BOARD TO BE ESTABLISHED TO OVERSEE DIALYSIS FACILITY

The hospital will be establishing a board to oversee the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facility, which is the Dialysis Clinic, following the unannounced surveys conducted by the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. CMS now requires LBJ to correct these violations, or face the loss of its CMS re-certification. These violations of the Medicare program were first identified in 2010, but were never addressed.

The formation of the Dialysis Board was revealed at the Cabinet meeting held Tuesday morning at the Agriculture Conference Room, where LBJ Chief Financial Officer Pauline Gebauer, who’s Acting CEO of the hospital, said this board will consist of hospital officials, including members from the dialysis patients. The board is in response to the CMS survey that labeled the temporary dialysis treatment area as an “immediate jeopardy (IJ)”.

(IJ is a situation in which a hospital’s non-compliance with one or more requirements has caused, or is likely to cause, serious injury.)

At the cabinet meeting, the Acting CEO said last week Friday, they sent their submissions for the second time, to the CMS, while the second piece of their submission for the dialysis unit was submitted on Monday. She explained the first submission was not accepted because it was based on what the hospital did in 2010, however they have corrected what was missed from the first report — which are conditions or elements, and each of the deficiencies has been addressed.

“Everyone came together and we’ve addressed the deficiencies and it’s now in the CMS hands and that’s an update,” she stated. “What came out of the surgery… we needed to restructure the ESRD to make it a stronger administrative body, because what we have is not working and we might as well fix it and do something different, and so we’ve done a restructure. “We’re getting a new administrative role that’s going to work with the Director that’s there, Registered Nurse Manager Olita Tafiti. This is based on CMS recommendations that they also need a board for the dialysis unit,” said the Acting CEO.

Gebaurer also pointed out that Governor Lolo has given the green light to establish this board.

NMSAS HOSTING FREE SCREENING OF SWAINS FILM THIS WEEK

The National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS) is hosting this week—free of charge— screenings of Jean Michel Cousteau’s award nominated film: “Swains Island: One of the Last Jewels of the Planet” at the Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center.

The one-hour film can be viewed at either 10 a.m. or 12noon everyday until Friday, Oct. 31

The screenings are being offered to coincide with the BLUE Ocean Film Festival and Conservation Summit set to be held in St. Petersburg, Florida from November 3-9, where the Swains Island documentary has been named a finalist in the “Cultural Connections, People and the Sea” category while another film, entitled “Blue Journey American Samoa” will receive honorable mention in the same category.

The BLUE Ocean Film Festival & Conservation Event is a project of Make A Difference Media, a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.

According to their website, every two years, ocean leaders, filmmakers, photographers, scientists, explorers, entertainment executives – and the general public - gather in Tampa Bay/ St. Petersburg, Florida at BLUE to honor the best in ocean filmmaking, to learn more about the issues facing our oceans, and to collaborate on improving the future of our oceans and humanity. “The seven-day event is charged with energy as these diverse groups of people share knowledge and ideas with each other and with the general public.”

The local response to the free shows has been positive, with people showing up since Monday to view the film which showcases and highlights the unique ecological and cultural aspects of Swains Island, including the coral reef, the lagoon, the tapua, and the village.

A NMSAS staff member said yesterday that several people have been inquiring about the film, with some reserving seats for different show times this week.

Everyone is invited to view the film. More information can be obtained by calling the NMSAS directly at 633-6500.

REGISTRATION OPENS NEXT WEEK FOR 37th ANNUAL HOLIDAY MUSIC FESTIVAL

The American Samoa Council on Arts, Culture, and Humanities (ASCACH) will be hosting the 37th Annual Holiday Music Festival at the Malaeoletalu Fagatogo Pavilion from December 17-19, 2014.

Registration for the event will be held all next week from November 3-7 at the Jean P. Hayden Museum compound in Fagatogo. Absolutely no registrations will be accepted over the phone.

Program coordinator Rexx Yandall said yesterday that this year’s auditions will be carried out with very strict criteria, to ensure “fairness” for everyone involved. Also, because there are only 15 slots available, those chosen will be “the best of the best”.

Once a group registers, they will be scheduled for an audition time and date which will determine if they will be performing during the Music Festival or not.

As with prior years, this year’s performers will be judged on criteria that include artistic value, gracefulness of the performers, unity, quality of voices, discipline, enter and exit, appropriateness of the message (holiday theme), and obeying the 10-minute time limit.

One very important factor that needs to be considered, said Yandall, is that all interested groups MUST include 30 or more members.

The auditions will be judged by a panel of individuals not yet confirmed as of press time yesterday but most likely will include local musicians.

The program is open to all church youth groups, Sunday school classes, offices and any other groups or organizations interested in sharing their musical talents.

This project is supported by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts and more information can be obtained by calling 633-4347/4490/5613.