CMS officials began inspecting a hospital in the Virgin Islands Sunday following reports of emergency room staff shortages and equipment failures, The Virgin Islands Consortium reported.
The inspections at Gov. Juan F. Luis Hospital & Medical Center come six months after CMS accredited the facility. If the hospital fails the inspections, its CMS accreditation will be pulled and the island's only hospital would no long receive Medicare and Medicaid assistance, according to the Consortium.
The survey process is expected to last until Thursday, including inspection of the facility's governing board, nursing services and medical staff, in addition to its adherence of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act.
Virgin Islands Sen. Kurt Vialet told the Consortium that while recent changes to the hospital may signal "instability," the facility will one day be a place "residents can be proud of."