St. Croix Chamber of Commerce

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Plessen Healthcare LLC Urgent Care Center to Open Monday, September 21, 2020

Plessen Urgent Care Opens Sept 21

Plessen Announces the Opening of Urgent Care Center for patients ages 2 and up!

ST CROIX, USVI, September 15, 2020 – Monday, September 21, 2020 is the first day Plessen Healthcare welcomes patients to their new, state of the art Urgent Care facility, centrally located in the Sunny Isles Shopping Center.

Open seven days per week, the Urgent Care Center will see patients from ages two and up.

Upon the opening of the Urgent Care Center, all Plessen Healthcare clients who require care on a walk-in basis will be seen at the new Urgent Care location at Sunny Isles. Patients will be able to walk-in to be seen in turn or alternatively may choose to remotely save their place in line through the online system, adding efficiency to the experience. The online option will be available at plessenhealthcare.com as of opening day.

The Urgent Care Center will be open 7 days per week and will be equipped with X-ray and laboratory diagnostics.Now you have a place to bring your child or elderly relative on the weekends when they get sick or hurt themselves. We wanted to address that need in the community.

Temporary Hours of operation will be:

  • Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Extended Hours – Coming Soon! – will be:

  • Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Plessen’s Urgent Care has been established with the same diligence and dedication to excellent care since their opening on St. Croix in 2015. The Urgent Care Center will be teamed with experienced emergency and urgent care providers.

“Now you have a place to bring your child or elderly relative on the weekends when they get sick or hurt themselves. We wanted to address that need in the community. With the addition of our Urgent Care Center, Plessen has become an integrated healthcare system. We are now able to care for our patients all around when they have an injury or an acute issue, and then have a follow-up visit in our primary care or specialty care clinic, and provide them with surgery when they need it. This, as well as our Telehealth program, allows our patients to receive a full spectrum of care, all linked together with our healthcare information exchange technology,” shares Dr. Jan Tawakol, co-founder of Plessen Healthcare LLC.

The medical clinic in Orange Grove will continue to serve patient primary care and specialty healthcare needs, by appointment only. Appointments can be made by calling 340.715.7720.

Plessen Healthcare is now a Fully Integrated Healthcare System comprised of Urgent Care, Primary Care, Specialty Care and The Virgins Island’s very first AAAHC Accredited and CMS Certified Outpatient Ambulatory Surgery Center – taking care of all of St Croix’s healthcare needs under one orange umbrella!

Plessen is proud to be of service to the St. Croix community and looks forward to offering their high standard of care including children’s urgent care needs.

About Plessen Healthcare, LLC
Plessen Healthcare, LLC. was founded on St Croix, US Virgin Islands in 2014 by Dr. Jan Tawakol and Dr. Tasnim Khan, on the fundamental belief that world class health care should be accessible to everyone. The Plessen Orange Gove medical campus includes a full-service, multi-specialty medical clinic and the only CMS accredited surgical center in the USVI. As of September 2020, the Urgent Care Center located at Sunny Isles serves patients ages two and up, seven days per week. Plessen is committed to affordable, accountable and efficient healthcare and is centrally located within the Caribbean for easy travel from down island, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the U.S. mainland.

For questions or more information, please contact Angela East at aeast@plessenhealthcare.com

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St. Croix Fitness Instructors Get Creative With Virtual Classes – Despite COVID!

July 21, 2020

Two energetic Caribbean women are getting creative with virtual classes despite COVID-19: Khnuma Simmonds of SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness and Roberta Jeffrey-Etienne of Fit4Life Services!  These energetic dance and fitness instructors are inviting the community – locally and abroad – to join them on a virtual health and wellness journey that is fun, convenient and most importantly…safe!

