Villagomez maps out shakeup at DPH

Department of Pubic Health acting Secretary Joseph Kevin Villagomez told a Senate panel yesterday that, if confirmed, he would implement a major shakeup within the department.

Speaking at his confirmation hearing at the Senate yesterday morning, Villagomez told members of the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigation that he has been regularly meeting with all senior program managers of the department to ensure that healthcare needs are being addressed even as cost-cutting measures are in place.

He elaborated on three major reorganizations that he is currently undertaking within the department, the first of which is placing all financial divisions under the Secretary of Public Health for better and more efficient accounting of the department’s financial resources and liabilities.

At the moment, the Division of Public Health, the Commonwealth Health Center, and the Community Guidance Center all have separate financial sections.

Villagomez said that, by placing all three entities under the secretary’s office, there would be a sharing of resources that “are presently quite scarce.”

“Emphasis will also be placed on our ability to collect monies that are due to DPH on all three divisions,” he said. This would mean a change in their billing and collection systems.

Secondly, Villagomez said he would also put the DPH Personnel Section under his office to ensure there would never be any redundancy of functions and to allow for the sharing of personnel resources.

“We shouldn’t have three separate staff members handling human resources issues,” he said, adding that cross-training and sharing of personnel expertise can be better accomplished if they are all placed in one area.

Lastly, he wants DPH to take advantage of information technology. He said the department must maximize the use of technology to help cut costs. The DPH and the guidance center both receive federal grants that allow for the improvement of their IT capability.

CHC mainly uses local funds, however, to improve its information technology infrastructure. Villagomez said he couldn’t see any reason the department could not pull funds together from the three divisions to improve and maximize the use of IT.

“We can expand the current capability of our IT to include the ability to have continuing medical education and medical referral consultations at a much lower cost than if we were to send staff out for CME or refer patients out before initial evaluations, using video conferencing,” he added.

Villagomez said everyone in his office is aware of the CNMI’s economic situation and know very well that they must all pull together as a team to be able to “weather this crisis.” Since Jan. 10 this year, they have been monitoring both DPH expenditures on personnel and operations as well as its stability to generate revenue at DPH.

Unanimous approval

The committee, led by Sen. Henry H. San Nicolas, commended the incoming health secretary for his future plans.

Villagomez said he is excited to fill in the post he left in 2002. He said it is an honor to be nominated again and, if confirmed, he promised that the department would deliver reliable, sustainable, maintained, and improved healthcare programs in the CNMI.

Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Villagomez and Special Assistant for Administration Esther Fleming provided testimonies at the hearing in support of Villagomez. The lieutenant governor is the younger brother of the acting secretary.

Lt. Gov. Villagomez said his older brother is the “best candidate” to occupy the position as he is most knowledgeable in that department and he knows what needs to be done to improve healthcare services in the Commonwealth.

Fleming said she fully supports the acting secretary. “He is quite knowledgeable in the areas that need reform,” she said.