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1 RainDance Healthcare, LLC 6197 Estate Glynn Kingshill, VI 00850 Regarding the 36th Legislature of the Virgin Islands Hearing titled “Aging with Dignity: Oversight of Nursing Homes, Federal Certification Readiness, and Financial Protections for Seniors in the Virgin Islands” Friday, March 20, 2026 To the Honorable Members of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks: Thank you to Senator Bolques and the Members of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks for organizing this hearing regarding a topic that is vital to the success and stability of the Territory. Our development group saw a dire need in the Virgin Islands for elderly care many years ago. Faced with limited options within the territory, many seniors are forced to travel or relocate to stateside facilities, creating undue burden on our fellow Virgin Islanders. At the same time, our hospitals and senior-specific facilities are not able to meet the institutional needs of seniors, who require specialized and continuous care. We identified a community crisis in need of relief. We are proud to inform this committee about the Royal Palms Skilled Nursing Facility, the first phase of a development intended to serve our aging population. We will provide superior care and support for residents and their families in the VI, unburdened by off-island complications and expense. Royal Palms Skilled Nursing Facility will be a 120-bed, 60,000-square foot Medicaid- and Medicare-certified Skilled Nursing Facility, or SNF, strategically located centrally at 2B Estate Upper Love on St. Croix. Royal Palms will serve all Medicaid and Medicare eligible, as well as private payor residents, who will be cared for in a state-of-the-art facility. This SNF will also feature memory care capabilities. There will be a pharmacy on the premises designed to serve both the SNF and the surrounding community. The facility will also provide accommodations for visiting family members, Royal Palms staff, and specialty personnel. This SNF is only the first component of the larger Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC, planned. While the SNF will feature 120 beds, the larger CCRC will be comprised of a 60-unit Assisted Living Facility; 40 Memory Care Assisted Living units; and 60 2 Independent Living units. These will each be completed in future phases. When fully occupied, with some units housing couples, these will raise the total number of residents in the CCRC to 350. While serving aging members of the community, the development and operation of this development will also create employment opportunities and economic growth beyond the CCRC operation that will have long-term transformational impacts throughout the territory. Our development group is moving at a steady clip. We are in full ownership of the St. Croix site, and have obtained all of the necessary archeological and environmental approvals. We are also in possession of the only Certificate of Need (CON) required to operate this kind of facility in the VI. We have carefully designed architectural drawings and building permits in hand, and are moving towards groundbreaking. As we finalize logistics in St. Croix, we will be developing a similar model in St. Thomas. We are grateful to Governor Bryan and his administration, especially DHS Commissioner Averil George and her staff, who have been outstanding in helping us to understand the territory’s needs as well as the necessary approval processes. We thank Commissioner Encarnacion and her staff at the Department of Health for invaluable guidance and continued support. DPNR’s Division of Permits Director Amanda Jackson-Acosta has also been a tremendous help as we’ve navigated the planning and permitting process for the construction of this facility. None of this would be possible without the assistance of former Senator and Commissioner of DPNR Alicia Barnes and her staff at Rittenhouse Consulting Group, who initiated this process more than four years ago. Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee on this important matter. Sincerely, RainDance Healthcare, LLC