Huge task ahead for CHCC board

The incoming board of the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. would have a huge task ahead of them, according to the Senate Committee on Executive Appointments and Government Investigations.

The committee held a public hearing yesterday on the three Saipan nominees of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to the CHCC board—Lauri Ogumoro, Leticia Reyes, and David Rosario.

A separate hearing was also held in the afternoon for Thomas P. Villagomez, Torres’ appointee to the Commonwealth Ports Authority board.

Both hearings were held on Capital Hill.

EAGI committee chair Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz (R-Tinian) clarified that Public Law 19-78’s goal is for the board not to micromanage the operations of CHCC and the hospital, but rather help chief executive officer Esther L. Muna in thinking of ways to improve healthcare and service.

“Addressing and facing the people’s concerns are the reasons behind PL 19-78. Thank you for accepting this huge responsibility and try to work with the other two nominees from Tinian and Rota in addressing the hospital’s concerns,” said Cruz.

Torres has yet to name his nominees for the lone board seats reserved for Rota and Tinian.

Cruz said the new board should also consider giving the Tinian Health Center a working budget so they could operate freely and manage it.

“If they have a working budget, they could do their own operations and have the basic supplies, medicine, or other small things that patients need. Public health is to deliver quality service. But if they abuse their budget, then they would be held liable for it.”

He also told the nominees that, if they have been already confirmed by the Senate, to always keep the line of communication to the Legislature open.

“Budget has always been an issue, but the Legislature is willing to help. Just come to the Legislature and tell us. If you don’t come to us, we won’t know what your concerns are,” added Cruz.
 
Not patrol officers

Committee vice chair Sen. Justo S. Quitugua (Ind-Saipan) told the three nominees that their job on the board is critical since the hospital is facing a lot of issues.

He even reminded them of the time when the then House Bill 19-186, HD1 was being deliberated on the Senate floor, when CHCC staff gave a show of force to oppose the legislation.

“When they [CHCC staff] testified, they feared that when the governing board is established, the board members would be patrolling CHCC’s hallways, telling people what to do,” Quitugua said.

“I hope that is not in your minds because that is not your responsibility. It is not your responsibility to be managers or to supervise the hospital’s day-to-day activities. That is not the intent of PL 19-78.”

He added that he is confident that he would not hear CHCC employees complain that the nominees, if ever confirmed by the Senate body, are patrolling the hospital’s hallways and directing traffic.

“I hope that fear won’t be left in the minds of CHCC employees. I hope that when all of you are confirmed, you tell CHCC staff that you are there to help improve the system and you are the policy people, put it in place to improve the quality of healthcare for our people,” Quitugua said.
 
OPA’s concerns

Committee member Sen. Teresita Santos (R-Rota) said the incoming board should study how to address some of the concerns continuously raised by the Office of the Public Auditor like CHCC’s finances.

“I hope the CHCC board would take concrete measures in addressing or resolving OPA’s concerns that they consistently raise,” said Santos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare.

Santos said the CHCC board and management should also invest in medical equipment to reduce the patients’ costs of going off-island. “To reduce the costs of outside the CNMI patient referral as treatment could be performed at the our sole hospital.”

“This have been adamantly recommended by physicians from the Philippines, Guam, and Hawaii where our people have been receiving medical treatment.”

The CNMI Medical Referral review board’s policies also need to be carefully reviewed, according to Santos.

“[The] CHCC board should also have an agreement with foreign physicians so once all the necessary requirements are met, they can practice or perform services here which could tremendously save us a huge amount in referral costs,” she added.

Commissioning a study on cancer in the CNMI and having a dialysis center on Rota were also some of Santos’ recommendations.