ASG issues Request for Proposals for medical center improvements

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In addition to a new 40-bed medical center to be constructed in Tafuna, the American Samoa Medical Center Authority (ASMCA) has also proposed expansion to current services at the LBJ Medical Center — all funded with the hospital’s share that ASG received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).

Since the first announcement in 2020 of a proposed new hospital at the current site of the Territorial Correctional Facility  — which would be relocated elsewhere in Tafuna — there has been concern over re-locating the entire LBJ hospital to the West side of Tutuila.

But the ASMCA funding proposal under ARPA and project documents, submitted to the ASG’s ARPA Oversight Office show that the current hospital in Fagaalu would remain, but undergo certain areas of expansion.

ASG’s Oversight Office for ARPA documents released last year show $300 million is allocated to capital improvements for a new medical facility and quarantine facility.  ASMCA’s Comprehensive APRA 2022 project documents, publicly released last week by the Oversight Office provide background information on the LBJ Medical Center and its planned improvements, which entail constructing a new 40 bed hospital on the west side of the island and an allocated budget of $200 million.

According to project documents, the proposed stand-alone community hospital — to be extended to a 150-bed facility in the future — would provide additional capacity that is critical to addressing both the current COVID-19 pandemic and a future epidemic situation.

The project is now moving forward with LBJ issuing on Apr. 21 a Request for Proposals (RFP) notice soliciting proposals for the professional services of an Architectural / Engineering (A/E) firm, with experience in Design of Major Hospitals and Medical Centers. (See Samoa News edition Apr. 21 for the paid ad on the RFP.)

LBJ also published on its website the 135-page document detailing the RFP including the scope of work, and requirements for the winning bidder. 

For example, the site shall be built-up to an elevation that will exceed the 1998 U.S Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) surge data for a 10-year tsunami event with appropriate erosion control measures for slope embankments.

Additionally, the hospital shall be of a podium design utilizing a pad constructed parking garage that places the upper parking structure level 14’-0” above the building pad. The upper-level parking structure shall be enclosed by a 4’-0” high solid concrete wall.

Another provision, according to the RFP document, is for a “helipad” that shall be provided in compliance with the provisions of U.S Federal Aviation Administration Heliport Design. The pad shall be located on the upper level of the parking garage.

The proposal shall provide all required barriers, visual approach markings, clear approach and departure surfaces / flight vectors, signage, and lighting for: the landing area, landing direction, windsock and perimeter barrier.

The LBJ’s ARPA project documents provide a description of the project, saying that the western plain of Tutuila island is the site of the project and is where the majority of the population lives. It says that the subject site will need to be hardened against: tsunamis, typhoon storm surges and potential sea level rise conditions.

The protected nature of the proposed site location and the USACE’s Tsunami analysis would indicate this site as a favorable location for this facility when specific hardening approaches are taken.

The documents explained that the site hardening would include elevating the site and utilizing a podium design with an elevated grade parking structure. The main hospital entry would occur at the second level parking deck.

In addition to the inclusion of new ICU, Surgical Services, Endoscopy, Emergency Department, Pharmacy, Labs and their associated support services the facility will expand on LBJ facilities by providing: Orthopedics, Cardiology & Urology services, Oncology (Linac, PET/CT) with infusion capabilities and all specialized services.

The Pharmacy will also be an upgrade from the LBJ facility and will be in compliant with a Type II / Class 5 drug vault.

Furthermore, this new facility will also be equipped with a helipad permitting this hospital to respond to air transport emergencies, as are common with the local commercial fishing industry.

And in order to function as a stand-alone hospital both the primary and secondary services associated with patient diagnosis, treatment and recovery will need to be present in this facility in order to support the patient through-out the process. “This will include the associated: administrative, facility engineering, information systems, house-keeping and food service operations,” it says.

The ARPA documents noted that the design of the facility will not only need to address the environmental, geographic and climatic conditions of the site but will also need to facilitate the expansion of the hospital bed capacity in the future with the appropriate expansion of key hospital functions required to support the additional patient population.

The documents also outlined departments and clinics for the new hospital, with their associated gross square footage assignments established by an independent medical planner in consultation with staff representation from LBJ.

And it represents the initial programmed space allocations required for this facility as a 40-bed hospital: 32 beds in the Medical/Surgical Unit and 8 beds in the ICU.

Samoa News will report later this week on planned expansion of the current hospital and the recruitment of a medical professional plan — funded with the rest of the $300 million allocated to American Samoa Medical Center Authority.