The completed Vincent F. Mason Sr. Coral Resort project in Frederiksted. Photo Credit: DPW
“I invite the entire St. Croix – the whole island community – to come out and join the celebration,” Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said on Monday as he announced the official opening of the Vincent Mason Coral Resort, better known as the Frederiksted Pool.
Begun in 2021, the project was originally slated to be completed the following summer. However, it was not until November 2024 that the pool's concrete foundation was poured. With the project having been officially marked complete in March of this year, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is slated for Friday May 9, Governor Bryan advised.
The day will be filled with family-friendly activities planned to mark the occasion, the governor noted. However, Friday will represent more than just the official culmination of the four-year-long project. “It reflects a larger effort through our Healthier Horizons initiative, which focuses on improving access to safe, welcoming spaces where people can get outdoors, stay active, and live healthier lives,” the governor said.
The initiative encompasses not just physical infrastructure, noted Governor Bryan. “We are investing in the health and wellbeing of our people.” This, he said, includes the promotion of the importance of preventative health, an aspect of healthcare he argues is lacking within the community.
During a meeting with members of the V.I. Legislature and representatives of Cigna to review health statistics for government employees revealed that only about half are utilizing the included free medical exams, Governor Bryan said, with slightly more than that accessing their prescriptions. This was less than acceptable in a territory with high rates of chronic diseases including breast and prostate cancer. The governor noted that screening for these ailments are free with government health insurance. Prescriptions are also available for low co-pay amounts.
“It's good that I know you're drinking your bush or doing whatever it is you're doing, but take your medication, because that's what's going to keep you alive,” Governor Bryan admonished.
The collective failure to proactively manage health in the community will lead to higher health care and health insurance costs, the governor warned. “They're going to continue to rise until we manage our health, individually and collectively as a community.” To that end, the government's focus on restoring recreational spaces across the territory is in the hope of encouraging better exercise habits among the populace, noted Governor Bryan.
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