Khnuma of SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness stated: ‘Our Territory is amidst its peak of COVID cases and the best way to beat the virus is to avoid contracting it at all. Therefore,  in addition to wearing masks, practicing social distancing and complying with the recommendations of federal and local health officials, strengthening our immune system and maintaining positive physical and mental health are critical for preventing illness.’ SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness offers at least six virtual classes a week for a range of audiences, including seniors, and a range of dance styles from quadrille to soca and kizomba to bellydance. Most classes are hosted on Zoom including three of which are provided at no charge to the community through the Fit4Life and Government of the Virgin Islands Cigna Health Insurance Board Health and Wellness Series (GVI). They will also host a free class on Saturday, August 1st, 2020 via their Facebook page in partnership with a series of events hosted by My Girlfriend’s Closet – a locally owned boutique also owned by Simmonds.

online fitness classes

‘Fit4Life Services is proud to provide fitness services to the people of the Virgin Islands and invites the community to join us as we provide daily virtual classes for the community with a variety of instructors and partners. Our greatest wealth is health so there is no better time than now to take care of ourselves!’ stated Etienne. The Government of the Virgin Islands – GESC Health Insurance Board collaborative features a variety of classes including Sokh, Zumba, Bootcamp, Functional Fitness and Yoga – with the following instructors: Roberta Jeffrey-Etienne and Monsita Diaz of Zumba Fitness, Khnuma Simmonds of SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness, Avory Resca with Yoga, Madeleine Sullivan with Functional Fitness and Antonio Stevens with Bootcamp. Classes occur from Monday to Saturday with offerings in the morning and the afternoon and can be accessed at no charge through the Zoom Meeting ID: 556-236-9518 and password: 3dpbJa. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), ‘Physical activity can make you feel better, function better, and sleep better. Even one session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity reduces anxiety, and even short bouts of physical activity are beneficial. While it may be difficult to remain physically active while social distancing, it is possible and important.’ The CDC also shares vital information regarding the benefits of physical activity such as dance and stretching – including a longer life and reduced risk for chronic illness. To read more on the benefits of physical activity, please visit the CDC’s site at www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity.

SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness is a Virgin Islands fitness brand that was founded in 2008,  copyrighted Since 2012 and trademarked in 2017 by Founder, Choreographer and St. Croix Native, Khnuma Simmonds who has obtained a degree in dance from Hofstra University as well as certifications from the Athletics and Aerobics Fitness Association and International Fitness Association. SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness has a vision of ‘celebrating Caribbean women and culture through dance fitness’ and is an affiliate of Girlfriendism Fitness.  Fit4Life Services is owned and led by Roberta Jeffrey-Etienne who is a Zumba Certified Instructor, Certified Personal Trainer and the only Real Ryder Certified Instructor in the Territory. In addition to virtual classes, both instructors can also be found at the Beeston Hill Health and Wellness Center which also provided access to free virtual sessions for its members through the GVI-GESC program.  For more information on SoKh Caribbean Dance Fitness virtual and in person classes (restrictions apply), please follow them at www.facebook.com/sokhdancefitness or on Instagram @sokh_caribbean_dance_fitness or email them for a full schedule at sokhdancefitness@gmail.com. For more information on Fit4Life Services including Real Ryder classes, please email Roberta at rvjeffrey@gmail.com. For more information on the free virtual fitness classes for government employees and retirees, please visit their FaceBook page at www.facebook.com/gvihealth

Governor Bryan Orders Beaches Closed Early This Weekend, Bars to Stop Serving at 11 p.m. Until Further Notice

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — In an effort to mitigate the growing spread of the COVID-19 virus in the Territory, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has ordered all beaches to be closed at 4 p.m. for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, and all bars are ordered to stop serving, and alcohol sales Territory-wide are to end at 11 p.m. until further notice.

governor bryan july 2 press conference

The Governor also has instituted stricter measures for travelers who enter the U.S. Virgin Islands and his Administration and the Virgin Islands Department of Health are working with Limetree Bay CEO Brian Lever to institute more aggressive health protocols for contract workers arriving from the mainland to work at the facility on St. Croix.

This long weekend presents a real and very valid concern for us, as it is traditionally a time where Virgin islanders get together at the beaches and at community events to celebrate Emancipation Day on July 3 and Independence Day on July 4,” Governor Bryan said. “We continue to have instances of individuals not following the social distancing guidelines issued by the Department of Health, not adhering to the restrictions on mass gatherings and not wearing their facial coverings in public places.

“Just one errant carrier can wreak havoc on our delicate health care system by creating dozens of infections,” the Governor said. “Going into this long holiday weekend, we have taken some pre-emptive measures to help reduce the recurrence of these types of incidents, particularly at our bars and at the beaches.”

