Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating LBJ Tropical Medial Center’s staffing shortage — particularly of US licensed nurses, physicians, clinical technologists and other health care providers — the LBJ board is working closely with the Task Force, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and its federal partners to seek a remedy for this ongoing situation.

In a press release issued Friday, the LBJ Medical Center’s Acting CEO Moefa’auo William Emmsley, in conjunction with the LBJ Board, announced it has signed an agreement with NuWest Group to augment a “Healthcare-Relief Worker Initiative” recruiting and securing the services of “highly skilled, certified, and specialized industry-base staffing from the U.S.”

NuWest Group, according to its website, is a Washington state-based national staffing agency that connects people to job opportunities within healthcare, as well as other disciplines.

As such, some 36 nurses, physicians, clinic technicians and healthcare workers have been recruited to provide immediate relief to staffing shortages and will integrate with local staff in support of LBJ’s COVID-19 mission as well as assortment of undertakings throughout this challenging period.

This past Saturday, Apr. 2, LBJ announced and welcomed, with the help of our federal partners and EOC, the first group of 14 healthcare workers through NUWest. This week, on Apr. 7, the second group is expected to arrive on Hawaiian Airlines.

The NuWest Healthcare groups will be mobilized in and among LBJ’s rank and file and will remain at their various stations for approximately 13-weeks.

“Such ‘initiative’ will undoubtedly bring about immediate relief to LBJ’s enduring staffing ‘dilemma’, which will also lessen the ‘stress factor’ that had been associated with our hardworking and dedicated medical staff, nurses, technicians, and health care workers,” according to Moefa’auo, who also signed the press release.

(Source:  LBJ Medical Center press release)