Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The deadline for the request for proposals for the new 40-bed hospital architectural and engineering services in American Samoa has been extended by a month — from May 21 to June 21, 2022 — due to companies requesting the extension, according to the Chief Executive Officer of the LBJ hospital, Moefaauo Bill Emmsely.

This was confirmed in a letter dated May 8, 2022 signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the the LBJ CEO and posted on the hospital's website.

"All other requirements remain the same,” the letter states.

As reported earlier by Samoa News the hospital has allocated $50 million of its $300 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act for recruitment, retention, and retraining of staff at LBJ and the proposed new 40-bed facility in Tafuna.

“Funding to cover these costs is essential to attracting and retaining qualified staff to make the healthcare system in American Samoa viable and effective,” LBJ said in its ARPA funding documents released by the ASG ARPA Oversight Office. These activities will address major hurdles associated with recruiting staff, retaining staff, staff benefits, continuing education/training, housing, and salaries.”

LBJ’s scope of work for the staffing proposal is three-fold, with the first one comprising recruitment of needed healthcare professionals to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, public health disasters and access to healthcare for the community.

The second prong, according to the documents, is that there is a need to retain the current workforce by offering premium pay for the frontline healthcare workers.

The last and final one is that the ARPA funding will be used to provide training for providers, and all employees to decrease the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

“This will help bring the pandemic under control,” it says. “A robust workforce is essential for the success of the healthcare system.”

BACKGROUND

According to LBJ documents, this proposal strives to provide immediate relief to address the personnel/ staffing shortages arising from the COVID-19 public health emergency and pandemic by increasing hospital personnel staff for both the LBJ site in Fagaalu and the proposed new hospital in Tafuna.

Furthermore, expanding programs to support the recruitment of U.S. medical licensed providers and U.S. licensed ancillary/ clinical and support staff, and the retention of current workforce, as well as re-training of the workforce that provides COVID-19 related services and acute healthcare services.

“In numerous studies and systemic reviews, it has been concluded that better hospital staffing is associated with fewer patient complications, lower mortality rates, favorable patient outcomes, and shorter days for admitted patients and fewer readmissions,” it says.

LBJ explained, “Staffing is needed to have a safe amount of front line workers to provide treatment and safe, quality care for all who access the LBJ facilities [and] is not optional.”

Among the key objective of the recruiting plan is to enhance, expand, and strengthen the workforce capacity of LBJ; support compliance of the Conditions of Participation with the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for LBJ; expand eligibility and increase access to care for all Medicaid/ Medicare beneficiaries in American Samoa.

LBJ’s document also details the recruitment under the proposed plan, for four-main areas: medical staff, patient care nursing staff, ancillary & clinical support staff and hospital support staff.

As required under the ARPA law, LBJ in the near future will hold a public comment period on this proposal. And LBJ will announce it when the date is firmed up.