Staff Shortage Closes Schneider Hospital’s Wound Clinic Temporarily

St. Thomas residents have temporarily lost access to the major wound care service on island, although they do have limited options for alternate care.

Schneider Regional Medical Center was forced to close the clinic on Sept. 2 because of a staff shortage, according to Delphine Olivacce, the vice president of Quality and Performance Improvement at the hospital.

However, she said, in-patient wound care continues, and the hospital’s hyperbaric chamber is still available for use by out-patients whose condition meets certain medical criteria.

“Wound care is a specialty,” Olivacce said. “There are standards and skill sets” required. “So when we lost that staff member (with those qualifications), we could not keep the clinic open.”