Senate approves three new members for hospital board

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Following a 30-minute confirmation hearing, the Senate during its session last Friday confirmed three new board members to the American Samoa Medical Center Authority board of directors, which governs the LBJ Medical Center. Under local law, only the Senate confirms the hospital board.

According to Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga’s Mar. 8th nomination letter to Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean — Dr. Malouamaua Tuiolosega’s nomination is effective “immediately” and his term expires Mar. 2, 2023, while the nominations of Dr. Jean Anderson and Moefaauo Bill Emmsley are both effective on Mar. 31st. Dr. Anderson’s term expires Mar. 30, 2023 while Moefaauo’s term expires Mar. 30, 2025.

For the Senate confirmation vote, Drs. Tuiolosega and Anderson were both unanimously endorsed with vote of 16-0, while Moefaauo barely got confirmed with a 10-yes and 6-no vote. (Samoa News points out that one more “no” vote, would have found the nominee rejected.)

Dr. Tuiolosega fills the requirement of having a medical doctor on the board, while Dr. Anderson is the At-Large member, who is also a Psychologist, and Moefaauo fills post of a member “having extensive health care administration or public administration experience”.

Moefaauo had previously served as chief executive officer of the American Samoa TeleCommunication Authority and the American Samoa Shipyard Service Authority.

CONFIRMATION HEARING

Resumes of all three nominees were received by senators for review prior to the Senate Hospital/Health Committee confirmation last Friday morning.

Dr. Tuiolosega informed that the committee that he has been a medical doctor for 20-years and he has had a private clinic — for 9 years — at Malaeloa.

Samoa News points out that Dr. Tuiolosega was the assigned physician to Manu’a for the Health Department in 2009 but resigned in mid 2012 with concerns that he was not getting the support from DoH at the time.

During his confirmation hearing last Friday, Manu’a Sen. Malaepule Saite Moliga told his colleagues that there has been no permanent assigned physician for Manu’a since Dr. Tuiolosega left and only nurses — serving the two DoH clinics on Ofu and Tau islands.

Malaepule said he plans to request the governor for Dr. Tuiolosega to be assigned to Manu’a.

Senate President Tuaolo Manaia Fruean sought Dr. Tuiolosega’s view — as a medical doctor — on whether or not there’s a need for another hospital, besides LBJ.

Tuiolosega responded that the current hospital is for a population of 40,000- 50,000 but the population has grown and believes a second hospital is needed to support the existing one. He also said that there are a lot of major improvements in health care technology.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Fai’ivae Iuli Godinet recalled Dr. Tuiolosega’s response to this issue to Tuaolo’s question. However, the Fono senator pointed out that the truth of the matter is that, there remains a shortage of doctors. Fai’ivae said that no matter how big the hospital is, if there continues to be a shortage of doctors “it really doesn’t solve the issue” which currently is faced by LBJ.

 One glaring example that Fai’ivae pointed out — and it’s also a issue that Samoa News should point out has been raised by others — is the long hours of waiting to see a doctor at the Emergency Room.

He said a patient going to the ER at 8p.m and not seeing the doctor until 4a.m the next day is “outrageous”. He suggested that the board look into this longstanding problem while Sen. Soliai Tuipine Fuimaono called on the board for a thorough review of all physicians to ensure they are “certified” to work.

Sen. Togiola T.A. Tulafono asked pointed questions, the first one, was whether the nominee has “working privileges” at LBJ, to which Dr. Tuiolosega responded, that the only privilege he has is ordering of lab tests and writing prescriptions.

He points out that if any of his patients, from his private clinic are admitted to the hospital, he doesn’t have privilege or authorization to visit his patients or care for them in the wards. That medical care is provided by LBJ physicians.

Togiola also asked if the nominee thinks there is a “conflict of interest” with him having a private practice but also being a board member of the hospital, to which Dr. Tuiolosega said “no” and points out that his “commitment” to the board is higher and more important.

He explained that his clinic is “mostly consultation” — which is the type of service, not covered by the hospital.

Togiola raised the same series of questions with Dr. Anderson, who responded that she does not have any working privileges at LBJ.

On the senator’s question on whether the nominee treats any patients, in any of the clinics or wards at hospital, Dr. Anderson responded that, “I do upon occasion when requested” by the LBJ psychiatrist or Health director Motusa Tuileama Nua.

“But those are very specific cases for specific issues that need to be addressed. But on a regular basis, I do not have a regular practice at the hospital to see patients there,” she pointed out.

Togiola then asked, “Do you see any conflict of interest with your work as oppose to the position of a board member?”  and Dr. Anderson responded, “No, I do not.”

In perhaps an effort to cheer up everyone in the Senate chamber, on the last day of the 1st Regular Session of the 37th Legislature, Togiola said towards the end of the hearing that he has an important question that needed to be asked.

With Dr. Anderson’s specialized area of mental health, Togiola asked if she has ever treated any of the senators — that quickly prompted laughter from senators and others in the chamber, including Dr. Anderson and — through a smile and laughter — responded that such information is “confidential”. And that brought more laughter.

In her opening remarks at the outset of the hearing, Dr. Anderson said she “specializes in the area of psychology, the study of the mind and mental health”. She earned a doctorate degree in clinical psychology in 2001 and returned home to American Samoa in 2003. And this year marks 18-years, she has been home “working as a mental health doctor and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help my people,” she pointed out.

“I have worked closely with many of our departments” including Human Resources Department, Education Department (ASDOE), Health Department and LBJ, she said, and noted that “I have been involved in many important projects” such as building the mental health facility — the Behavior Health Center — located behind the hospital.

Furthermore, “I work very closely with our federal agencies” including the US Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs, according to Dr. Anderson, who noted that she “serves as the main evaluator for Social Security Administration for our Samoan people filing for disability claims. I also serve as one of the main evaluators for the Veterans Administration for our veterans on disability.”

She thanked the governor and lieutenant governor for considering her to serve on the LBJ board and hoped for the Senate’s blessing — through a confirmation vote — that would allow her the “opportunity to serve and help bring about the necessary improvements to LBJ Medical Center and our health care system.”

“The health care of our people, is not just about improving our hospital, it is also about building a comprehensive system of care that includes all of the agencies” such as DoH and ASDOE, she pointed noted.

As a member of the hospital board, “I assure you, that I will serve with my utmost capacity and will utilize the knowledge and experience I have as a mental health doctor to help the medical center [and] also our people,” she said.

As Dr. Anderson was about to speak on the mental health issue in American Samoa, Sen. Tuiagamoa Tavai, who chaired the hearing in the absence of the committee chairman, interjected saying that to save time, senators have received her resume and credentials prior to the hearing and it has been thoroughly reviewed.

For his opening brief remarks at the start of the hearing, Moefaauo said he retired from government service after some 40-years, and currently owns a consultancy service business.

He expressed appreciation to the governor for the appointment of not only himself but the other two nominees to serve the people and American Samoa on the hospital board. And if confirmed, he said all three of them would work with honesty and love.

Other senators who spoke briefly during the hearing commended the governor’s appointments and offered lots of advice and suggestions to the new board members.