Legislature’s Counsel Says Hospital Board Broke Law by Naming One CEO Over Both Territory Hospitals

Did the V.I. Government and Health Facilities Corporation act outside of its legal jurisdiction by appointing one chief executive officer to oversee the territory’s hospitals as part of an integration activity? The Legislature’s legal counsel believes this to be the case.

Upon the request of Senator Milton Potter, Attorney Nandi Sekou stated that the “brief answer” is that the Corporation does not possess that authority under “applicable statutory law.”

According to Attorney Sekou, there is “a clear legislative intent to have one chief executive officer for the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital and Medical Center, and one chief executive officer for the Juan F. Luis Hospital.” Therefore, “the action of the corporation is in direct contravention to the legislative intent and the law,” maintained the attorney.

She highlighted several sections of the Virgin Islands Code that supported her opinion, including the use of the phrase chief executive officers, “denoting more than one.” According to Attorney Sekou, several other provisions establish a “legislative intent that each hospital will be managed by a chief executive officer.”