Hagåtña, Guam – Governor Lou Leon Guerrero’s series of information meetings to provide the public with information on a Guam Medical Complex continues. On Thursday, she met with hundreds of medical staff at the Guam Memorial Hospital in person and via Zoom, and on Saturday, with over two dozen of the island’s veterans. Both groups had various questions ranging from the proposed location and road access to financing, training, and workforce opportunities. Attendees also heard from panelists, which included Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA) Administrator Melanie Mendiola, Department of Land Management Director Joseph Borja, and Guam Ancestral Land Commission (DLM) Director and Chamorro Land Trust Commission (CLTC) Acting Director John Burch.
The community is invited to participate in the upcoming information meeting:
| Dates/Times | Audience | Location |
| Monday, October 306 p.m. | All concerned citizens | Guam Community College (GCC) Multipurpose Auditorium |
“Our people deserve quality healthcare, and I urge the people of Guam to think forward–beyond ten years, 15 years, or even 20 years. Our vision to build a Guam Medical Complex and hospital mirrors the standard of care we know and expect from world-class facilities like those at UCLA and Stanford. These sites provide comprehensive care because of their co-located facilities. Why can’t we have the same for Guam?” asked Governor Leon Guerrero. “I say we can. The land is available and centrally located to cater to southern and central residents. The funding is available. The need for these services continues to grow. I am so passionate about this, and I call on our people to learn more about this vision and the possibilities for recovery to start right here at home.”
“The vision and the commitment to build the hospital and have room for the complex in an area that can grow is critical for all generations to come. The population is going to continue to grow, and we know there are so many areas that are already heavily congested. We have relatives living abroad–who want to return home–but because Guam doesn’t have the specialty care they need, they’re forced to live in the states, but their desire is to be here. We need to build this timely so we can return our families home. This will be one way to bring them back,” added Lt. Governor Joshua Tenorio. “For our veterans, this is also an incredible investment towards supporting our service members long term. The goal is to decrease the burden both for veteran patients and providers, employ local or long-term physicians to support stability and continuity in care, and keep our loved ones here for recovery.”
These information meetings are in advance of a public hearing on Bill No. 184-37 (COR) scheduled for Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at 8:30 a.m. at the Guam Congress Building Public Hearing Room. The proposed legislation supports Governor Leon Guerrero’s vision to build a medical complex in Barrigada, one that co-locates a hospital, public health center, behavioral health, veterans clinic, pharmacy, and specialty care clinics in addition to medical providers’ offices. The information meetings are complemented by the launch of an online petition to Build A Medical Complex for Guam.
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