GMHA Lifeline
November 2021

Welcome to the GMHA Lifeline monthly newsletter.

This publication will capture the happenings around our incredible hospital and share stories of the amazing people working within these walls.

If you would like to share comments, achievements or other GMHA happenings
please email:
communications@gmha.org

This is OUR GMHA!

No good celebration on Guam goes without food and laughter! Team ER rounded out Emergency Nurses Week with a Governor's Proclamation Signing, Lumpia and the best ER staff on Island.

GMHA CEO Lillian Perez-Posadas, Associate Administrator of Operations William Kando and Nursing Administration staff, Christine Tuquero and Liezl Concepcion were on hand to celebrate.

BIBA GMHA ER!

Message from the CEO

Are we there yet? And if we are, what does "there" look like?

I ask myself these questions everyday. Are we over COVID? Will we ever be? It's hard to say. What I can comfortably say right now is it seems, at least, we're plateauing with hospitalizations. As we see a decrease of community cases, we'll naturally see a decrease in patients needing to be admitted. This of course directly impacts our patient census, our staff hours, our elective surgery and outpatient service suspension, staff exhaustion and so much more.

I know you're all so tired and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking out the hard times with us. We're working everyday in the Executive Office to make things better for you. Whether it's facilities upgrades, policy changes, process improvements or right-sizing departments with new hires, we're so committed to you and your well-being at GMHA. Have a suggestion? Want something addressed? Please email me directly: lillian.perez-posadas@gmha.org

Want to feel heard anonymously? Email: communications@gmha.org

We know we're not perfect but I promise you this, we're ready to face any challenge head on - and we do! Every day. We hope GMHA will be the place you want to come work for years, even when we move to our new hospital. Be a part of our future, by helping us build today!

-Lillian

So, what happened in October?

THE FUN STUFF:

  • What a month it was! Here are all the hallmarks we celebrated at GMHA:

  1. Physical Therapy Month (Go Team PT!)

  2. American Pharmacist Month (with a Governor's Proclamation Signing!)

  3. Emergency Nurses Week (with a Governor's Proclamation Signing!)

  4. Respiratory Care Week (RTs run the world!)

  5. International Infection Prevention Week (TEAM IC ALL THE WAY!!)

  • HALLOWEEN was truly a treat at GMHA! From decorations to team dress-ups, thank you for keeping the spirit and morale high at our incredible community hospital!

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS:

  • We are so proud to have legislative support to build our new hospital. In October, Senators voted to pass Bill 121 - the 21st Century Healthcare Center Construction Act of 2021. The Bill, signed into law this month, will appropriate funds yearly to build our new community hospital and medical campus.

  • All of our COVID Care Units remain activated. Some outpatient services will be returning in the near future however, we continue to keep our pulse on the community spread and the incoming COVID patients at GMHA. Elective surgeries are still suspended as of now.

  • We have more travel nurses here at GMHA, helping to alleviate the pressures on our teams, who have been working non-stop (Thank you GMHA staff!!). We also thank the 15 DoD nurses who deployed to Guam to augment our staff as well! Many have left for home already, but not without a great farewell from our GMHA team and the Joint Region Marianas Admiral himself.

  • The Health Informatics Team added a second rounder for the Telemedicine Program, as we continue beefing up our Telemedicine fleet of physicians and specialists. We're doing everything we can to bring the best care to our people on Guam!

  • The eHR build remains paused, as many clinical staff continue to be dispatched to the floors.

  • The Flu Shot clinic is still running from 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday on a walk-in basis in the Employee Health office.

  • Pfizer BOOSTER shot: You may call the Employee Health office at 671-648-6765 to make an appointment to receive the booster shot.

  • Despite the COVID-surge we're in, Capital Improvement Projects still continue at GMHA:

      • The C-Arms for the old Nuclear Room and the OR have arrived and are now operational. Please ensure only trained staff are operating and moving the C-Arms, as they need very specific care.

      • The repair and upgrade of the physician's parking ceiling, which started on September 25th, is nearly complete!

      • Work has begun on the roof and envelope upgrade project at our hospital. Contractors have been on-site for the assessment and design phase of the project. We're looking forward to beginning this much-needed fix, to enhance the structural integrity of our facility during heavy rainfall, mitigating against potential leaks, and sustaining the building for the next 5-7 years until a move to our new GMHA.

      • The abatement phase is complete on the Z-wing. Now, we're preparing for pre-demolition, with actual demolition tracking for Q1 of 2022.

