Some American Samoa doctors and nurses at the LBJ Hospital are willing to give the new interim management at the LBJ a chance to set things in order.
Speaking on condition that they not be named, two doctors—who have been with LBJ for over 20 years—and two senior level nurses—who took part in the walk out late last year—, told KHJ News that Acting CEO Dr. Akapusi Ledua and Acting Chief Medical officer Dr. Joseph Shumway, are highly qualified and they deserve to be given a chance.
While the majority of comments on our news website Talanei and on social media are critical of why outsiders are being given these two positions, the four who shared their views with KHJ News said that they have their own work cut out…looking after our sick population and the task of managing the hospital should be left to those with that forte.
While the hospital staff has worked with Dr. Ledua for about two decades, Dr. Shumway arrived only recently.
The doctors and nurses who expressed their opinions said, Dr. Shumway has a “very impressive resume” and so far, his management style is “inclusive.”
Dr. Shumway most recently worked as Chief Medical Director in China, overseeing an 11 hospital system, and before that worked as assistant medical director at a 440-bed hospital in Qatar.
One of the nurses said, “We’re hopeful that they will bring us more help. We desperately need help and I hope he has a plan that can bring in nurses asap. And if not, we hope he will get us travel nurses, at least, until the Fijian nurses pass their NCLEX. We’re happy with the changes.”
Acting CEO Dr. Ledua announced at a press conference, last week, that a complement of 12 doctors should be on board by early March. All of their papers have been processed and one is arriving today. This will give LBJ a total of 92 doctors. The needed number of doctors is 100.
As for nurses, there are 20 new nurse vacancies and two nurses from the Philippines, now working in Fiji, will be arriving soon and will be sitting their NCLEX exam. We reported earlier that they will be in charge of the nurses recruitment drive, but Dr. Ledua said that this is not correct. He explained, the nurses will sit the NCLEX exam in March and will join the hospital workforce as RNs when they pass.
