FHC's Ingeborg Nesbitt Community Health Center in Frederiksted.
Frederiksted Health Care, Inc. has announced the temporary shutdown of the Ingeborg Nesbitt Community Health Center in Frederiksted due to a water line break which resulted in extensive flooding. Immediate steps have been taken for the repair and restoration of the damaged facility, the organization said.
The overnight flooding led to an extensive review of the building's current infrastructure, with the assessment revealing the need to replace the existing cast iron water lines. These pipes, identified as rust-prone, will be replaced by PVC lines to prevent future breakage, ensuring the longevity of the building's service to the community.
"This proud building is the flagship of Frederiksted Health Care. We are committed to ongoing repair and maintenance of this facility," said Masserae Sprauve Webster, CEO of FHC. The building, initially reconstructed in 1995, underwent a significant renovation by FHC in 2011, a project which did not include the replacement of the cast iron pipes.
The Ingeborg Nesbitt Community Health Center, providing an array of comprehensive health care services, including medical, dental, behavioral health, and enabling services, was in the middle of a renovation and expansion of its dental suite when the incident occurred.
"While we are disappointed with this delay, we are using this opportunity to upgrade our plumbing throughout the building," said Caroline Fawkes, chair of the Board of Directors of FHC.
To ensure minimum disruption of services, patients with scheduled appointments are being rerouted to FHC's other locations in Christiansted, Mid Island, or Sunshine Mall. Patients are requested to call 340-772-0260 to reschedule their appointments. Notably, Covid-19 testing continues to be available at the North Shore Community Health Center in Christiansted.
Webster expressed gratitude towards VI Partners for Health Families and Sterisil International Headquarters for providing temporary spaces for the relocation of their administrative staff, thereby allowing uninterrupted operation of FHC services.
Despite the unexpected incident, FHC had successful onsite compliance visits from the Commission on Dental Accreditation and the Health Resources and Services Administration. It's noteworthy that FHC has the only accredited dental residency program in the Virgin Islands and the visits reaffirm the high quality of services provided by the organization. The closure of the Ingeborg Nesbitt Community Health Center came six days after a water line break, followed by an operational site visit as part of the three-year compliance process for community health centers.