      • The Air Handling Unit upgrade is continuing. We've secured funding to replace 22 more AHUs, to keep our HVAC systems in top-notch shape until the move to a new hospital.

  • Not much to add in the conversations around building a new GMHA. As COVID begins to plateau, we will start the task forces back up and hope to move forward with an RFP for design soon.

  • The Revenue Cycle Management team continues their work at GMHA. We're happy to be seeing the results of their efforts with improved collections and revenues ($) in August and September!

  • Please continue to monitor our daily census, pertinent information and more on GMHA's digital Daily Brief. This platform is updated daily for your convenience and awareness. We encourage you to get involved: https://www.gmha.org/dashboards/

  • The GMHA Relay for Life team is still looking to collect $20 from every staff to contribute to our goal as part of the GovGuam efforts. Please contact the Captain, Jesse Manibusan, and Co-Captain, Randy Diaz, to contribute to a wonderful cause! (jesse.manibusan@gmha.org, randy.diaz@gmha.org)

GMHA Halloween Spirit is STRONG!

👻🎃


MORE GMHA HALLOWEEN SPIRIT! 👻🎃

It's November! 🎉

THE FUN STUFF:

  • Our next Employee Town Hall will be on Wednesday November 17. There will be two sessions that day to accommodate various shifts: one at 7:30am and one at 3:30pm. You are strongly encouraged to attend and be engaged, to stay in the loop on hospital updates. Staff may submit questions ahead of time, so they may be addressed during the event. Please feel free to email questions to: communications@gmha.com. All names and contact information from questions can be removed at your request to ensure anonymity. It is important for everyone to ask questions freely and comfortably, ensuring all of our staff’s concerns are being addressed. Of course, you may choose to reserve your questions and ask live during the Town Hall!

  • All Souls Day is Tuesday November 2. It's a statutory holiday for GovGuam employees.

  • Here are all the different days we are celebrating at GMHA:

1. Medical/Surgical Nurses Week - Nov 1-7

2. Radiology Week - Nov 8-12 (with a Governor's Proclamation Signing on Nov 19)

3. Perioperative Nurse Week - Nov 14-20

4. Pediatrician Day - Nov 20

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS:

  • As part of GMHA's International Infection Prevention Week celebrations, all GMHA staff, students, volunteers, doctors and contractors are required to complete the mandatory training. It's simply a 21-minute informative video, followed by a straight-forward 24-question test. Please see the flyer for more details on how to complete the requirement online. If you have questions or need help, please contact Employee Health at: 671-648-6765

MANDATORY ETHICS TRAINING:

Pursuant to Public Law No. 36-25 Bill No. 94-36 (LS), all Government of Guam employees in the classified and unclassified service are required to attend and receive ethics training from the Guam Ethics Commission. GMHA new hires with effective start dates after May 12, 2021 must complete training within their first six (6) months of employment. All existing GMHA classified and unclassified employees are required to attend and receive training within thirty-six (36) months post May 12, 2021.

The Government of Guam mandatory Ethics training will be facilitated and held via zoom from 8:30am to 12:00pm on various dates throughout the months. The finalized schedule up to June 2022 will be emailed to all Department Heads and Supervisors. More details will be coming shortly.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING AROUND GMHA:

  • We're still on track for accreditation with the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ). Each department's self-assessments are due to the Compliance Office on November 15th. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Manglona and/or Daniel Leon Guerrero: danielle.manglona@gmha.org; daniel.leonguerrero@gmha.org

  • As our clinical teams continue to receive more help and support , GMHA is working to resume outpatient Cardiology and IR services the first week of November.

  • The eHR project is still paused for now, as clinical staff had to be redirected to the floors to support with COVID efforts. This has of course pushed our go-live timeline.

