Mapp Proposes Plan To Save Juan Luis, Promises To Rehire LPNs

Gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Governor Kenneth Mapp has proposed a plan that he believes will save St. Croix’s Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (JFL) from becoming insolvent.

In a post on his campaign website, Mapp said after consulting with health administrators, doctors and community leaders, the plan he’s set forth does not seek to “fight with CMS,” but instead own up to the deficiencies that led to this point and work toward correcting the problems.

“Even if we were to accept the notion that only a percentage of the CMS report is true, then we must face our responsibilities and address many of the issues that have brought us to this point,” Mapp said.

Mapp also revealed key problems that need to be addressed and promised the rehiring of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to “correct the shortages that CMS noted in its report of the violations.”

The other ideas include:

1. Filling vacant positions on the JFL governing body.
2. Sign the VI State Nurses Association contract to attract and retain nurses and rehire the laid off LPNs to correct the shortages that CMS noted in its report of the violations.
3. Contracting a crisis team and seek the assistance of the community to work with the CEO and hospital staff to address and correct the numerous deficiencies noted in the CMS report.
4. Doing a top down assessment of the Juan F. Luis Hospital Administration to address the deficiencies noted in the CMS Report and the corrective measures to be taken with the local medical community.
5. Implementation of a medical review task force to review and ensure improvements and adherence to patient’s rights.
6. Developing and implementing a strategy to take full advantage of those provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also known as Obamacare, applicable to the Virgin Islands to drive revenues into our healthcare system.

Mapp said after going through the report, he identified the protection of patients and delivering the highest quality of care as the two most important issues. The candidate also stressed the importance of political leaders and members of the medical community coming together to work toward quelling the already-dire situation at JFL.

“I do not believe that turning to Washington with all of our problems is the answer,” Mapp added. “We need to work collectively as a community to find the solutions to our problems and I will work with the community, the medical society and our local leaders to make that happen.”