St. John clinic closed temporarily due to ‘staffing challenges’

CRUZ BAY — The Virgin Islands Department of Health is advising the public that the Morris F. De Castro Clinic on St. John is closed through Friday due to staffing challenges.

The Department is actively working to address the situation and will resume normal operations as quickly as possible. Affected programs include the Maternal Child Health (MCH) and Community Health clinics, as well as the Environmental Health and Behavioral Health offices.

During this time, residents in need of services are encouraged to seek care at the Department of Health’s clinics and offices on St. Thomas. The MCH and Community Health clinics and the Office of Environmental Health are located on the second floor of the Schneider Regional Medical Center. The Behavioral Health Office is located at Barbel Plaza.

“We sincerely apologize to the residents of St. John for this temporary disruption in services,” said Health Commissioner Justa Encarnacion. “We understand the importance of accessible healthcare and appreciate the community’s patience as we work to resolve this matter.”

The Virgin Islands Department of Health will notify the St. John community as soon as the Morris F. De Castro Clinic is able to reopen.

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.