The Territorial Hospital Board announced that Darlene Baptiste, CEO of Luis Hospital, has taken over leadership of Schneider Hospital as part of an effort to merge the St. Croix and St. Thomas healthcare facilities. Baptiste, a former Virgin Islands Health Commissioner, signed a three-year contract effective Feb. 5. Dr. Jerry Smith, chairman of the Territorial Hospital Board, stated that “this decision recognizes a simple but crucial truth, modern healthcare systems perform best when leadership is unified, strategy is aligned, and accountability is clear.”
The board is also interviewing two final candidates for the position of assistant chief financial officer as part of efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline. Schneider Hospital CEO Tina Comissiong was not at the press conference; according to Smith, her contract expired in March 2025 and her role “is currently being considered by the board, there is no final decision at this moment.” Baptiste said she returned home “not to make a living, but to make a difference, and I stand here before you as a servant leader to do the very same.”
Addressing supply chain and financial challenges
Both hospitals have been struggling with cash shortages compounded by the effects of recovering from cyberattacks. Luis Hospital doctors have been sounding alarms about shortages of critical medications and supplies. Baptiste stated that “everything that’s on a critical needs basis” has been replenished. She attributed some struggles to “trying to strike a balance coming out of the cyberattack” and noted that “cash position was less than optimal, and I think it was that way for a long time.”
During an unannounced visit by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) staff, inspectors found shortages of some medications. Smith said the hospital “had a physician fly to Miami, pick them up, and hand deliver them so they’re on site” and stated “we’re fully in compliance.” Luis Hospital is still recovering from a cyberattack; from April to October, “not a single bill to any entity other than Medicaid was submitted, because we couldn’t, the system was down,” Smith noted. Central government support kept the hospital operational during this period, with vendors paid and employees receiving salaries.
Systemic issues and resource constraints
Baptiste cited systemic challenges including many patients lacking healthcare insurance coverage, inadequate Medicare reimbursement rates, and “boarders”—persons who no longer require acute care but cannot care for themselves. Luis Hospital currently has four boarders. Luis Hospital also lacks a psychiatric unit, requiring all behavioral health patients be sent to Schneider Hospital for treatment. Recently, Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. confirmed that plans to construct an inpatient mental health treatment facility have been abandoned due to cost. antml:parameter>
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