The Schneider Regional Medical Center in St. Thomas, USVI. Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM.
Authorities at the Schneider Regional Medical Center have alerted the public that a document circulating online is fraudulent.
The document, which is reportedly being shared on online messaging platforms and possibly other social media sites, purports to be a report from the SRMC laboratory. According to a press release from the hospital, the document uses the facility's name and logo in an attempt to look legitimate.
However, SRMC says the lab report is a complete fabrication. “The document currently circulating on WhatsApp and other platforms is not a product of SRMC or its laboratories,” the statement declares. “The information contained in the report is in no way confirmed by SRMC.”
The hospital says that it is investigating the matter. It intends to pursue all legal remedies against those responsible for the fake report's creation and dissemination, as SRMC says the document contains information “defamatory to the individuals referenced.”
The fake lab report also undermines SRMC as a whole, the hospital argues, as it may cause the public to doubt its commitment to “the highest standards of patient confidentiality, privacy, and healthcare excellence.”
SRMC encourages people to report “suspicious communications” to its Health Information Management Department.
