VI Hospitals Now Under One CEO, Darlene Baptiste

M.A. Dworkin

USVI - In a move that can hopefully be seen as restorative, in a hospital system that by many accounts is broken beyond repair, The Virgin Islands Government Hospitals and Health Facilities corporation has named Darlene Baptiste Chief Executive Officer of the Territory’s hospital system. It is perhaps a way of thinking by the powers that be to bring some sort of progressive adjustment to a system that seems to lurch from one crisis to another. 

The appointment of Ms. Baptiste, who currently serves as CEO of Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center on St. Croix will also now take over the helm of Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas. It is a concerted effort to consolidate leadership and direct the USVI hospital system toward unified operations, stronger governance, and improved systemwide performance. Ms. Baptiste’s role will focus on system integration and translating strategy into operations across hospitals and clinics. She said she wants the community to remain “hopeful for the future.” 

“The dual appointment is aimed at reducing fragmentation and aligning strategy across facilities on St. Croix and St. Thomas,” said Board Chairman Jerry Smith. “Healthcare systems perform best when leadership is unified, strategy aligned and accountability is clear.”    

Of course the question has to be raised as to what took so long to make the obvious decision of consolidation, at least in the position of CEO, let alone the other issues of system consolidation that have been raised in an attempt to save a system that appears to be heading into a crash and burn downward spiral. Members of the Legislature have been calling for such action involving consolidation of the entire hospital system for years.

During a February 2025 Senate hearing, Senator Clifford Joseph suggested that cost-cutting measures be considered and asked Office of Management and Budget Director Julio Rhymer what type of recommendations he might suggest.

“We can’t continue down a road where we have two separate hospitals that don’t procure together, You have accounting separately, you have multiple systems that are separate,” Mr. Rhymer replied. “Currently we have two district boards and a Territorial governing board. You need to have one board. Start there. That’s the first process…We really need to move forward and do something different, which means there are some hard decisions that have to be made.”