REMINDERS:

  • You are still required to report your symptoms daily in the Sara Alert system. You receive the notification through your GMHA email. Circular 2021-95 references all the details; there is also a Q&A and a flyer for details on this hospital-wide, all-staff endeavor. This is a mandatory activity and we thank all staff who have already taken to reporting everyday. Please ensure you are checking your GMHA email daily. Please reach out to our one and only IT guru, Jill Acda, for any email or alert issues. You can reach her at the IT help desk at 647-2136 or email: gmha.saraalert@gmha.org

  • All of the GMHA COVID protocols can be found on our staff intranet system. It is your responsibility to keep up to date and access that information frequently, to stay ahead on changes related to virus protocols. You may find all of the protocols under the “GMHA COVID-19 Information Center” header, located at the top of the page when you first log into the GMHA Intranet. Don't have a login? Forgot your login? Please contact GMHA IT: 647-2136

  • OPPORTUNITY ALERT: As a GMHA staff member, you can take advantage of the TAP grant and take courses offered by American Health Information Management (AHIMA), which would bring value to what you do everyday at GMHA. If you have any questions please contact: Tina M. Quinata; tina.quinata@gmha.org

Employee spotlight
Nestor Catangay

We're showcasing our amazing Facilities Maintenance Assistant Manager, Nestor Catangay this month!

Nestor has been with GMHA for 21 years (WOW 🤩). He works in the Facilities Maintenance department and, along with the entire FM shop, has been instrumental in GMHA's COVID-19 response, as well as many other facilities/infrastructure/CIP matters! He recently filled in as Acting FM Manager, and did wonderful work keeping up with all the demands of GMHA!

In his own words, Nestor says he, simply loves everything about being a part of the GMHA team. "I love being challenged to help solve problems pertaining to my work and the department. I am proud to be able to contribute in my own way to fulfill the hospital’s Mission Statement. There is nothing more gratifying than that."

He adds that...everyday he works with many wonderful warm people in this hospital, devoted and dedicated individuals..."I love that."

As for his personal life, Nestor loves being married to his beautiful wife Dorie of 39 years and spending time with his 28-year-old son, Neill. He also loves playing with his dog, Toby 🐶

When he's not at work, Nestor loves going to church on Sundays. He also loves spending time with his family, going to brunch, the beach, or just relaxing at home.

He's (obviously) very handy and enjoys working on various projects around his house too!

WE APPRECIATE YOU NESTOR! 🙌🏽💪🏼

If you would like to nominate an employee for the Employee Spotlight, please email: communications@gmha.org


Dr. Jon Sidell is our Rockstar Doctor this month! He's also the incoming President of the Medical Executive Committee (MEC).

Dr. Sidell is an OBGYN at GMHA, who says he delivers around 500 babies every year 🐣🍼🤩

He's been at GMHA for 16 years and is originally from California.

Dr. Sidell completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California Santa Barbara, followed by medical school at Wayne State in Detroit, Michigan. He followed that with his residency at SUNY Brooklyn.

The Doc lives on Guam with his wife and two sons. He also has two dogs!

He
says he loves being on Guam because as a doctor, you don't have to practice defensive medicine... "I can make decisions that are right for my patients and practice medicine for medicine's sake, which ultimately helps the patients." He says at GMHA, he can truly focus on patient care. He also loves the nurses at GMHA!


As for returning to the helm of the MEC, Dr. Sidell says he's excited to work closely with the MedStaff Office once again, "they are such a pleasure to work with!"


He also says that, "over the last 16 years, since I was last President, I've seen that GMHA now has a dynamic, young leadership that really take the responsibility seriously. I've seen a trend in a lot more participation of the medical staff, in a positive way."


We appreciate you Dr. Sidell!

GOOD CATCH! 🙌🏽

Congratulations to Cody Perez, a wonderful GMHA Patient Courier.

Cody was assigned to the ER on Oct 7, as a patient 1:1 sitter. Cody intervened in the patient attempting to harm himself. Cody’s quick response prevented a patient adverse event, while also advocating for patient safety. Thank you, Cody Perez, for ensuring our patient’s safety was upheld and for reporting the event using the Safety Learning System!

Proud to have you aboard!

Alfredo Mafnas was the assigned dietary technician for Care 4 on Oct 4th. His intervention prevented a possible patient safety event, in which the correct dietary order was placed into Optimum. Thank you, Alfredo, for ensuring our patient’s safety was upheld and for reporting the event using the Safety Learning System!

Go team Dietary!


The Good Catch Award was developed based on best practices from national patient safety standards and ECRI, our Patient Safety Organization. A good catch is defined as an event reported that might have caused an adverse event/outcome, but was prevented due to active recovery efforts by caregivers. The overall goal of giving recipients the bi-weekly Good Catch award, is to improve GMHA’s heightened awareness of best practices in patient safety and to support a positive climate where patient safety is top priority. It also helps produce an organizational culture of safety, free from punitive blame.

Did you know that you can be a part of a better GMHA? Help us focus on quality patient care by reporting in the SLS system. We
can all be part of an honest, rewarding environment, and that starts with you!

