Correspondence between Chief of Pediatric Services, Dr James Marrone and LBJ’s Chief Executive Officer, Taufete’e Faumuina indicates that Dr. Marrone will remain at the Pediatric Ward up until December 2015.  According to information received, there will be a shortage of physicians at the Pediatric Clinic after August and the board has decided to reinstate his full housing allowance and his request to have his termination letter formally rescinded.

 In the letter leaked to Samoa News and dated July 22, 2015, Dr Marrone pointed out his appreciation to the CEO for his time and consideration during their recent meeting (prior to the letter). Marrone says that if his contract had been terminated in early August, then what is already a major crisis could have turned into total paralysis or even collapse of the hospital’s pediatric health services.

There have been calls to Samoa News by parents who are concerned about the news saying that “if and when Dr. Marrone leaves,” it would be a “horrible reality” should their children suffer a serious illness or sudden cardiac arrest — if there are no available qualified pediatricians on island to care for them.

Last month the hospital board stepped into the issue regarding the contract of the Chief of Pediatric Services — after the Chief Medical Director, Dr Iotamo Saleapaga in April gave him a non-negotiable contract.

Chairman of the Board, Mase Akapo instructed the hospital CEO and Medical Director Dr. Saleapaga to renew Marrone’s contract for another two years, with an option of a one year extension. They were also told that Dr. Marrone is to be given a $5,000 increase in salary. 

The board, however did not give Dr. Marrone his usual housing allowance, as Dr. Annie Fuavai explained to Samoa News, the decrease in housing was because the hospital is now standardizing all housing for all of their contract employees, and only $500 is allocated to housing monthly, with or without dependents.

(Samoa News pointed out at the time that by lowering Dr. Marrone’s housing allowance, his pay raise of $5K only translated to a $200 raise.)

DR. MARRONE’S LETTER

In his letter, Dr. Marrone states for the record, “I very much want and expect to at least serve out the full measure of my current contract extension” and, of course with the same terms and benefits.

“I believe that I am still very much needed here, and will continue to be a dependable provider of our services as long as I am under contract. I also pledge to continue to provide leadership for our Dept. at his time of financial crisis for our Medical center, and I hope to continue to help our Administration in managing the increased angst and dissatisfaction among certain members of our medical staff,” he said.

Dr. Marrone said, “The fact that our board already resolved to reinstate my full housing allowance” that “did not go unnoticed, and is very much appreciated.”

He noted that the contract issues in the Pediatric Department “have been very consuming far too much time and energy for probably everyone involved, especially when our ‘on call’ practitioners for pediatrics are so short staffed, and our overall operations remain in such critical need of the time and attention of all of those who remain working here.”

The chief pediatrician, who has lived here for over a decade, stated “just to reiterate for the record the facts of our current predicament: we currently have only four practitioners who are fully privileged, willing and capable of performing independent on-call duties and at least two of those are absolutely leaving American Samoa in the month of August.”

Dr. Marrone pointed out that one of the physicians will return from his leave, and one “very well qualified and committed applicant from Samoa has just accepted an offer from our HR Department,” (meaning he has been hired)—however needless to say that I was going to be terminated in early August — then what is already a major crisis could turn into total paralysis or even collapse our services.”

He said it would leave the Department with only one or two doctors covering everything that Pediatrics Department does in inpatient pediatrics for the foreseeable future.

“So I really need to have your attention to this again,” he told the CEO.

Dr. Marrone thanked the CEO for confirming that the 90-day termination letter, which was received in May, has been superseded by the ongoing discussions with the hospital board.

“I also acknowledge that this position of our Executive Administration was essentially confirmed in my one-on-one discussion with Chairman Mase Akapo when we met at his office about three weeks ago.

“I repeat once again my request to have that termination letter formally rescinded at your earliest convenience, faamolemole (please),” he wrote.

The Chief of Pediatric Services pointed out that in discussions with the CEO and Mase in specific details regarding his issues and concerns with the current contract offer, “at the CEO’s request I am preparing a written breakdown of those discrepancies and, or inconsistencies for the entire board’s review” and “ this will be available soon.