Friday, March 14, 2025
3/14/2025
Background The Department of Health is an active member of the Homeland Security Senior Advisory Group that contributes to the emergency-based planning for the territory and is involved in the execution of exercises and training. During an incident, patient needs are expected to surpass or challenge the capabilities of medical facilities. American Samoa uses a systematic approach to manage these while ensuring the quality of care is accommodating, and the integrity of the territorial health care system is intact. Our local medical facilities strive to coordinate and manage existing resources and obtain external assistance promptly. The MSCC system demonstrates specific processes that allow our limited facilities to function and maintain optimum operational levels. The practice of altering roles, responsibilities, focus, and mission due to catastrophic events helps meet first-response needs promptly and efficiently. It aids in the return of critical emergencies back to normal operations and stability. Unifying services for incident management ensures a better-coordinated response by the hospital, public health, and local healthcare coalition members. It guarantees that a unified response will command the overall response system. Specifics: • LBJ Tropical Medical Center is the only hospital with a 120-bed capacity with a laboratory, pharmacy, x-ray, and surgical clinics. • EMS is a sub-division of the hospital located adjacent to the hospital. • The Department of Health has under its authority five community health centers: Leone, Tafuna, Amouli, and two on the island of Manu’a. The Tafuna Health Center has a minimum pharmacy and lab capabilities. • A Veteran Affairs clinic is located by the airport and has a patient load of 25% of the population with pharmacy and minimum lab capabilities. • There are no private clinics. Through the healthcare coalition and the unified health command structures, the health centers, hospitals, and EMS have improved their emergency preparedness activities and planning, organization of resources, implementation of emergency operation plans, and ICS policies and procedures. Approach The approach for this proposed project is to continue to sustain partnerships and to support interoperability of capacity building. This approach will be integrated into all capabilities. Culturally, partnerships will and can drive the work plan. Synergy is an essential piece of emergency management that requires constant maintenance. Maintenance includes redundant communications, quarterly meetings, instant connectivity, transparency of methods, information sharing, resource sharing, etc. The islands are unique and particular groups of individuals with a built-in mechanism that has evolved over the years. And we’ve learned that the best approach is to hone in on that and align our efforts with it. We will promote partnerships and collaboration amongst our communities and government and faith-based and, most importantly, our federal counterparts. But it’s important to recognize that federal guidelines will be respected and adhered to but to apply them to what fits the islands. To build partnerships, the focus will continue supporting healthcare coalition activities, integrating volunteerism into community activities, participating in emergency management advisory groups, and collaborating with local partners in emergency management training. Including Special Needs and At-Risk populations in preparedness plans is critical to response efforts because of their special-needs and vulnerabilities. The HCC will focus on using the mapping registry to identify the types of medication, medical equipment, and special services that might be needed. This information will allow the CHC, designated Alternative Care Sites (ACS), to store the equipment and supplies required for patient care. One of the challenges faced during an incident is the ability to send lab specimens
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).