The University of the Virgin Islands received yet another donation from Greenleaf VI II, Inc. in the amount of $69,000, at a check presentation ceremony held on the University’s Albert A. Sheen Campus on Wednesday, March 13. The donation will go toward funding the University’s Simulation Center.
Owner Philip Arcidi said when he considered which area of the University to lend his support, he was most enthusiastic to continue supporting the School of Medicine. The Simulation Center, which is currently under construction, is a division of the School of Medicine.
“Myself and the Greenleaf VI family are so proud to support the funding for the Simulation Center’” said Arcidi. “The Simulation Center will have a major impact on the quality of health care performed within the territory. We hope our contribution will inspire others to join us in investing in the Health Care of the Virgin Islands.”
“This year, the consistent contribution of Greenleaf is devoted to the Simulation Center and we are very excited about that because every small amount going towards that building and its operation, ensures that it becomes a reality and ensures that it will succeed,” said UVI President David Hall. “We see physicians, existing nurses, EMTs and others being trained in the Simulation Center so that they can do a better job at improving the quality of healthcare in the Virgin Islands and wider Caribbean.”
Hall indicated that Greenleaf VI’s interest in supporting the Simulation Center was not surprising as it is aligned with the focus of Greenleaf VI’s, as a healthcare company. “They understand very uniquely the importance of the quality of healthcare,” Hall said.
Dr. Hall said that consistent donations are important because “they consistently allow us to continue to grow.”
The Simulation Center will allow for healthcare professionals to practice on mannequins in order to hone their skills, refine advanced techniques and learn valuable social interactive tools for delivering results to patients.
“We will have in our Simulation Center, surgical labs where the same type of surgery that would happen in the hospital, could happen here in the Simulation Center,” Dr. Hall stated.
The 21,920 square feet facility will feature an operating room, surgical skill laboratories, simulation laboratories, trauma moulage, debriefing rooms, team training rooms, conference room, multipurpose room and dining hall.
In 2017, following Hurricanes Irma and Maria, Greenleaf VI donated $65,000 to the UVI Rise Relief Fund Initiative, which was created shortly after the Hurricanes, to assist university students and employees with the recovery process.
UVI Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Mitchell Neaves said that Greenleaf VI displayed a keen interest in the welfare of our students and staff in the aftermath of the storms.
“Their gift was received at a very crucial point in our recovery. Today we have several students in attendance who directly benefited from the generosity received last year,” Neaves said. “The welfare of the community has been a reoccurring theme during our conversations and the University appreciates Mr. Arcidi’s genuine commitment to continue investing in the UVI Medical School initiative.”
Greenleaf VI is a financial consulting firm based in Christiansted, St. Croix. The company falls under the Economic Development Commission (EDC) program, an offshore tax benefit program that is sanctioned by the U.S. Government.