New USVI Physician Brings Modern Treatment Options for Pediatric Patients

Recently, Virgin Islands Ear, Nose & Throat welcomed Dr. Eric Stelnicki to their practice. He will travel between the St. Croix and St. Thomas offices, with privileges at both Juan F. Luis and Roy Lester Schneider Hospitals. Dr. Stelnicki is currently practicing in the U.S. Virgin Islands one week per month to bring modern medicine options to pediatric patients, but hopes that patient demand can make the Caribbean his full-time home.

Dr. Stelnicki is a plastic surgeon who works primarily with pediatric patients. He specializes in reconstructive surgery. He is affiliated with an ear, nose and throat practice because many of his patients have ENT-related issues. This includes babies born with a cleft palette, deformities of the skull or without ears.

Especially for toddlers who develop deformational plagiocephaly (a misshapen skull), Dr. Stelnicki will be the first to offer helmet therapy in the USVI, to correct children’s flat or deformed heads. This is welcome news for parents and parents to-be, who would otherwise have to leave island for this sometimes-lengthy course of treatment.

The motivation for Dr. Stelnicki to serve in the U.S. Virgin Islands is to offer new treatment options (like the aforementioned helmet therapy) which weren’t previously available to island residents. His goal is to become a constant and reliable medical resource, particularly for emergency situations. Dr. Stelnicki hopes to keep residents near home for surgeries and treatments, which may have otherwise forced them off-island either temporarily or permanently.
Having trained at New York University and served as faculty at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Stelnicki brings high-level medical expertise to our island community. He has more than 15 years of experience with complex reconstructive issues.

Dr. Stelnicki will also serve as a resource for accident victims. He helps patients with burns and animal bites, especially those which have caused facial damage. Dr. Stelnicki’s experience further extends to breast cancer patients seeking reconstructive surgery.

Virgin Islands Ear, Nose & Throat accepts most insurances including Equicare and Medicaid. Dr. Stelnicki emphasizes that if you are unsure if you or your child’s case is the right fit for their practice, give them a call to discuss it or schedule an evaluation. They can be reached at 340.773-8801, via their website (entVI.com) or Facebook page (facebook.com/VirginIslandsENT/).

The AeroMD team is elated to welcome Dr. Eric Stelnicki to the U.S. Virgin Islands medical community. We are pleased to offer patients of Virgin Islands Ear, Nose & Throat air ambulance support when it is necessary, with the only dedicated medevac aircraft on-island. Learn more about AeroMD memberships.