Beaches

Effective Friday, July 3, through Sunday, July 5, all beaches in the Territory will be closed at 4 p.m. daily and must be vacated by then. The beaches will reopen at 6 a.m.

The Governor advised residents not to wait until 4 p.m. to leave and to start packing up by 3 p.m. He also said he is mindful of residents who exercise at the beaches and who go there for a respite from the stress and depression caused by the COVID-19 spread and resurgence.

“This is almost the fourth month now that we’re dealing with this virus. People are starting to get depressed and being locked up all weekend, that’s not either in terms of mental health,” Governor Bryan said. “That was the logic behind 4 o’clock, to give families an opportunity to take their kids to the beach, get a little dip and go home.”

Bars and Alcohol Sales

Starting Thursday, July 2 – and until further notice – all bars must close by midnight until 6 a.m. the following day. They also are restricted from serving any drinks after 11 p.m until 8 a.m. the following day.

Also until further notice, stores are prohibited from selling alcohol after 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning.

“This is not for the weekend; this is until further notice. That means until we start to see a decrease in the spread of what is going on in the states,” Governor Bryan said. “As a reminder, wear your mask when you go into an establishment. Wear your mask when you’re not taking a drink. This is for your safety. We all know how alcohol has an effect on the inhibitions of humans. Please, wear your mask.

Travelers and Visitors

Governor Bryan also is instituting a 14-day quarantine for people who are arriving from high infections rate states, such as Texas and Florida.

Visitors will have to produce COVID-19 test results that were taken within 72 hours of their arrival that show they are negative. If they don’t do that, they will have the option of taking a COVID-19 test upon their arrival and must stay in quarantine until they get results that they are negative. Visitors who don’t take the test must quarantine for 14 days.

“We’re putting together the list of states that will be there, most definitely Texas is one of them, and Florida, as they are certainly starting to spike at this point,” Governor Bryan said.

Limetree Bay Facility

The Governor said this past week has been a challenge regarding COVID-19 and the Limetree Bay facility.

“As our largest private employer, there are thousands of Virgin Islanders who are employed within that facility. An outbreak of the virus within that work environment would immediately put many local families at risk,” Governor Bryan said during a press conference Thursday at Government House on St. Croix.

In addition to protocols already in place at Limetree Bay – including temperature scans at the gates, mandatory facial coverings and weekly reporting of all contractors traveling to St. Croix – all contractors arriving from the mainland are immediately placed into a 72-hour quarantine.

After the three-day quarantine, the workers are tested for COVID-19 to determine if they have traveled with the virus or have become infected during transit, and if their test results are negative for the virus, they are cleared to work. If they test positive, the contractors must remain in quarantine until they are fully recovered.

“These protocols have been relatively effective in reducing the transmission of the virus within the Limetree facility. In fact, it is the very same protocols that are identifying individuals before they have access to the Limetree facility and our residents and guests who work there,” Governor Bryan said. “However, circumstances have evolved since we first put these protocols in effect. We are now seeing a resurgence of the virus. Particularly in the states where many of the contracted refinery workers are traveling from.”

The Governor also thanked Mr. Lever and his team for their understanding, collaboration and cooperation in addressing the public health concern.

“We all can agree that the work at the refinery has kept many Virgin islanders gainfully employed during this pandemic, and we do not wish to see it slowed down or halted,” the Governor said.

COVID-19 cases

  • Currently tracking 11 active cases
  • 3,055 individuals tested to date – 3% of the population
  • 2,924 of those tests were negative
  • 92 tests came back positive
  • 39 tests are pending
  • 6 fatalities to date
  • One COVID-19 patient is hospitalized and on a ventilator at Juan F. Luis Hospital on St. Croix.
  • One COVID-19 patient is hospitalized at Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas.
  • Both patients are in stable condition.

Governor Bryan’s next COVID-19 update is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday, July 6 and will be livestreamed at facebook.com/GovernmentHouseUSVI.

