FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (August 28, 2019)– Committee on Health Chairperson Senator Therese M. Terlaje thanks her colleagues for their unanimous support in moving forward with a budget bill amendment to help the Guam Memorial Hospital.
A day after being shut down for trying to lock up potential Fiscal Year 2020 excess revenues, Senator Terlaje amended the budget bill to provide $10-million of excess Fiscal Year 2019 income tax and business privilege tax revenues and deposit into a newly created Hospital Capital Improvement. Use of these funds require a public hearing and legislative appropriation. The amendment passed late Tuesday night during session.
The latest version of the budget bill only appropriates $28-million to GMH primarily for operations. Bill 186-35 did NOT address GMH’s critical Capital Improvement Projects. GMH outlined $57-million worth of CIP; however set its top three priorities including a new electronic health records (EHR) system, electrical panel replacement, and structural roof repair. The EHR system is estimated to cost $21.8-million, the electrical panel at $6-million, and the structural roof repair at $5-million. These projects have been looming for years and are critical mandates raised by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
According to the latest Consolidated Revenue and Expenditure Reports and further confirmed by the Bureau of Budget and Management Research during session, GovGuam is “tracking $14-million in revenue above the amounts appropriated for the general fund,” with two more months to go (until the end of FY2019).
These projects are critical, and not a luxury. We can’t look the other way when we know there are critical issues that need to be addressed at Guam’s only public hospital. While these excess funds won’t address all of GMH’s critical projects, it’s a start to get at least one done for sure. With concerns raised by CMS, and more importantly the safety and care of our patients and doctors at risk, I want to thank my colleagues for prioritizing health and addressing these issues that have been ongoing for years.
Senator Therese M. Terlaje, Committee on Health Chairperson