Plessen Healthcare’s new facility in U.S. Virgin Islands promotes medical tourism in the Caribbean

Medical tourism has arrived in the Virgin Islands with the opening of Plessen Healthcare, an out-patient medical and surgical center poised to offer exceptional care in its brand new state-of-the-art facility.

The grand opening on Friday was commemorated with a ribbon cutting ceremony by the St. Croix Chamber of Commerce, remarks by Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett and Plessen CEO Dr. Jan Tawakol, and the CMS and AAAHC plaque presentation by Dr. Jack Egnatinsky. 

The facility was founded by Dr. Jan Tawakol and Dr. Tasnim Khan with the mission of providing affordable, accountable and superior health care to local residents and patients across the Caribbean and the world.

“Dr. Khan and I have dreamt about this project for some time and to now see it become a reality, to see the community get excited about having this kind of facility in their own backyard, it’s hard to express in words how happy this day is for us both,” Dr. Tawakol said. “We cannot wait to share this facility, all of its state-of-the-art equipment and top-notch specialists with everyone who lives here as well as those traveling for treatment.”

Virgin Islanders and patients across the Caribbean spend thousands of dollars every year seeking out health care in the United States and elsewhere. Plessen Healthcare looks to diminish that need by providing excellent care right here in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“This type of facility is long overdue in the Virgin Islands,” Virgin Islands Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett said. “I commend their efforts to provide affordable and superior care to the residents of the Virgin Islands and beyond.”

The medical clinic specializes in internal medicine, management of chronic illnesses like hypertension, kidney disease, women’s health, kidney disease and dialysis. Plessen’s ambulatory surgery center has two operating rooms and five pre/post op bays. The surgery center currently offers specialized eye surgeries including cataract and glaucoma procedures and hopes to expand its services in the near future. The facility is CMS certified and accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.

“On behalf of the AAAHC, I would like to say how pleased I am to present the plaque of accreditation to Plessen Healthcare,” AAAHC Medical Director Dr. Jack Egnatinsky said. “They have surpassed our expectations and are poised to offer this community and all visitors with a state-of-the-art experience.”

Plessen will be working with the VI Department of Tourism and the VI Economic Development Authority to offer a full range of packages in medical tourism that allow people from all over the Caribbean and the world to have a seamless healthcare experience in the Virgin Islands. Plessen already is working with ophthalmologists throughout the Caribbean region to arrange for travel to and from the Plessen facility for surgical services not widely available otherwise in the region. They are developing additional packages that provide for chartered flights, ground transportation and hotel accommodations. Plessen also offers house calls to St. Croix hotels, inns and villas for initial evaluations and follow up visits.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Plessen leadership, contact Lisa Mordhorst at 340-715-7720 ext.109; lmordhorst@plessenhealthcare.com

Visit our website at www.plessenhealthcare.com  

About Plessen Healthcare, LLC

Plessen Healthcare, LLC. was founded on St Croix, US Virgin Islands in 2014 by Dr. Jan Tawakol and Dr. Tasnim Khan, on the fundamental belief that world class health care should be accessible to everyone. The Plessen Orange Gove medical campus includes a full-service, multi-specialty medical clinic and the only CMS accredited surgical center in the USVI. As of September 2020, the Urgent Care Center located at Sunny Isles serves patients ages two and up, seven days per week. Plessen is committed to affordable, accountable, and efficient healthcare and is centrally located within the Caribbean for easy travel from down island, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, Bermuda, and the U.S. mainland.