Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Moefaauo Bill Emmsley has apprised his staff of their duty to the hospital and why they are employed at the Hospital.

“The administration’s overarching goal is to preserve, protect, and perpetuate “premium” healthcare services to all patients we serve.”

He said, to those who digress from this,  “… you are in the wrong profession, employed at the wrong place, and driven by wrong motives — after all [it] is LBJ’s mission statement to be a ‘patient-centered’ healthcare institution.”

His comments directed to the nurses who “walked out” on their duties are outlined in the hospital’s newsletter recently issued.

“With an open mind and forethought, LBJ’s incoming administration proactively sought to address aging concerns that nurses have had for years, but never got remedied.

“Ironically, and despite LBJ’s good faith effort with preemptive measures, collaborative meetings with nurses, pay raises, recruitment plans for more nurses, review of working conditions, new workspace for nurses, the elevation of nurses in the hierarchical command structure, etc., a handful of ill-advised nurses, urging [sic] on by conspirators, engaged in an uncalled for and unethical walkout, which dangerously placed patient care and patient safety in a compromising position.

“As it were, sinister forces arrayed against duty, honor, and forbearance, giving birth only to disruptive, disharmony, and disorder within the establishment, and more regrettably, the debasement of principles,” said the CEO.

His latest comments in the Taulasea newsletter have offended some senior nurses who expressed their disappointment to Samoa News, however for fear of repercussions the nurses opted to stay anonymous.

“If we had not taken action, our cry for help would have never been taken seriously.

“The mere fact that it took us walking out for the management to take action proves how reckless they are... why are they blaming us for leaving the patients unattended, it’s not our fault it came to that.

“We earned our raise and because we were unable to take leave, they should pay us.

“We are entitled to our accrued leave payout,” said one of the nurses.

The CEO also had a message for the nurses that did not opt to walk out and participate in the strike:  “for the gallant nurses who steadfastly stayed the course, with courage and commitment in keeping their ‘oath’, you are our ‘champions’ with our unflinching gratitude.

“In that respect, a united salute from the Board and management is in order to you and your fellow colleagues.

“May God bless you and your families and may the almighty recompense you with prosperity and longevity for having trusted in God, yourselves, strength to uphold your honor, and the fortitude for being ‘patience’ for our patients.

“Nonetheless, it is my solemn duty to remind us all why we are employed at the Hospital (LBJ), which is also this administration’s overarching goal, to preserve, protect, and perpetuate ‘premium’ healthcare services to all patients we serve.

“Digress from this compulsion, I must then profess, you are in the wrong profession, employed at the wrong place, and driven by wrong motives — after all [it] is LBJ’s mission statement to be a ‘patient-centered’ healthcare institution.

“I end this message with LBJ’s newly endorsed motto, which sums up our collective purpose: ‘Saving lives is our profession and keeping our community healthy is our passion.’ Thank you and good luck,” he said.

In early January the nurses’ promised salary adjustments were reflected in their paychecks and their excess leave was paid out by the hospital, all to the tune of close to half a million dollars.

This amounted to over $425,000, confirmed Moefaauo. He added that a total of $50,000 was paid out for all their excess leave and their salary adjustments amounted to $375,000”.

“The nurses deserve the salary adjustment — but they were not patient — because it was all part of the plan. But what they did was uncalled for; I mean it’s their right, but they should have been patient.

It’s not like we woke up last night and decided to give them a raise, no this was all part of our plan,” said the LBJ CEO.

Editor’s Note: Samoa News should point out that while the salary adjustments and excess leave was paid — it could be said that this did not happen until close to 50 nurses went on strike, with some returning only after an appeal from the Lt. Gov. Talauega E. V. Ale for both sides to find workable solutions. Others remained on strike until they were paid appropriately.

The strike according to the striking nurses at the time, was due to their OT and promised increment not being paid out after it was announced a week before by the hospital’s management and board.

According to a senior nurse, “if the LBJ hospital could hire unlicensed nurses from Fiji, put them in hotels to await nursing school in January, how could they not afford to pay our overtime and promised increment?”

The nurse further said this is not the first time, they have had issues with their overtime and now they have had “enough”.

 “The hospital can afford to make administrative decisions by hiring overseas unlicensed nurses, we are entitled to our overtime.

 “We have worked tirelessly with a mountain of unpaid overtime,” she said, and called into question management and the board’s decision to bring in outside nurses.

 “We have nothing against our Fijian sisters and brothers here to lend a hand, but they are unlicensed, so all they are doing are nurses assistant work, yet they are getting housing allowances and other benefits that we the local nurses are not entitled to. Where is the fairness in that?

The striking nurses emphasized their being “underpaid and undervalued” by the hospital management & board.