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COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION 07/13/2023-AMENDED AND REPORTED OUT TO THE FLOOR 07/12/2023-REPORTED OUT TO THE COMMITTEE O RULES AND JUDICIARY BILL NO. 35-0029 Thirty- Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands February 27, 2023 An Act honoring and commending Donna Marie Christian-Christensen M.D., and bestowing the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor upon her for her tireless contributions to the people of the Virgin Islands in the medical field and representation in the United States Congress PROPOSED BY: Senators Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Angel L. Bolques, Jr., Franklin D. Johnson, Donna A. Frett-Gregory, Marvin A. Blyden, Milton E. Potter and Diane T. Capehart Co-sponsors: Carla J. Joseph, Javan E. James, Sr., Samuel Carriόn and Ray Fonseca WHEREAS, Donna Marie Christian-Christensen is the daughter of the late Judge 1 Almeric Christian and Virginia Sterling Christian and the granddaughter of the late esteemed 2 Virgin Islands educator Elena Christian; and 3 WHEREAS, Ms. Christian-Christensen is the mother of two daughters, Rabiah Green 4 George and Karida Green, and the grandmother of Nia Elena Hamilton, Kobe George, Layla 5 Maria George and Nealia Williams; and 6 WHEREAS, Ms. Christian-Christensen earned a Bachelor of Science in 1966 at St. 7 Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, and an M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) in 1970 from 8 George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C.; and 9 WHEREAS, Ms. Christian-Christensen interned at Pacific Medical Center in San 10 Francisco, California from 1970 to 1971; and 11 2 WHEREAS, Ms. Christian-Christensen did her residency in family medicine at Howard 1 University Medical Center from 1973 to 1974 before returning to the United States Virgin 2 Islands; and 3 WHEREAS, Ms. Christian-Christensen became a board-certified physician in 1977; and 4 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen first became politically active in the 1980s as 5 part of the Coalition to Appoint A Native Judge, which emphasized judicial appointments from 6 within the Virgin Islands community and later as part of the Save Fountain Valley Coalition, 7 which called for the protection of St. Croix’s north side from overdevelopment; and 8 WHEREAS, as a private physician in Family Practice in the U.S. Virgin Islands for 20 9 years, from 1975 to 1996, Dr. Christian-Christensen was aware of the challenges that the 10 underserved population encountered as they tried to access quality health care; and 11 WHEREAS, during that time, Dr. Christian-Christensen concurrently served the Virgin 12 Islands Department of Health as an Emergency Room physician, Maternal and Child Health 13 physician, Medical Director of the Ingeborg Nesbitt Clinic, Director of the Frederiksted Health 14 Center, Director of Maternal Child Health and Family Planning, Medical Director of the Juan 15 F. Luis Hospital, and Territorial Assistant Commissioner; and 16 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen continued to delve into politics and advocacy 17 and served as the Democratic National Committeewoman from 1984 to 1994, as Vice-Chair of 18 the Territorial Committee of the Democratic Party of the Virgin Islands, as a Delegate to 19 Democratic National Conventions, and on the Platform Committee of the Democratic National 20 Committee. She also served on the Virgin Islands Board of Education from 1984 to 1986 and 21 on the Virgin Islands Status Commission from 1988 to 1982; and 22 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen also served as the President of the Virgin Islands 23 Medical Institute, and as a Trustee of the National Medical Association; and 24 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen was elected to serve as the Territory’s Delegate 25 to the United States Congress in 1996; and 26 3 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen was the first female physician to serve as a 1 member of the U.S. Congress, the first woman to represent an offshore territory, and the first 2 woman delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands; and 3 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen served nine consecutive terms, from 1997 4 to 2014, as Delegate to Congress from the United States Virgin Islands; and 5 WHEREAS, during her tenure, Delegate Christian-Christensen served on several 6 committee and sub-committees of the U.S. House of Representatives, most notably on the 7 Committee on Energy and Commerce and its Subcommittee on Health; Committee on Natural 8 Resources and its Subcommittee on Insular Affairs and National Parks; Committee on 9 Homeland Security and Committee on Small Business; and 10 WHEREAS, soon after her election to Congress, Delegate Christian-Christensen was 11 named the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Health Braintrust, which brought 12 together experts in minority health from across the world to discuss, deliberate on and craft 13 policy and legislative initiatives on all levels of government; and 14 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen chaired the CBC Health Braintrust for 15 15 years; and 16 WHEREAS, during Delegate Christian-Christensen’s tenure, the CBC Health Braintrust 17 addressed a myriad of issues to include: the disparities that confront minorities as they try to 18 access the health care system, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, substance abuse and its effects, the 19 need for more minority physicians and health care professionals, and the need for affordable, 20 accessible health care for all; and 21 WHEREAS, it was through this role as Chair of the CBC Health Braintrust that Delegate 22 Christian-Christensen was recognized for her role in not only