Commodore Concierge Nurse Management, a home-care nursing company that assists underserved communities, appeared before the Economic Development Commission on Tuesday seeking tax benefits as it looks to relocate its headquarters to St. Thomas and expand its network of personalized nursing services into the Virgin Islands.
The company, which seeks to expand access to compassionate, individualized medical care for underserved communities, was represented by Marjorie Roberts. She EDC commissioners that if approved, Commodore Concierge intends to assume and expand the work of its New York–based affiliate, which manages advanced, tailored home nursing care for clients across the United States. The company plans to invest $100,000 and hire at least five full-time Virgin Islands residents, including Ms. Bozza as chief executive officer. Employees would receive fully subsidized health insurance for themselves and their dependents, along with life insurance and a retirement plan. The company also pledged to donate at least $50,000 annually to local charitable initiatives, in addition to required contributions to the Territorial College Fund and Department of Labor fund.
Ms. Bozza described her early start in nursing. “I actually never went to college for nursing, I was able to test out of it. By the time I was, I think 19 and a half, I was on the cardiac ICU floor as an RN,” she said. She explained that she became disillusioned with the limitations of hospital care. “I was very disenchanted with the hospital system and the delivery of the care that we provided,” she noted.
Her shift toward home-based nursing began with a part-time opportunity. “I found I loved it even more because I was really, truly a part of their lives, and I was able to really effect change,” she said. As her workload increased, she began recruiting other nurses. “I started picking the best of the best of the nurses that I had worked with, and very organically and very quickly, this grew into quite a large business.”
Today the company works with more than 300 nurses and aides who subcontract their services. “What makes us really successful is that we are at the heart of this driven by people who really, truly care,” Ms. Bozza told the commission.
Ms. Bozza said she decided to relocate to the Virgin Islands after visiting the territory and anticipating that her college-bound daughter “might come to visit me a little more if I'm in a nice, warm place.” She hopes not only to establish the business headquarters on St. Thomas, but also to bring her charitable foundation’s work to the territory. “Through our foundation, we have helped manage setting up clinics and things like that for underserved communities. That's something I think could be really beneficial down in St. Thomas,” she said. The foundation recently collaborated with partners to provide dental services on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, and she expressed interest in supporting local healthcare facilities’ fundraising efforts.
Labor Commissioner and EDC board member Robert Molloy asked whether an apprenticeship program for young Virgin Islanders might be possible. Ms. Bozza welcomed the idea. “You guys could have just given me a great place to find some really exceptional people. It's just got so much better for me,” she said.
The EDC will return during a subsequent decision meeting to inform Ms. Bozza whether the application for benefits has been approved.
Before concluding, commissioners questioned Ms. Bozza on best practices in patient care, telemedicine, her business model, and potential benefits for local medical education. While there is currently no demand in the territory for high-end concierge nursing, Ms. Bozza said she believes that whether through her foundation, workforce opportunities, or her professional network, the territory would benefit from the company’s presence.
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