Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The American Samoa Medicaid State Agency has achieved what it describes as a “monumental milestone” with the signing of an agreement with Adventist Health Castle Hospital for treatment of Medicaid off-island referral patients.

In a statement yesterday, Medicaid Office director Sandra King Young announced that “Medicaid referrals to a full-service hospital” in the State of Hawaii will start the week of June 19, with the Medicaid Dual Eligible Medicare populations.

"We are very proud of this milestone,” said King Young. “It has taken our agency 9 years to secure a hospital provider agreement in the State of Hawaii and 2 years to negotiate with Adventist Health.”

She explained that ASG’s past bad history of not paying patient bills was a major barrier to returning to Hawaii.

“Now that the Adventist Health Castle hospital care system has agreed to partner with our Medicaid agency, patients options have opened up for direct referrals to specialists in Hawaii,” she said. “We are grateful to Adventist Health and we look forward to working with Adventist Health."

King Young, was accompanied by three senior staff members to Hawaii for the signing of the agreement, with senior officials of Adventist Health Castle. More details will be forthcoming from the Medicaid Office on this new agreement.

Located in Kailua, on the Island of Oahu’s Windward side, Adventist Health Castle, is a full-service medical center offering a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and home-based services, according to the hospital’s website (https://www.adventisthealth.org).

Adventist Health Castle is a 160-bed facility with more than 1,000 employees and staffed by more than 300 physicians. Adventist Health Castle is owned and operated by Adventist Health, a Seventh-day Adventist healthcare system, with medical centers at several U.S mainland cities.