increasing critical funding for 23 HIV/AIDS and other minority health issues to the U.S. territories and to communities of color 24 around the country, but to the countries across the Caribbean; and 25 4 WHEREAS, Delegate Donna Marie Christian-Christensen was critical in gaining an 1 increasing amount of Medicaid funding for the territories, as a means of improving access to 2 healthcare; and 3 WHEREAS, because of her service as a physician and as a former member of Congress, 4 Donna Marie Christian-Christensen is known locally, nationally, and internationally as an 5 advocate for minority health; and 6 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen, as a member of the Subcommittee on 7 Health, was instrumental in obtaining funding for telehealth, information technology and 8 comparative research to reduce healthcare costs in the Territory; and 9 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen was influential in advocating for minority 10 health in the Affordable Care Act; and 11 WHEREAS, Delegate Christian-Christensen received major awards because of her 12 health care advocacy; and 13 WHEREAS, in 1999, Delegate Christian-Christensen’s alma mater, the George 14 Washington University, honored her as a distinguished alumnus; and 15 WHEREAS, in 2001, Delegate Christian-Christensen received an Honorary Doctor of 16 Laws from Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and 17 WHEREAS, in 2003, Delegate Christian-Christensen was honored by the National 18 Institutes of Health with the National Library of Medicine’s Changing Face of Medicine 19 Award; and 20 WHEREAS, that same year, Delegate Christian-Christensen also received an Honorary 21 Doctor of Science degree from St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies; and 22 WHEREAS, in 2010, Delegate Christian-Christensen received the Dr. Nathan Davis 23 Outstanding U.S. Representative Award from the American Medical Association; and 24 5 WHEREAS, in 2011, Delegate Christian-Christensen received a Leadership Award 1 from the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Conference in the Bahamas for her role in extending the 2 President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief funds to the Caribbean; and 3 WHEREAS, that same year, Delegate Christian-Christensen gave the Inaugural Lecture 4 at the University of the Virgin Islands Caribbean Exploratory Research Center; and 5 WHEREAS, throughout her career, Delegate Christian-Christensen combined her love 6 of medicine and health care with her passion and skill in politics; and 7 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen continues to be an active member of the local 8 and national Democratic Party; and 9 WHEREAS, Dr. Christian-Christensen’s public service to her community includes: a 10 member and officer of several community organizations, such as: the Queen Louise Home, the 11 St. Croix Environmental Association, the Women’s Coalition of St. Croix, the St. Croix Central 12 High Parent Teacher Association, the Caribbean Dance Company, the Caribbean Studies 13 Association, the Caribbean Youth Organization and the Faith Moravian Church; and 14 WHEREAS, in retirement, Dr. Christian-Christensen has served as a health policy 15 advisor to the Virgin Islands Department of Health providing critical counsel during the 16 coronavirus pandemic; Now Therefore, 17 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 18 SECTION 1. The Legislature of the Virgin Islands, on behalf of the people of the Virgin 19 Islands, honors and commends Donna Marie Christian-Christensen, M.D., for her service to 20 the Virgin Islands community both in the medical field and in the United States House of 21 Representatives. 22 SECTION 2. The Charles Harwood Memorial Complex, once demolished and rebuilt, 23 shall be renamed the “The Donna M. Christian-Christensen M.D. Virgin Islands Department 24 of Health”. 25 6 SECTION 3. The Department of Health shall place a sign bearing the inscription “The 1 Donna M. Christian-Christensen M.D. Virgin Islands Department of Health” at the entrance. 2 If the Department of Health relocates to another location, the successor building must carry the 3 name “The Donna M. Christian-Christensen M.D., Virgin Islands Department of Health.” 4 SECTION 4. Pursuant to title 1 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 7, section 103, the Thirty- 5 Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands, on behalf of the people of the Virgin Islands, honors 6 Donna M. Christian-Christensen, M.D., by awarding her the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor in 7 recognition of her outstanding public service to the people of the Virgin Islands.” 8 SECTION 5. The President of the Legislature, or the President’s designee, shall present 9 a perma plaque copy of this Act and the Virgin Islands Medal of Honor to Donna Marie 10 Christian-Christensen M.D., or a designee, at an appropriate ceremony 11 SECTION 6. (a) The sum of $5,000.00 is appropriated in the fiscal year ending 12 September 30, 2023, from the General Fund of the Government of the Virgin Islands to the 13 Department of Health to erect the appropriate signage. 14 (b) The funds appropriated in subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. 15 BILL SUMMARY 16 This bill honors and commends the Honorable Donna Marie Christian-Christensen, M.D. 17 for her unselfish and dedicated service to the people of the Virgin Islands in the Medical Field 18 and as Congressional Representative to the people of the Virgin Islands and renames the 19 Charles Harwood Memorial Complex on the island of St. Croix as the “Donna M. Christian- 20 Christensen Virgin Islands Department of Health” in her honor. 21 BR23-0150/January 19, 2023/AA 22 ..\..\..\..\AMENDS\35th Legislature\JOSEPH, CARLA J\Amendment 35-350\Amendment 23 35-350 (REVISED) - DRAFTED ON YELLOW.docx 24