If you need an SLS password reset, you can do so by calling the following individuals:

William Eric Lee, Patient Safety Officer, x 1366 or 671-647-2330

Danielle Manglona, Administrator, Quality, Patient Safety & Regulatory Compliance, 671-648-6769

Shiella Pagcu, Compliance Office Administrative Assistant, 671-648-6711

Kyle Dallman, Risk Management Program Coordinator, 671-647-1365



SHOUT OUT! 🎤


  • WE SEE YOU TEAM SELF-PAY HEROES! To the Patient Service Reps, Eligibility Specialists, Social Workers and AmeriCorps teams who have helped dozens of our patients successfully transition to Medicare/Medicaid/MIP...thank you! You are making an incredible difference in the lives of our people and helping them heal by alleviating the stress of the medical bill. 💐

  • Huge shout out to our Payroll Team for making our payroll on time despite challenges switching health insurance providers. That was a massive undertaking for them and they still nailed it!! GO TEAM PAYROLL!! 💸

  • Better late than never! Multiple ICU staff members have passed certifications these past couple of months: Jenny Toves passed the RNBC certification; Aris Manaloto passed CCRN certification; Mike Stewart passed his CCRN certification! Congrats to all these incredible ICU nurses. Thank you for your commitment to excellent, accessible healthcare for our Guam community. 👏🏼

  • The ER is rocking it! Congrats to Arlene San Nicolas RN-CEN - who recently passed her specialty exam and is now a CEN. Also big kudos to Soly Akhtarpour, an LPN who recently passed the NCLEX and is now an RN! 🩺

  • To our one and only Dr. Joleen M. Aguon. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo many kudos but most recently especially from an ICU nurse, who says your leadership and mentorship in medicine have changed who they are fundamentally. In Doc We Trust 😇

  • In case you didn't know, GMHA has started an Oxygen Concentrator home loaner program for COVID-patients ready for discharge from GMHA. This was a 100% grassroots effort from the hospital. Major shout out goes to the Discharge Planning Team, FM, Materials, Ops, Planning and Nursing Admin for making this happen and giving our recovering COVID patients the opportunity to go home safely! 😷

Who's that? 👀

In October, we welcomed 17 new employees to our GMHA family!

Francisco Babia

OPERATING ROOM TECH



Raina Perez

PERSONNEL ASSISTANT I



Deniele Cruz


PATIENT COURIER I


Yasuyo Nakane


STAFF NURSE I



Segundo Sablan


MAINTENANCE WORKER

Han Seo

MANAGEMENT ANAYLST II


Bruce Meno


HOSPITAL PHARMACIST


Jerry Garcia

MAINTENANCE WORKER



Min Choi

HOSPITAL PHARMACIST

Charles Valencia

HOSP. CERTIFIED NURSE ASST. I



Kneen Martin

HOSP. CERTIFIED NURSE ASST. I



Mebae Kameda


HOSP. STAFF NURSE II – CLINICAL LEVEL I


Bethany Blair


HOSP. STAFF NURSE II – CLINICAL LEVEL I



Angeline Aguon

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT


Victor Malveaux

PATIENT SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE



Emma Salcedo

STAFF NURSE I

Lawrence Quinto

COMPUTER TECHNICIAN I



Please give them a friendly GMHA welcome!


Hospital Happenings! 🙌🏽

Team Internal Medicine 🩺🥼

Internal Medicine Day was Thursday October 28. Happy Internal Medicine Day to our amazing IM team! (A few of them pictured here!)



Respiratory Care Week 💨

Where my Respiratory Therapists at?! 📣📣

Happy Respiratory Care Week from our fabulous GMHA RT team! Though you've always been valued, the COVID pandemic showed us how truly needed and essential you are in our patient journey. Thanks for all you've done and continue to do for our people everyday!

Planning, ops and FM in the house 📢?

Our FM and Ops teams worked closely with the GUNG to bring this 40-foot reefer morgue together at GMHA. While not exactly great news to need additional morgue storage, we commend the extremely hard-working and dedicated GMHA staff for making it happen to help our community.

Emergency Nurses Week 😍

No good celebration on Guam goes without food and laughter!

Rounding out #EmergencyNursesWeek with a Proclamation Signing, Lumpia and the best ER team on Island. BIBA GMHA ER!

When in doubt, pray 🙏🏼

Thank you to the wonderful people showing up to pray for our staff and patients. We WILL get through this. We are #GMHAStrong.

