St. Thomas East End Medical Searching for New Executive Director

The federally-funded health center on St. Thomas has a position for someone with a health administration background and the ability to oversee new and expanding services. The St. Thomas East End Medical Center Corporation (STEEMCC) is also looking for someone to lead efforts to move the facility out of its long-established home at Tutu Park Mall.

A spokesperson for the health center admits there’s a tall order to fill for whoever wants to serve as executive director. That includes the current director, who may or may not move on. According to Lisa Webster, posting the job is routine.

The job of STEEMCC Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director becomes vacant on March 31, Webster said. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to apply, she said, including Moleto A. Smith Jr., who has served in top leadership since 2014.

“The candidate that we’re looking for, yes, they have to be a great administrator but they also have to be grounded within that health care field; because we’re like a specialized world unto ourselves. You have to know about certain grants and funding, and requirements that govern over, which is HRSA,” Webster said.

The Health Resources & Services Administration — the agency under which STEEMCC and the Frederiksted Clinic on St. Croix function — serves more than 30 million Americans living in underserved communities, including 1,800 rural communities.

Some 7,300 residents of St. Thomas-St. John are served through the clinic’s services yearly, including a dental clinic, maternal and child health care, and cradle-to-grave speciality services.

A successful applicant will also have to continue an ongoing effort to relocate the clinic to a new site about a mile from the current location. A billboard set up near the south end of Raphune Hill declares the spot as STEEMCC’s future home.

The plan to move the clinic began prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Webster said delays brought on by the national health emergency set the effort back several months. A key element to the plan is locating the funds needed for construction and relocation.

“Different factors change. Say we started the assessment a year ago, and then based on different services that we have here; COVID hit, and we had to change the services we offer to people. Different factors played into when we will be able to move forward,” the spokesperson said.

A successful applicant for the director’s job will also have to learn and deal with a new partnership between the East End Medical Center and the Frederiksted Clinic. Webster said the two entities will be working together on joint health initiatives, including the promotion of a brand-new home testing program to detect HIV.

The opportunity to apply for work as the center’s director appeared on the STEEMCC social media page. Further details can be found on the medical center’s website at steemcc.org .