Bryan briefing outlined hospital funding, monkeypox advisory and BVI trip

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. used the Government House briefing on Aug. 1, 2022, to outline a series of health-care initiatives, including $10 million grants to each of the territory’s hospitals, plans for the new Charles Harwood Medical Complex on St. Croix, and FEMA approval for a full rebuild of Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.

Bryan said the hospital funding would support medical technology upgrades for coding and patient tracking and help finance recruitment and retention programs for medical staff. He also cited a digital health summit, a diabetes health and wellness fair organized by the Virgin Islands Diabetes Center of Excellence, and Senate Health Committee approval of his proposed Behavioral Health Act.

The governor said he toured a new dialysis center at Sunny Isles Annex on St. Croix on July 31. Government House said the center was supported by a $1 million grant from the Office of the Governor.

During the briefing, Health Department Medical Director Dr. Tai Hunte-Ceasar also repeated a monkeypox advisory first announced on July 18. Government House said no monkeypox cases had been reported in the U.S. Virgin Islands as of Aug. 1, 2022. It said the Department of Health had secured 100 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine for outbreak prevention and could order additional doses.

Government House said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reported 22,485 monkeypox cases globally and 5,189 cases nationally as of July 29, 2022, including 14 in Puerto Rico.

Bryan also said he and Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach planned to travel to Tortola on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 to meet with British Virgin Islands Premier Natalio Wheatley. Commissioner Bosede Bruce was to serve as acting governor during their absence.

Government House also reported 207 active COVID-19 cases in the territory as of Aug. 1, 2022, with an 11.3% seven-day positivity rate and 120 deaths. It said two COVID-19 patients were hospitalized at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix and six were hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.

Official source: https://www.vi.gov/governor-bryan-highlights-major-steps-forward-to-enhance-and-upgrade-health-care-for-virgin-islanders/