Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Boards Update topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Medical, dental boards ask Legislature for staff, rules and training; dental‑hygiene program proposed
Summary
The territorial Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Dental Examiners briefed the committee on staffing, regulatory and workforce needs, urging a territorial administrative procedures act, dedicated legal support and steps to expand training including a proposed dental‑hygiene program with UVI.
The committee received formal updates from the territorial Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Dental Examiners and heard requests for legislative support to strengthen regulatory capacity and workforce development.
Board of Medical Examiners: Dr. Frank Udlam, chair, said the board has completed a public website and moved meetings to secure Microsoft Teams; it currently operates with three professional licensure office staff but several board members are serving in a holdover capacity after terms expired in 2023. The board said it needs: a territorial administrative procedures act to standardize investigations, adjudication and rulemaking across professional boards; dedicated legal resources to expedite complaints and rule promulgation; online payment capability for fees and fines; and an FBI originating agency identifier (ORI) so the territory can meet FBI background‑check requirements and pursue membership in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact.
"Securing an ORI number is the first step towards joining the compact," Udlam said, noting the board hopes to join the expedited licensure system used in other states. He urged legislative and interagency cooperation to fill vacancies and provide legal and administrative backing so the boards can operate efficiently and protect the public.
Board of Dental Examiners: Dr. Trevor Connor, chair, described a functioning quarterly schedule and a parallel electronic review process for renewals. He asked the Legislature to act on two current board vacancies and to consider assigning a dedicated Department of Justice attorney to the board to speed complaint resolution. Connor also proposed creating a local dental‑hygiene training program at the University of the Virgin Islands to build the workforce, keep local students on island and reduce recruitment from the Mainland. He argued an associate‑ or bachelor‑level program (two‑ to four‑years) would expand preventive care and reduce long‑term treatment costs.
Connor provided licensing statistics for the current biennial cycle: 86 dentists renewed by Sept. 30, 2024; 16 dentist applications approved since Oct. 1, 2024; three dental hygienists renewed by that deadline; and 14 new dental‑hygienist applications approved since the cycle began. He also described recent community outreach efforts, including a Department of Defense‑supported initiative that provided approximately 5,036 patient encounters with an estimated value of $801,270.
Why it matters: Both boards said limited staff, expired terms and lack of formalized administrative procedures slow adjudication and policy updates. Multiple senators and board chairs urged collaboration among boards, the Department of Health, Department of Justice and the Legislature to draft a common administrative procedure and provide legal staffing so complaints and rulemaking proceed in a timely manner.
Ending: The committee accepted the updates and signaled interest in pursuing legislative fixes — principally an administrative procedures act, funding or staffing for the professional licensure office, and support for workforce training including a pilot dental‑hygiene program in cooperation with UVI. The committee asked staff to follow up on vacancy fills, ORI processing and a plan for the proposed training program.
