ST. THOMAS — Another lawsuit alleging unpaid bills has been filed against the territory's public healthcare system, this time by a medical staffing company accusing Schneider Regional Medical Center of withholding payments for healthcare professionals, travel and lodging expenses under a contract signed last year.
The civil complaint, filed Wednesday in the Superior Court's St. Thomas-St. John Division, comes as the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center faces a separate $6.36 million federal default judgment over unpaid medical equipment lease obligations. It also follows a September lawsuit in which another staffing company accused Schneider Regional of failing to pay outstanding invoices dating back several years.
The latest plaintiff, Delaware-incorporated Send-It Healthcare, Inc., operates an online platform through which hospitals and other healthcare facilities can identify and recruit medical professionals for temporary assignments, known as locum tenens services. The platform also allows healthcare facilities to review providers' qualifications, availability and pricing, schedule assignments, and arrange travel and credentialing services.
According to the lawsuit, Schneider Regional entered into a Staffing Services Agreement with Send-It in April 2025 but subsequently failed to pay numerous invoices for services provided.
“SRMC has failed to pay numerous invoices, most of which are more than ninety-one (91) days past due,” the complaint states.
Under the agreement, the hospital was required to pay undisputed invoices within 15 business days of receipt. Any invoice not disputed in writing within that period would be considered accepted, with the hospital waiving its right to challenge the amount or details.
The contract also provides for interest of 1.5 percent per month on charges not paid on time, according to the lawsuit.
Send-It alleges that Schneider Regional failed to dispute the invoices within the required period but has nevertheless withheld payments, including expenses associated with travel and lodging for medical providers and outstanding professional fees.
The complaint specifically identifies an unpaid professional-fee invoice for a provider identified as Forgione, along with unpaid portions of professional-fee invoices associated with another provider identified as Pitafi.
According to Send-It, Schneider Regional has attempted to justify withholding certain travel and accommodation payments by citing internal expense limits.
However, the company argues that those restrictions were never incorporated into the parties' agreement and cannot be used to avoid the hospital's contractual obligations.
“The Agreement does not impose the travel and lodging caps SRMC has cited, and the applicable Confirmations do not support withholding the invoiced amounts,” the lawsuit states.
Send-It further alleges that the original confirmation for Forgione's assignment contained no dollar limits on travel or accommodation costs, requiring only that travel expenses be booked at the lowest available cost.
The complaint also references written approval from a Dr. Rosenberg, dated August 29, 2025, authorizing lodging expenses of $130 per day for Forgione.
The company maintains that the disputed charges are consistent with the contractual terms, previous approvals, or both.
“SRMC is withholding payment in bad faith,” the complaint alleges.
Send-It is seeking damages for breach of contract, including contractual and consequential damages, interest, attorneys' fees and court costs.
The lawsuit does not specify the total amount allegedly owed. Instead, the company states that its damages will be established at trial.
The latest legal action follows a separate lawsuit filed in September by Worldwide Travel Staffing, which accused the Virgin Islands Government Hospitals and Health Facilities Corporation of failing to pay $166,846.90 owed for staffing services provided to Schneider Regional.
As the Consortium previously reported, Worldwide alleged that the hospital had not made a payment toward the disputed invoices since October 2019, despite continued correspondence and requests for payment.
That lawsuit came shortly after Worldwide sought court intervention to collect a separate $12.14 million judgment against the territorial hospital corporation arising from unpaid staffing obligations at Juan F. Luis Hospital.
The financial disputes have continued into October.
On Tuesday, a $6,357,600 federal default judgment against JFL and the territorial hospital corporation was registered in the District Court of the Virgin Islands after the defendants failed to respond to a lawsuit over a medical equipment lease.
The Michigan federal court ordered the return of leased medical equipment, including ventilators, operating tables, ultrasound scanners, infant incubators and patient monitors. The judgment also foreclosed an existing lien on hospital assets and imposed 13 percent annual interest on the monetary award.
In a statement Wednesday, JFL attributed its payment difficulties to financial pressures and the impact of a cybersecurity incident earlier this year, saying it had paid approximately $2.9 million toward the underlying agreement.
The hospital did not explain why it failed to respond to the federal lawsuit or appear in court, prompting Senate Vice President Kenneth Gittens to demand accountability from hospital management, the territorial board and the Virgin Islands Attorney General.
The mounting legal claims come as Governor Albert Bryan Jr. seeks approval for a $250 million bond-financing package that would direct $85 million to the territory's two public hospitals.
Under the proposal submitted to the 36th Legislature on October 23, Schneider Regional would receive $45 million, while JFL would receive $40 million to help address outstanding obligations and maintain essential healthcare services.
The proposed financing remains subject to legislative approval, and no allocation has been identified specifically for the new Send-It lawsuit.
The administration has attributed the hospitals' longstanding financial difficulties in part to the cost of uncompensated patient care and shortfalls in federal reimbursement.
The allegations against Schneider Regional in the latest lawsuit have not been adjudicated, and the complaint does not include a response from the hospital
