Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A copy of a confidential report passed out to the House Health Committee, chaired by Ituau Faipule Manumaua Wayne C. Wilson, contained details of the architectural plans for a new two-story building that will be housing the Emergency Room, Intensive Care Unit, CT Scan, MRI, and IT divisions of the LBJ Hospital, with the new operating suite, housing two operating rooms. The LBJ board disclosed that the designs were drafted by the GLHN Architects & Engineers, Inc., a company based in Phoenix, Arizona.

During the presentation of the plans by LBJ CEO Dr. Akapusi Ledua and LBJ board chairman Dr. Malouamaua Tuiolosega, they disclosed that “the ground floor of this new building will be housing the Emergency Room, which includes that addition of twenty-six beds from the previous sixteen beds, and that the Intensive Care Unit will occupy the second floor, and will also be receiving 16 beds, an upgrade from the seven beds currently available.”

No funding source for the LBJ upgrade was mentioned at the hearing.

More information on the upgrade in a future edition.