CHRISTIANSTED — The Juan F. Luis Hospital closed its prenatal ward two weeks ago and moved it to the post-partum unit of the medical facility, the Juan F. Luis Hospital management said Saturday.
Concerns with the cleanliness of its Labor and Delivery (L&D) unit of the hospital were reported by the staff on duty the previous weekend, according to the Juan F. Luis Hospital.
The executive team was notified and took immediate action to ensure the care and safety of staff and patients, the hospital said in a prepared statement:
The Labor and Delivery (L&D) unit of the hospital was safely relocated to the Post-Partum unit on April 18, 2022. Assessments and terminal cleaning of the L&D unit have been implemented by the Facilities and the Environmental Services Team.
These interim procedures are ongoing as part of environmental safety measures. The Hospital is presently in the process of procuring the services of a qualified vendor to complete comprehensive environmental cleaning and restoration of the L&D unit.
The scope of services for this project will include pre and post remediation indoor air quality testing. The safety of our patients and staff continues to remain a top priority at the hospital as we manage the physical infrastructure challenges of this campus.
“At JFL, patient and staff safety is top priority,” said Doug Koch, Chief Executive Officer. “We are following our internal mitigation plan along with all governing body protocols in this situation. Our leadership team acted quickly with no disruption in patient care. I am proud of their response time, and their unwavering commitment to their patients.
I am often asked about the status of JFL North. Every single one of us shares the same united goal of moving into our new structure as soon as possible. This project has obviously been delayed over the years, but every pathway is being explored to open this facility. We anticipate the move to JFL North later this year. The CMU building which houses all of the critical mechanical components to support JFL North is presently in the construction phase with a projected timeline for completion by the end of July. Once that is complete, the building needs to be commissioned and certified before we can move in. The exact timeline for these processes is yet unknown, but past experience shows that it will take a few months. We acknowledge the concerns and frustrations with the delays of this temporary hospital. The journey towards a new replacement hospital will be filled with highs and lows and also with questions and anticipation. We will travel this journey together. While we have experienced some setbacks, we know that brighter days are in front of us. ”
Doug Koch is open to comments via email. Please remit all questions and comments to legal@jflusvi.org.