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March 4, 2008
HOSPITAL BOARD CHAIRMAN AND C.E.O. THANK GOVERNOR DEJONGH In a jointly-issued statement which they believe marks the beginning of a time of cooperation and reconciliation, Juan F. Luis Hospital Acting Board Chairman Carmelo Rivera and the Hospital's Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gregory Calliste, wish to thank Governor John P. deJongh, Jr. for his personal efforts to mediate the differences that have of late troubled the hospital, its governance and operations. DeJongh met with Chairman Rivera and Dr. Calliste on Saturday afternoon. As a result of the Governor's efforts and this meeting, the hospital officials agreed to a number of steps to resolve their differences and to work cooperatively to advance the goals for the hospital that they share with the Governor and the community-at-large. In broad terms, the two hospital officials agreed both to put aside their differences for the benefit of the hospital and to engage the rest of the staff and community in what they describe as a healing process. They restated their shared goals for the hospital: constantly improving patient care, building and maintaining an excellent staff, achieving fiscal viability and expanding service to the entire community. To further these goals, it was agreed that they would work together to reestablish a proper and effective balance between the policy-setting role of the Board and the operational role of the Chief Executive Officer. To incorporate the best efforts of all, it was agreed that they would schedule and hold a retreat as soon as possible for the Juan F. Luis Hospital staff including the members of the Governing Board, the executive management staff, the medical executive staff and chiefs of services, nursing, as well as representatives from the other professions and departments at the Hospital. They both stated that they believed the retreat would serve to get input from all levels of staff relative to the strategic direction for the Hospital and to help revise the institution's strategic plan if that was shown to be necessary. In this effort they agreed to use all appropriate recommendations from the various consulting organizations that have worked with the hospital, including the Joint Commission, Center for Medicare and Medicaid, Grant Thornton, and the Osborne Group to initiate positive changes relative to quality of care, finance and overall hospital operations. Additionally, and as an indication of his desire to facilitate the process of reconciliation, Dr. Calliste agreed to drop the law suit that he had filed against four members of the Board. Lawyers for both sides will be meeting soon to finalize the language of that agreement. During his meeting with Chairman Rivera and Dr. Calliste, the Governor also re-affirmed his support for Juan F. Luis Hospital and the Virgin Islands Cardiac Center which is set to be completed this Spring. |
