Artist rendering of the new Virgin Islands Cardiac
Center located on St. Croix US Virgin Islands
scheduled for completion in October 2007

ST CROIX, USVI: Juan F. Luis Hospital officials recently showed off the progress of the new Virgin Islands Cardiac Center (VICC), located on St Croix, US Virgin Islands which is scheduled to be completed in October.

"This is an investment by the community that goes back into the community," said William "Bill" Kantz, the hospital's fundraising officer.

The center broke ground in June 2006. Start-up funds were provided by VI Public Finance Authority bond proceeds, Tobacco Settlement Financing Corp. funds and VI Legislature appropriations.

The exterior and main floor walls have been erected and several dozen construction workers were on the job Thursday pouring concrete to build the stairs to the upper level. When completed the freestanding structure will encompass 12,000 square foot and be connected by an enclosed walkway to the main hospital building. A helipad will be located on the roof to transport patients from off island.

At a cost of 24 million, the VICC will provide state of the art cardiac services and interventions to the residents of the US and British Virgin Islands. The hospital already provides cardiovascular care such as angioplasty, heart catheterization and implanting pacemakers among other heart treatments. When the new center is completed it will consolidate and expand its services, improving efficiency and effectiveness of patient flow, overall operations as well as convenience for patient's families, the community, and staff, according to Kantz.

Private donations to the center are still being aggressively sought, Kantz said. "We did not have the head start of a large private donation; we've had talks [with potential donors] but we don't have it yet," Kantz said. He said he is "confident" that a substantial donation will come and suggested that a "well known" family who are "local or with strong local ties" will soon make a donation large enough to have the center bear their name.

The fundraising goal for private donations is 7 million or 38 percent of the total cost of construction and equipment.

Kantz said the project is part of a long term plan by hospital officials to make the JFL Hospital and Cardiac Center "the hospital of choice in the Caribbean." He said the center will improve coordination of all cardiovascular services and provide a "continuum of care." It will provide education, cardiac surgery and post treatment as well as research facilities available to the public, diet and rehabilitation services. The center will have adequate space to expand services in response to the needs of the community.