We love donations!

Donations mean so much to our teams! Thank you to the Quinata & Ronquillo families for stopping in and feeding our staff.

It's always been about our island! Si Yu'us ma'åse'.

I'm not crying, you're crying 😭😭

We have the best patients! And naturally, they want to thank our incredible GMHA teams! We pride ourselves on delivering Healthcare with Heart everyday.

We are #GMHAStrong.

Pharmacists make the world go round! 🌎

Happy Pharmacist Month to all our wonderful GMHA pharmacists! We appreciate your attention to detail, while being such an integral part of our patient journey.

Pink Pride!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

At GMHA, we're proud to show our pink in support. Know the signs, see your doctor and get checked. Together, we can beat Breast Cancer!

Donations for our ER team!

Our ER team runs on good fuel! Thanks to Hit Radio 100 for feeding our ER nurses on Emergency Nurses Day, during the weeklong Emergency Nurses Week! 😋

Thank you Team Decon!

Without our Environmental Services team, COVID-19 would have looked way different at GMHA. MAJOR SHOUT OUT to our Environmental Services team, who work around the clock to keep our staff, patients and visitors safe at all times. You're at the heart of infection control at GMHA!

DoD at GMHA!

Joint Region Marianas (JRM) Commander Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, JRM Command Master Chief Nicholas Messina, Naval Hospital Guam Commanding Officer Capt. Thecly Scott, and Naval Hospital Guam Executive Officer Capt. Daniel Clark, all gather for a photo with some of our GMHA Executive. The Navy leadership toured the Blu-Med tent and GMHA ER, then recognized the 15 DoD nurses deployed at GMHA.

International Infection Prevention Week! 😷

During Infection Prevention Week at GMHA, the FM team showed up in a big way to the in-person fair to complete the mandatory video and test to keep their IC knowledge sharp. Everyone plays a crucial role in IC during COVID-19 👏🏼

PATIENT KUDOS!

Get to know your
Board of Trustees

Sonia Siliang is the vice chairwoman of the Governance, By-laws and Strategic Planning Subcommittee. She is a native of Palau and moved to Guam at the age of 5.

Siliang is a graduate of John F. Kennedy High School and has a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Ethnic Studies from the Northern Arizona University. She also holds a Master's in Public Administration from the University of Maryland.

The Trustee is currently a Planner with the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, the State Administering Agency (SAA) for the Edward Byrne JAG, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant and the Coral Reef Initiatives Grant. As a Planner under the Socio-Economic Division of BSP, Siliang assists local Guam law enforcement agencies in implementing their grant funded programs and assist in the island's Coral Reef Initiatives with educational outreach involving our marine preserves and coral reef ecosystem.

Siliang has had several family members treated at GMHA and says she the utmost respect for every single healthcare provider that comes to work day in and out to care for our island people. Her mother was a nurse as well!

As to why she loves serving on the GMHA BOT, Trustee Siliang says, "while living abroad in several states and 2 countries both in Europe and Asia, I had the privilege of expanding my life experiences and my personal view of the world outside of living on a small island." She adds that working as a public servant her whole life, she felt that her myriad of experience, ranging from being a police officer to a Legislative Staffer for the State of Hawaii Auditor’s Office, honed her ability to pay close attention to safety and management.

"I agreed to serve on the Board mainly because it was a way for me to give back to the community that gave me opportunities and to play an active role in creating public value to our only public hospital. "

Her message to the GMHA staff: "through the years, and most especially throughout this pandemic, you remained dedicated, innovative, driven, and most especially heroes that continue to deliver such great and lifesaving service to our people, even while some days you may have felt exhausted, challenged, or just honestly just burnt out. Always remember the reason you joined this profession and continue to provide that compassionate care and island spirit to all our patients no matter what ‘walks of life’. You are noticed and very much appreciated. Thank you! Si Yu’os Ma’åse’! Ke Kmal Mesulang!

BIBA GMHA!

HR Topic of the month:
Let's talk about disabilities!

Sometimes when we meet someone with a disability, we're just unsure of what to do and we don't want to offend them. Do we acknowledge the disability? Do we try to help? It's difficult to know the "right way" to interact with a differently abled individual.


Here is an overview of etiquettes for interacting with people with disabilities:


People with disabilities are human, too. Acknowledge their uniqueness and treat them as you would any other person who is fully abled. Do not talk down to them or feel sorry for them.