CFVI Notifies Public of Opportunity to Download Noggin App FREE for 180 Days

The learning app from Nick Jr. features educational games, full episodes, eBooks, and activities for preschool-aged children  

U.S. Virgin Islands, June 9, 2020 — Thanks to the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands’ participation in The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, families in the Territory can download and enjoy the Nogginapp FREE for 180 days. A subscription normally costs $7.99 per month.   Noggin, the learning app from the experts at Nick Jr., brings more than 30 years of preschool edutainment experience into a smart and fun tool for kids ages 2+. Noggin provides access to an ever-expanding library of educational games, eBooks, activities, and exclusive shorts developed by curriculum specialists. With 1,000+ ad-free full episodes of preschool favorites like PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig and Bubble Guppies, children can go on learning adventures and explore math, science, literacy, music, manners, and more. 

In light of the school closures and childcare issues disrupting the lives of families all across the country, Noggin is offering its service FREE for 180 days (for those who sign up by June 30, 2020) in partnership with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Families who sign up between July 1 and August 31, 2020 will receive 90 days free.     The Campaign is a collaborative effort by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career, and active citizenship. The Campaign focuses on an important predictor of school success and high school graduation—grade-level reading by the end of third grade.

“Our commitment to early childhood education remains steadfast, as does our desire to strengthen the resources available in the USVI, especially during this challenging time,” said CFVI Director of Grants and Programs, Anna Wheatley Scarbriel, Ph.D. “Through our support of initiatives such as WE COUNT!, Ready4K, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Little Free Libraries, the ‘Museums for All’ program, and others, we continue to do what we can so that all children and families in the Territory have access to the tools, support, and opportunities that lead to healthy development.”     To sign up for the FREE 180-day subscription, visit cfvi.co/NogginSignUp.   To learn more about Noggin, visit noggin.com.

About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands Since 1990, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) has been a catalyst for positive change in the Territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit cfvi.net.

CFVI Brings WE COUNT! A 2020 Census Counting Book to Families in the USVI

With the 2020 Census slated to resume USVI interview activities in early June, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) is pleased to announce it is sponsoring the distribution of 5,500 copies of WE COUNT! A 2020 Census Counting Book to families throughout the Territory. 

The goal of the WE COUNT! Campaign is to ensure that children and families understand the importance of being accurately represented in the population count. The book explains how Census 2020 is used and how families benefit from being counted. It also provides an introduction to civic engagement: being seen, being counted, voting and organizing.

we count 2020

Designed “for young children and the grownups who love them,” the interactive counting book provides simple, clear and comprehensive guidance on counting households for the census, including the multi-faceted living arrangements that researchers have identified as most likely to confuse respondents to census questions. Created by a team with expertise in early childhood education, diversity and children’s publishing, the colorful, 32-page book features engaging stories and illustrations of diverse families by a variety of artists, each representing their own cultural heritage. 

“Those of us concerned with tracking and improving the well-being of our children and families face a challenge in the U.S. Virgin Islands” said CFVI President Dee Baecher-Brown. “Unlike the 50 States and the District of Columbia, the decennial census is the only federally-funded guaranteed source of demographic data for the Territory. Therefore, the census plays a critical role in determining the distribution of public resources and representation,” she said.

In the 2010 Census, 2 million children were missed or miscounted. About $160 billion a year in Federal funding for programs that help young children thrive are allocated based on the Census count of children, including Medicaid, food stamps, Head Start and foster care. When young children are miscounted, federal funds meant to help them thrive are distributed incorrectly—or not at all. Recognizing the significant differences in census structure in the USVI compared to other jurisdictions, CFVI was able to advocate for the customization of the guide for the Territory. The Virgin Islands edition even features artwork by local artist, Jenné Bougouneau.  

“An accurate count is critical to promoting equity for communities across the nation, which is why CFVI is committed to participating in national initiatives such as the WE COUNT! Campaign, to ensure representation of the Territory’s unique political and legal status. Our hope is that WE COUNT! can be the cornerstone of a diverse, inclusive community Census campaign here in the Virgin Islands” said Baecher-Brown.

In recognition of the diversity of cultures and languages in the Territory, the USVI WE COUNT! books are available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Arabic. 

