NMI asks DC to help address workforce issues

The administration of Gov. Ralph DLG Torres renewed its plea to Washington, D.C. officials to help it address the ongoing workforce issues the CNMI is currently experiencing, a problem that could derail the economic gains of the Commonwealth.

Torres’ chief of staff, Matthew Deleon Guerrero, made a case for this during the senior plenary session of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas last Friday at the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C.

He told the group that attended the plenary session that the CNMI lacks the available U.S. labor force that would fuel the growing economy and help the Commonwealth succeed on its own. “As much as we would like it to be so, the numbers are just not there,” he said.

“The CNMI does not have reasonable access to proven federal programs such as the Earned Income Tax Credit that has proven itself to be one of the most effective policies within the federal government to alleviate poverty and incentivize workforce participation,” he added.

Deleon Guerrero said the CNMI’s economy experienced dramatic changes in the last couple of years. “The CNMI has undergone a remarkable economic resurgence that has brought about new businesses and investments.”

“[This] created more opportunities for our residents and raised their standards of living. This is evident in the influx of new revenue, an increase in tourist arrivals, and improved financial security for both the government and the people we serve.”

He added that the CNMI’s growing economy would help build a sustainable future in one of the two U.S. island territories in the Western Pacific. “And central to that future are the issues of healthcare, debt management, and financial stability.”

The healthcare sector, especially the CNMI’s lone public hospital, is also affected by the labor shortage with an expected 85 nurses out of 180 forced to exit the CNMI due to the numerical cap on the CNMI-Only Transitional Nonimmigrant Worker visa program. Most of the nurses at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. are foreign guest workers who hold CW1 visas.

“The labor force issues we are experiencing which are highlighted by the shortage of skilled nurses in the [CNMI] is, in fact, broad reaching and has dramatic implications,” said Deleon Guerrero.

“Despite diligent efforts to maintain their status, we stand to lose 39 nurses from our only hospital by October, unless swift action is taken. Such a loss would gravely impact our ability to provide essential medical services on Saipan and makes the task of meeting [Center for Medicaid Services] provider standards even more challenging.”

Deleon Guerrero said that Public Law 110-229, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 that created the CW1 program, had a major impact on the hospital, which is experiencing a shortage of nurses and other healthcare providers. He added that CNMI officials continue to reach out to Congress and other officials of the current administration on these concerns.

“Our public health officials have stated that our nurses are greatly outnumbered by patients due in large part to the current constraints of our transitional immigration worker program authorized by PL 110-229, which have limited our hospital’s capacity to hire additional nurses and other healthcare professionals.”

“The CNMI is in the midst of a healthcare crisis as the rates of non-communicable diseases literally cripple our people, and fracture the foundations of our community as lives are taken before their time.”

He said that broad federal action, like healthcare programs, often pose problems for territories like the CNMI, “programs that do not take into account our unique circumstances.”

“I am encouraged that this working group and the agencies here are of the belief that the insular areas’ best days are ahead,” he added.