It’s okay to refer to people as "person(s) with a disability/disabilities." It is never okay to say: disabled person, handicapped, crippled, or retarded. The term “special” is also inappropriate and offensive.


Speak directly to a person with a disability, not their companion or interpreter. Be patient, a lack of response does not indicate that the person can’t or won’t respond. They may have difficulty speaking, so listen attentively instead. Speak to them at eye level. If they’re in a wheelchair, grab a seat and speak to them at eye level if you’re having a long conversation with them.


Treat adults as adults. Don’t use baby talk. Allow them to make their decisions and don’t tell them what to do. Provide them with every option you provide those without disabilities.


A person’s mobility equipment is an extension of their body and their personal space. Do not touch or move their equipment without permission; they need to know where their equipment is at all times. Leaning on their wheelchair or scooter is like leaning on their shoulder.


If you’re not sure, ask. Don’t assume a person with a disability needs help. Ask first if you can assist them. Don’t repeatedly ask or qualify their response with “are you sure?” Respect their choice even if it looks like they’re struggling. If it’s a dangerous situation, assist them as you would someone without a disability.


Not all disabilities are physical or obvious. Never judge a person who seems physically "normal," as pretending or faking. They may have an invisible disability, such as a learning impediment, psychiatric and emotional disabilities.


It has been said that, "anyone may be fully abled today and have a disability tomorrow.” Treat others how you want to be treated!

Compliance Corner
Get to know us!

Healthcare compliance is an essential component of healthcare organizations. The Compliance Office is responsible for ensuring that the hospital meets laws, regulations, guidelines, and best practices that govern the healthcare industry. Currently, GMHA is certified with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and is seeking accreditation with the Center for Improvement in Healthcare Quality (CIHQ).


The Compliance Office, led by the Administrator of Quality, Patient Safety and Regulatory Compliance Danielle Manglona, is undertaking a massive effort to set GMHA up for success in the accreditation process. Manglona is supported by Daniel Leon Guerrero, Accreditation Coordinator, Veronica Cruz, Hospital Nurse Quality Improvement Specialist, and Maria Flavia Vonschimp, Hospital Quality Improvement Specialist. The Compliance team is excited to introduce some new team members:

Florita Tiong (Program Coordinator II, HNQIS)

Florita B. Tiong, nicknamed “Flo”, started her nursing career at Guam Memorial Hospital in 1980. She has 10-years experienced as a Medical-Surgical nurse. While a staff at Med/Surg, she served two terms as a member of Guam Board of Nurse Examiners. She is also 30-years experienced in the Operating room/Post Anesthesia Care Unit (OR/PACU) as a Circulator, and briefly as scrub nurse in minor procedures before she took on the role as OR/PACU unit supervisor. She joins the Compliance Office as a Hospital Nurse Quality Improvement Specialist.


William Eric Lee (Patient Safety Officer)

William, who goes by Eric, is originally from Georgia and has been on island for almost 4 years. He arrived on island as a travel nurse and has become a permanent resident since finding his niche here on island. He has been a nurse for over 20 years. Eric has his Master's in Nursing and is working towards his Doctorate in Nursing. He also has a Master’s in Business Administration; he is also currently working on his Master’s in Education. He has worked in several ICUs across the US and has a certification in critical, progressive, and emergency care. Eric is the GMHA Patient Safety Officer.


Shiella Pagcu (Administrative Assistant)

Rooted in the passion of helping others, Shiella joined the GMHA Compliance Team to better understand the inner workings of hospital care, and how it affects the delivery of care.


Stay tuned to the Compliance Corner for announcements of regulatory updates, upcoming trainings, and any other Compliance office matters.

What's coming up? December!

Say it ain't so! We're rounding out 2021!

Another year...another battle for our incredible team. Every day, we show up armed and dedicated to do the best we can for our community. We know everyone at GMHA is driven by the delivery of excellent, accessible healthcare!

The calendar year may be coming to an end, but that means little for our 24/7-365-day operation! Please start thinking about your holiday plans and schedules. We'll also want to start thinking through the holiday parties, ensuring they abide by Public Health guidelines for COVID-19.

Let's get ready for another great year together! Thank you for all you do!

Have you followed us on Social Media?


Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @GMH_Guam

Like us on Facebook @GuamMemorialHospital

Do you have comments? Questions? Want someone on your team recognized for an accomplishment or a departmental milestone?

Please email: communications@gmha.org