The CEO of the LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Dr Akapusi Ledua, has urged that rather than spend millions on sending patients for treatment off island the focus should be on building up the local hospital so that patients can be treated here on island.
Dr Ledua was one of the witnesses at a hearing of the Senate Health Commitete Thursday concerning funding for the Medicaid program. Because of the lack of local match for Medicaid, the off island referral program and services paid by Medicaid have been discontinued.
Dr Ledua said that his goal is to reduce the number of off island referrals by 70%.
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