.
• The Board will allocate funds to do a local and national CEO search.

Speaking with The Consortium on Thursday, Mr. Schuster said the first four recommendations of the Finance Committee will enable the board to control the hiring and compensation of employees. The second one will ensure proper documentation of employees and eliminate the accrual of retroactive pay. “Historically, employees have been promoted without completed documentation,” he said. “Consequently, they move to a higher-paying position and are not compensated at the higher rate. As a result, the hospital accrues a higher liability and this causes the need for retroactive pay.”

J.F.L. Board Chairman Troy De Chabert-Schuster.

Mr. Schuster also formed a Finance Department Review Ad Hoc Committee of the Board to conduct a review of the policies and procedures of the finance department of the hospital, and to review the interfacing between the finance department and the human resources department. The ad hoc committee will be co-chaired by board members Philip Arcidi and Mrs. Theresa Frorup-Alie, and will make recommendations to the full board.

“We, the current members of the Governing Board of Directors, have taken on the responsibility of improving the financial stability of a hospital which has been negatively affected by decades of financial crises,” he said. “We are cognizant of our fiduciary responsibility and we are making strides to stabilize JFLH and to make it sustainable and financially viable. All of the members of the Board remain committed to the success of JFLH and the consistent delivery of quality Healthcare.”

The actions come as residents have expressed frustration that Tim Lessing, current chief financial officer, and Ken Okolo, former chief operating officer and chief executive officer, bypassed the board and gave themselves tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses. And it follows humiliating information laid bare on the senate floor on Tuesday, revealing that upper management does not have a handle on the medical facility, with some nurses being overworked while others, who receive greater salaries, are given unnecessary positions.

Mr. Schuster is hoping that the changes will commence a turnaround of the beleaguered hospital and set a precedent that will shape a stable foundation moving forward.