Reopening Mangilao Public Health Facility discussed 

An assessment of the years-long shut down health facility in Mangilao has been underway for the last nine to 10 months, according to officials at a public hearing. 

 
Vincent P. Arriola, director of the Department of Public Works, told senators they have been “working on getting a complete assessment of the building done to determine if the building is still viable to work in.” 
 
Bill 222-37, introduced by Speaker Therese M. Terlaje, was discussed at a public hearing by the Committee on Health, Land, Justice, and Culture on Jan. 8. The bill would reserve the former public health building in Mangilao to be used by the Department of Public Health and Social Services, immediately. Speaker Therese M. Terlaje, who introduced the bill, said that “out of the urgency and critical needs that the people are facing regarding healthcare our public health system as a whole has suffered greatly from the refusal to repair or rebuild and immediately resume critical health services in that facility.” 

Sens. Telo Taitague, Joanne Brown, Chris Barnett, and Frank Blas expressed their frustration for the delay in assessing the building and the lack of urgency for the past four years. 
 
Art San Agustin, director of DPHSS, said the public health emergency caused by COVID-19 took up much of their time and energy through May 2023. Most of the people in attendance were in support of the bill while others did not believe the facility should be returned to public health due to the lack of focus on the building in the past four years. 
 
The evacuation of the facility back in 2019 was caused by reports of an odor because of an electrical fire from the records section and through an assessment done by the Guam Fire Department. 
 
Additionally, Arriola explained that DPW is working on a request for proposal for an assessment. During the hearing, the director reported that the RFP to solicit an engineering architectural firm to assess the building, to include structural, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, and other components of the building is still in the works.
 
According to Arriola, the RFP should be issued in two to four weeks. That will also give the Office of the Attorney General time for a final review. The RFP would give the architect 60 to 90 days to complete the assessment for work and clinic space, Arriola added. 

Linda Rafael, Medical clerk at the Records Division at DPHSS, was among those who testified in favor of the bill, saying it would help them provide services better to the community.

"I just got a call last week, and these (people) live down south and they said ‘Wow, I have to drive all the way to Dededo,'" Rafael said, sharing a comment from a patient. She added that their records are scattered, and they have to move from box to box, room to room to find records that were boxed up when the Mangilao facility was condemned. 

Margarita Gay, administrator at Bureau of Family Health and Nursing Services, DPHSS, did a presentation during the public hearing. She also testified in support of the bill. Similar to Rafael, she spoke about the various services the agency provided at the Mangilao facility, which is now scattered in different facilities, from Dededo to Tamuning. 

She said while they continue to provide services to their patients but lack sufficient space to provide privacy when with patients. Gay said they have to be very careful to ensure there is no HIPAA violation because others can easily hear what’s being discussed. 

 
During the hearing, San Agustin referred to another bill that would create a partnership with DPHSS and Guam Community College to grow the health and childcare workforce and transfer the facility to GCC. 

San Agustin said with the possible recommendation to demolish the current building by DPW, “this would create a blank slate to start with in which Mary Okada, president of GCC and I can sit together to create concepts and designs of common interest.” He said one of the possibilities is a modern child care center that can support students who want to attend the University of Guam or the Guam Community College and other training opportunities from private entities. mbj