ASG welcomes generous donation to local healthcare services

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A generous donation of more than $3 million from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust which aims to increase access to healthcare services for the people of American Samoa, was warmly received by the government, particularly the government-owned healthcare service institutions.

The donation was officially announced and presented in a ceremony held at the Goat Island Cafe, Sadie’s-by-the-Sea conference room last Thursday, attended by local healthcare leaders and their management teams, and Chief of Staff Loa Tuimavave Laupola who was present on behalf of Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga and his administration.

The morning's program began with MC, Faipule Fainu'ulelei Anthony Allen, introducing and welcoming the special guests Walter Panzirer and his wife Tina. Mr. Panzirer is one of the three Trustees of the Helmsley Charitable Trust and grandson of co-founder Leona Helmsley.  

In his remarks, Mr. Panzirer stated that the goal of their organization was to "level the playing field when it comes to healthcare and give people access to state-of-the-art healthcare equipment. The Helmsley Charitable Trust has been working in rural healthcare for 15 years in eight, soon to be nine states in the United States.

"Today we have given over $700 million in those states to help level the playing field, to help give rural residents equal access to healthcare that their urban counterparts have."

He mentioned that he heard about the healthcare challenges in American Samoa a year ago and had come on an exploratory trip to see for himself and learn the causes of these challenges. He had been received with open arms by the leadership of LBJ Hospital, the Department of Health and the government.

Panzirer recalled that he met and talked with a lot of people about the healthcare challenges faced by residents of the Territory.

"I was shocked!" he said. "I was very disappointed to see how a US territory like American Samoa, was forgotten by a lot of the United States. It is not right. It is not right at all. And so, I decided with my other fellow trustees to do something about it.

"When the Helmsley Charitable Trust gets involved, we're here for a long time. So this is a very historical event for us and I'm proud to say that American Samoa will be one of our focus areas.

“Being a focus area for the Helmsley Charitable Trust often means grants, and that's why I am excited and proud to announce today, two grants for American Samoa totaling $3.2 million.

"The first portion of the grant will go to LBJ to purchase state-of-the-art technology.

“We are bringing an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Unit to the island to offset challenges and also the costs of sending people off-island. As I've learned, this is very costly not only for the healthcare system but also for the individual, not to mention the inconvenience of being away from home sometimes for weeks or months to get a simple diagnostic procedure.

"And that diagnostic procedure will now be done here in American Samoa to help alleviate some of the burden experienced by patients.

“The other part of the grant is partnering with the Department of Health to promote preventive measures in the community.

“However, people still need to travel sometimes a great distance on the island to access basic medical needs and some diagnostic tests as well.

"So this grant will provide ten portable Ultrasound Units for every DOH Clinic and also ten portable X-ray Units so people won't have to travel long distances to LBJ for X-rays but can get it done at any of the seven District Primary Care Clinics. The other three X-ray Units will be used by DOH for outreach services to further reach members of the community.

“The funding will also be used to complete some infrastructure upgrades at the main Community Healthcare Center.

In conclusion, Panzirer emphasized that this was just the beginning of their partnership with the government, LBJ Hospital and DOH.

And as long as everything runs smoothly, the Helmsley Charitable Trust will be there in the future, "because we don't write checks and just walk away.

“We consider you a partner in healthcare to improve quality outcomes here in American Samoa.

"I am so honored to be here at such an exciting time just to be with such great people and bring the healthcare that is so deserved and so needed here on this island.

“Thank you," Panzirer said, concluding his remarks to resounding applause.

The amount of the grants and magnitude of the assistance offered by the Helmsley Charitable Trust was not lost on everyone present that morning and an emotional MC Faipule Fainu'ulelei Allen, who is also an LBJ Board member, thanked Panzirer saying the Lord is good.

Chief of Staff Loa Tuimavave Laupola who spoke on behalf of Governor Lemanu was also emotional, and addressed Panzirer saying, "We are humbled by your generosity. I can't help but remember what the apostle Paul said about love, hope and faith. And the greatest of them all is love. That's the epitome of today. Why American Samoa?

"You could have gone back last year and said to yourself, 'I need to put my mind somewhere else.' But you came back because of the love you felt in your heart. And you didn't just come back with your hands. You came back with something that would promote and perpetuate the health system not only for LBJ but also for DOH.

