Category: Health

BILLS INTRODUCED BY SENATOR THERESE M. TERLAJE TO STRENGTHEN AUTISM SERVICES ON GUAM UNANIMOUSLY PASSES

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (April 29, 2019 – Hagåtña): On the Hills of Autism Awareness Month, two bills introduced by Senator Therese M. Terlaje were voted on in today’s legislative session and received unanimous support.

Bill 66-35 (COR) seeks to increase health insurance coverage to a maximum benefit per year of $75,000 for an eligible person up to the age of 15 and a maximum benefit of $25,000 per year for an eligible person who is between the ages of 16 and 21.

Current insurance mandates under Hunter’s Law allows a maximum benefit of $50,000 per year for an eligible person only up to the age of 9, and limits the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder to a $25,000 maximum benefit per year for an eligible person who is between the ages of 9 and 21.

According to the Guam Autism Center and families that testified in support of Bill 66, most children on the spectrum require early intensive behavior intervention at roughly 25 to 40 hours per week and can make tremendous strides with it. The current stipulations only allows for an average of 15 to 17 hours of therapy a week for children zero (0) to nine (9) and merely half of that for those 9 to 21 years of age.

“Although it was a great start and critical to bringing ABA therapy to Guam, the present dollar cap and age restrictions severely limit access to much needed care resulting in sub-optimal treatment and slower, less desirable progress,” stated Dr. Vincent Dueñas of the Hunter Speaks Organization that facilitates the Guam Autism Center.

Vice Speaker Terlaje and Sens. Nelson, Lee, Muna, and Torres Unite to Find Solutions to Better Protect Guam’s Children

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 12, 2018) – Please be advised that the Committee on Culture & Justice, the Committee on Housing, Utilities, Public Safety, and Homeland Security, the Committee on Innovation and Economic Workforce, and Youth Development along with Senator Mary Camacho Torres and Senator Louise B. Muna will be conducting a Joint Roundtable Discussion on Tuesday, April 17, 2018 beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the Public Hearing Room of I Liheslaturan Guåhan, Guam Congress Building, 163 Chalan Santo Papa Street, Hagåtña.

The committees will discuss the following:
Emergency Shelter and Support Services for Homeless Children:

Discussing strategies and services available to support the Child Protective Agencies and Housing Agencies efforts to prevent the threat of harm to children living without adequate shelter, and to expand emergency shelter and support services.

Representatives from DPHSS, Division of Child Protective Services, GHURA, Guam Housing Corporation, the Guam Homeless Coalition and the Guam Police Department have been invited to participate.

https://www.guampdn.com/story/opinion/editorials/2018/04/20/rise-child-abuse-homelessness-more-must-done-our-view/531301002/

Vice Speaker Proposes Bill to Deter Gun Violence

FOR IMMEDIATE NEWS RELEASE (March 21, 2018) – Vice Speaker Therese M. Terlaje, with co-sponsorship from Senator Telena C. Nelson, introduced Bill 265-34 (COR), a bill that seeks to ban bump-fire stock firearm attachments and increase penalties and fines for the possession of illegal firearms. Under current Guam law, possession of machine guns and other automatic weapons are already illegal. However, bump-fire stock firearm attachments and other devices that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire like machine guns are not specifically banned.

In the Las Vegas concert massacre that took place in October of 2017, the shooter was able to fire around 1,100 rounds in just 10 minutes (110 rounds per minute), injuring over five hundred people and killing fifty-eight (58) people, using bump-fire stock firearm attachments. At the direction of the President, the U.S. Department of Justice recently submitted notice of a proposed regulation banning bump stocks by reclassifying the device as a machine gun, following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Bill 265-34 (COR) will also increase the penalties and fines for the possession, sale or transfer of prohibited machine guns, automatic rifles and silencers from not less than 3 years to a minimum of 5 years imprisonment and from not less than $1,000 to a minimum of $10,000. Penalties for these acts are significantly higher in many other jurisdictions.

On March 07, 2018, Vice Speaker Terlaje together with Senator Telena C. Nelson and Senator Joe S. San Agustin held a roundtable discussion on existing gun laws, penalties and standard operating procedures related to deterring gun violence in schools with panel members from the Office of the Attorney General, the Guam Police Department, the Judiciary of Guam and GDOE. During the discussion, Attorney Genera Barrett-Anderson stated that current Guam firearm laws were fairly stringent, but could always be improved upon. Both Barrett-Anderson and GPD panel members agreed that bump-fire stock attachments were problematic because the device simulates automatic fire.

“Students and parents have expressed concern for the epidemic of mass shootings taking place in the U.S. Mainland and have asked that we do more to prevent these tragedies from happening in our own community. Bill 265-34 is one proactive measure to prevent gun violence in our schools and improve our gun laws to deter gun related violence in our community,” stated Vice Speaker Terlaje.

Therese M. Terlaje is the Chairperson for the Legislative Committee on Culture and Justice

Community Announcement: Shriners’ Outreach Clinic – July 20, & 24-28, 2017

The Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS) would like to announce that a Medical Team from Shriners Hospitals for Children® from Honolulu, Hawaii will be conducting a Medical Outreach Clinic at the Central Public Health Medical Clinic in Mangilao, July 20, 2017 and July 24-28, 2017.  The Medical Team will be providing free consultative services for children up to age 17 with orthopedic conditions, burns, and spinal cord injuries. Children with diseases and/or injuries involving the bones, joints and muscles, as well as “healed burns,” including loss of any part of the child’s body, should make an appointment at DPHSS for an evaluation.  A referral from a physician is not required.  Patients will be seen by appointment only.  We cannot accept walk in patients.

Parents or legal guardians of new patients are required to complete a Shriners Hospital application and Medical Records form at Medical Social Services (MSS) at Central Public Health, Room 152. Required documents include a copy of the child’s birth certificate, immunization record, and medical insurance card; photo ID of parent or legal guardian, and if applicable, proof of legal guardianship papers.  Returning patients are reminded to provide x-ray films and/or laboratory results, as previously instructed.  Returning patients may call MSS to inquire if an x-ray order has to be picked up.

For an appointment and/or additional information, please contact Cherisse Santiago at 735-7351 orcherisse.santiago@dphss.guam.gov or Diana Santos at 735-7356 or diana.santos@dphss.guam.gov.

Relay for Life 2017: May 26, 2017

Every year, our island comes together to remember those in our community who have lost their lives to cancer, celebrate our survivors, and support all of their families and caretakers. We share in their prayers, we cheer for each other, and we walk side by side in this journey for a cure.