Ads by Google Ads by Google

Gov appoints Dr. Aifili John Tufa to replace Dr. Anderson on LBJ board

Dr. Aifili John Tufa
Joyetter@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Despite calls by Medical Professionals to renew the term of the hospital’s board of director’s Vice Chair, Dr Jean Anderson, the Governor has nominated Aifili Dr. John Tufa as a member of the A.S.M.C. Board of Directors, replacing Dr Anderson, whose term expires on March 30, 2023.

This was confirmed in a resolution introduced in the Senate yesterday morning. Dr Tufa  an epidemiologist, is scheduled to appear for his confirmation hearing on Monday.

As reported earlier, medical professionals submitted four letters strongly calling for the reappoint of the Chairman of the LBJ Board of Directors Dr. Malomatumua Tuiolosega and the Vice-Chair Dr. Jean Anderson, both of their terms in office end this month. The letters were signed by doctors from the ER, Pediatric, and other hospital healthcare divisions, as well as the medical missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

According to the Senate Resolution Governor Lemanu P. S. Mauga says Dr Tufa is appointed to serve as a member of the board and this is effective March 31, 2023 with the expiration term dated March 30, 2024.

 “Dr. Tufa will replace Dr. Jean Anderson, whose term expires March 30, 2023. Dr. Tufa served as the American Samoa Territorial Epidemiologist from 2018 until 2022.

 “His dedication to the study of health care throughout the Pacific region as well as his experience in epidemiology would make him an asset to the Board.

 “Respectfully, I urge you and your colleagues to review and confirm the nomination of Dr. Aifili John Tufa to the American Samoa Medical Center Board of Directors”.

Dr Tufa was at the forefront when the territory encountered a measles outbreak in 2019 and also throughout the COVID pandemic from 2020 until the present.

Confirmation of the LBJ BOD members are the purview of the Senate only. (See story in today’s issue about the House effort to become a part of the process.)