"We've seen it all. Patients are sent to Honolulu or New Zealand for medical treatment. Our parents are cooped up in hotel rooms for 15 to 30 days, very uncomfortable. But you are bringing back a system that will enable our people to be treated at LBJ near their loved ones.  

"That's the love I'm talking about. It's the centerpiece of our Lord's teachings. So on behalf of the Governor, Lt. Governor and the people of American Samoa, I would like to thank you so very much for what you have done today and into the future that will benefit American Samoa."

Chief of Staff Loa then presented gifts to Walter Panzirer and his delegation as a token of appreciation for their kind assistance and support.

This was followed by remarks from LBJ CEO Dr. Akapusi Ledua who revealed that in 2023, there were 77 approved off-island referral cases for MRI alone. Out of those 77 individuals, 21 never got the opportunity to travel off-island because they could not afford the cost. They were not privileged like the others who had insurance and were able to have this covered from other sources.

"So those who do make it off-island for MRI, would leave behind their families, their support system, their jobs and whatever obligations they have here on-island, to travel to have this diagnostic formality done to help them with their healthcare," Dr. Ledua pointed out. "But because of Helmsley Charitable Trust, this state-of-the-art diagnostic care will be made available here at home."

The LBJ CEO reasoned that having an MRI Unit at LBJ will have a tremendous impact on American Samoa and it will also have the potential to impact the entire region.

"We will be the only island in the Pacific apart from Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand and Fiji that will have this diagnostic equipment," he said. "With that being said, I would like to thank Walter, his lovely wife Tina and the Helmsley Charitable Trust for their kindness, love and willingness to extend a helping hand to our island nation and provide these services, which Walter mentioned, is the first of many in this partnership."

Dr. Ledua's sentiments were echoed by DOH Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Lauvao.

"Because of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, our patients will benefit from the convenience of diagnostics close to home, timely treatment plans and medical interventions, and follow-up care," she acknowledged.

Dr. Lauvao commented on the challenges faced daily by patients who live in rural areas and have to travel to LBJ Hospital to access X-ray or UltraSound services. This is after they have booked an appointment because they would otherwise wait in a long line for these services or book an appointment for the following day.

She stated that this is extremely hard for their patients in Manu'a because they have to travel by plane or by boat which takes about eight hours depending on the weather.

"We discussed this with Walter when he first came last year and we proposed getting seven portable X-ray Units and seven UltraSound Units for each of our Health Centers in Tafuna, Leone, Amouli, Faga'alu, Aunu'u, Ofu and Ta'u, Manu'a so that our patients won't have to travel long distances and also help alleviate overcrowding at LBJ," she said.

"Today we are so thrilled because it's an incredible feeling to hear Walter give life to our discussions with his announcement. On behalf of our director, staff and the community, I extend our sincere thanks to Walter Franzirer and the Helmsley Charitable Trust for your kind assistance and generosity for which we are truly grateful."

The plight of local patients seeking MRI diagnostic assessment in Hawaii was brought to the fore by Solomona Moala, a local military veteran and patient.

Moala told the gathering that he had been asked by Dr. Ledua a couple of weeks ago if he would share his story on how important the MRI scans had been to him.

He revealed that in his case, it saved his life.

He recalled that it was in 2016 that he started to feel numbness in his body, so he approached the Veterans Affairs Office about his condition. He said it took almost a year before he was able to travel off-island to get an MRI scan to ascertain what was happening inside his body.

According to the results, he had Spinal Stenosis which happens when the spaces in the spine narrow and create pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots.

Moala calmly stated that he had to undergo a series of operations to try and rectify the problem and that he currently has about 17 screws in his neck "which pretty much saved my life."

He then elaborated on the many challenges faced by local patients who travel to Hawaii for MRI scans.

"The majority of us can't afford to travel off-island and there are only two flights so you have to book in advance," he pointed out. "And when you get there, you have to stay for long periods of time and you need extra money. Fortunately for me, the VA covered most of my travel and accommodation. So from 2017 to now, I've had a total of seven MRI scans on my neck and two shoulder operations.

"Another challenge is trying to get an appointment there. It's very hard because you're competing with other veterans, the locals there, people from other islands like Guam and CNMI, and then there's the military personnel based there. So you're competing with all these different people just to get a slot. Sometimes, it takes three or four months before you can get an appointment.

Moala concluded his story by expressing his hope that an MRI Unit will be available at the LBJ Hospital soon so that all the hassle and inconvenience can be eliminated. But most of all, so that lives can be saved, especially those who can't afford to travel off-island.