Executive Session Drives Hospital Board Meeting

Most of the Territorial Hospital Board’s monthly meeting was taken up by a variety of subjects tackled in an executive session Wednesday. Boards hold these secret sessions to discuss items that may compromise personal privacy rights or should be withheld from the public to avoid premature disclosure of an action or proposed action.

While Chair Christopher Finch said there were no decisions or actions taken, there were discussions about a variety of subjects starting with settling vendor debt according to the guidelines from the V.I. Attorney General’s Office. Finch said they might have to set up a separate budget to deal with it.

The board also discussed the Office of the Inspector General’s report, which found fault with some of the board and administrative practices. Finch said many of the issues have been dealt with or are in the process of being corrected. He also pointed out that there was a large number of administrators and board members serving during the audit periods, which was one of the IG’s complaints.

Finch said the board also discussed the hospitals’ responsibility to continue to serve dialysis patients on both islands – outpatients as well as visitors.

There was also discussion on the search for permanent fiscal officers for both hospitals and responding to the upcoming Public Employees Relations Board’s hearing on the hospital’s rollout of the vaccine mandate.

When the board rose out of executive session, the chief executive offices of each hospital reported about activities at their respective facilities.

CEO Doug Koch said the labor and delivery unit at Juan F. Luis Hospital remains closed pending the results of an air quality test. When they receive the report and make any corrections needed, the patients and staff will be moved back, he said. The department was closed last week after staff reported itchy eyes and trouble breathing.