The current public health recommendations have necessitated modifications to CFVI’s initial distribution plans. In partnership with the USVI Census Office, books will be included in outreach packets during the VI Department of Education’s free meal distribution May 27 through May 29 across sites on each island. These meal distribution opportunities are not limited to enrolled public school students, so any family wishing to obtain a copy of the book is encouraged to attend (whether or not a meal is desired). 

To view a PDF of the USVI version of the WE COUNT! book, click here.

To learn more about the national We Count! initiative, visit wecountkids.org. 

For more information about the USVI Census, visit www.2020census.gov/conducting-the-count/island-areas.html or call the U.S. Virgin Islands Census Office at 340-718-2020.

Congress Passes Fourth Bipartisan Coronavirus Package to Bolster Small Businesses, Farmers and Health Care Needs

“This Legislation Provides Small Business Funding, Supports Hospitals and Farmers, and Invests in Nationwide Testing,” stated Congresswoman Plaskett

stacey plaskett logo

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett, Chairwoman of the Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee, released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $484 billion package to support small businesses and farmers, provide additional funding for hospitals and health care providers, and invest in a widespread testing plan:

“Virgin Island families, farms, and businesses are facing unprecedented hardship as we deal with the reality that COVID-19 has taken lives in the Virgin Islands. I know businesses and workers are understandably eager to get back to work.  Americans will not be able to safely get back to our lives and work until we have widespread testing to ensure our communities and workplaces are safe. This bill makes a substantial investment in the testing we need to save lives and work towards reopening our economy. The bill also includes urgent funding for our health care providers and small businesses. Importantly, this new funding makes sure that minority-owned small businesses and businesses in the Virgin Islands can get the help they need to survive this crisis.

“Presently Congress has focused legislation on relief and support to Americans and businesses directly affected by the pandemic.  The first CARES Act sought to provide initial relief to states and territories in need of operating funding.  I’m grateful for Governor Bryan’s letter to Congress requesting action on a host issues for which I have previously sponsored legislation or advocated for; such as cost share waivers, loan forgiveness and reimbursement for Earned Income and Child Tax Credit.  The difficult environment in Washington right now, however, necessitates that the Governor, the legislature and I coordinate on 2 things: first, focusing our advocacy on one, or at most three impactful, relevant actions that will bring important funding to the Virgin Islands.  Second, the local government must demonstrate in the utilization of federal funds the territory’s commitment to effective and efficient spending, self-governance against mismanagement of funds, as well as execution on a strategic plan for the development of new revenues.

“Under the legislation The Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act provides the following: Small Business Funding – $310 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, which offers forgivable loans to small businesses. Sixty  billion dollars of this will be set aside for Community Development Financial Institutions, Minority Depository Institutions, community-focused lending intermediaries, and the smallest community banks and credit unions. Sixty billion dollars in economic disaster relief for small businesses. Fifty billion to fund Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which will support more than $350 billion of additional EIDL lending, and $10 billion in EIDL grants. Eligibility for these loans was expanded to include farms and agricultural businesses.  This funding and the set asides are a tremendous boost and will directly support the local banks and many of the businesses in the Virgin Islands.

“Health Care Funding – $75 billion in additional funding for hospitals and health care providers. This money will help with expenses and lost revenue hospitals and health care providers are facing during the COVID-19 crisis. $25 billion for researching, manufacturing and administering COVID-19 tests. This funding will also support infrastructure to implement contact tracing and laboratory capacity expansion. Testing remains free to all Americans due to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

“Farmers – Agriculture businesses and farms with fewer than 500 employees now qualify for small business disaster relief loans. I will always work to ensure that Virgin Island family farms receive relief during this global pandemic. This bill contains an expansion of the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Relief Loan and Emergency Economic Injury Grant Programs to include farms with fewer than 500 employees.

“Virgin Island family farms are the lifeblood of our   agriculture sector, which is an important industry and is vital to the Territories. As the representative of the Virgin Islands in Congress,  it was important to me that this program was expanded to include farmers because they need certainty as we head into planting season. I am working hard to ensure that all Virgin Islanders, including our farmers are not left behind.

“As this legislation is passed, we have already begun the negotiations on another stimulus package.  My office is assisting on this package as we continue to work on appropriations for the next Fiscal year.  I am thankful for the support of the Governor, and the Virgin Islands Legislature as I and my office begin work on the next package.”