The Chief Pharmacist at LBJ Hospital Evelyn Fa’aiuaso says the ball’s in the LBJ’s court, but she’s not encouraged that her contract will be renewed on favorable terms.
She says Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Iotamo Saleapaga, told her she earns too much money.
As for her employment contract with LBJ, his words to her were “she can take it or leave it.”
Mrs. Faaiuaso hasn’t been to the pharmacy since last Friday and says she’s decided to tend to family and other commitments which will take her off island.
As for her future with LBJ Hospital, she says Dr. Saleapaga was not interested in having a discussion and she hasn’t been offered a new contract.
Mrs Faaiuaso was reluctant to speak about what she’s contributed to the LBJ Lab, except to say she came back at a time when the hospital needed a certified pharmacist, to replace the late Tikeri Thompson when his health started to decline.
One thing she’s proud of is developing a cadre of local pharmacists and technicians, through the Senator Daniel Inoye School of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii, Hilo.
The program has graduated two local pharmacists.
At last year’s summer graduation, Fa’aiuaso was honored as the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE) Preceptor for 2015.
Faaiuso, a Faasao Alumnus, graduated from Creighton University, School of Pharmacy in 1987 with a BS degree, and returned the same year to work at LBJ, as the first Samoan woman pharmacist.
She returned to the states to work at Costco Pharmacy in Oregon and then later in Hawaii and served as the Pharmacy Manager for several Costco Pharmacy locations in Honolulu.
In 2003, she continued her pharmacy education through the Non-Traditional PharmD Program from Creighton University.
In addition, she is an officer of US Army Reserves, who retired after serving almost 30 years of active and reserve duty; she held various positions as an Adjutant Officer and a Pharmacy Officer.
In 2005, she was re-activated back to active duty and served as a Chief of the Outpatient Pharmacy in Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu from 2005 to 2007, at which time she returned to American Samoa again and rejoined LBJ as the Chief Pharmacist.
