Concern About Pathologist Leaving LBJ Hospital

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As the LBJ Hospital continues to pay top money to its management team and non medical staff, another top doctor is being let go because of “budget constraints”

LBJ’s Pathologist  Dr. Ma Ivy Clemente who has worked for LBJ for six years was informed last month that her contract will not be renewed.

Her last day with the hospital is May 27th.

Until recently Dr, Clemente was the only pathologist at LBJ but the hospital management decided to hire back a pathologist who had previously worked there.

And then the management decided to let her go citing that due to budget constraints they could no longer justify having two pathologists,

Correspondence that the Chairman of the House Health Committee Rep Vesi Fautanu shared with KHJ News shows that the non renewal of Dr. Clemente’s contract was unexpected.

She apparently got the impression from Dr, Annie Fuavai, Assistant Chief Medical Officer whom she met with in March to discuss her employment that her contract would be renewed.

Nevertheless according to correspondence that Re., Vesi provided, Dr. Clement was able to confirm that CMO Dr. Iotamo Saleapaaga took responsibility for not renewing her contract.

But she as later informed that her contract would not be renewed because the  hospital was having budget constraints and could no longer support nor justify having two pathologists.

Dr. Clemente gave the CMO her word that she would  honor the contract to its end but could only extend the end date of contract to May 27th.

She said she had already made prior travel plans upon assuming her contract would be renewed when she spoke with Dr. Fuavai.

She thanked both the CMO and his assistant  for the chance to provide service at LBJ  for the last 6 years.

Dr. Clemente says she was asked to  keep her  options open and the LBJ may just call her again in the future.

She was asked about other offers for work andsaid,  “I wanted to be honest and say I have several options and had an offer previously from Guam.”

According to the pathologist  she was assured “the decision was difficult , it was not personal and that it had nothing to do with her performance on the job as she has done well.”

Dr. Clemente said she promised to  honor her contract to its completion and volunteered that if money was an issue, she could even come onboard as a technical consultant for the laboratory to help oversee regulatory compliance.

She also wrote that she had  been getting sick more frequently since last year and was hoping the hospital would be able to help her with sponsoring a nanny so she could concentrate on work and also help her care of a young daughter.

She was willing to cover expenses for the nanny to travel to American Samoa..

Medical staff at LBJ hospital say if Dr, Clemente leaves they fear compliance with federal regulatory oversight will fail.

They give full credit to Dr, Clemente for maintaining the operations of the lab according to standards set by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

They predict that things will again fall to below par when she leaves.

KHJ News understands that medical personnel at the VA Clinic are also concerned that Dr Clemente whom they regard as  highly qualified and heavily committed to her profession , is leaving.

They don’t seem to have confidence that the high standards Dr. Clemente maintained at the LBJ lab will be continued when she leaves.

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