December 7, 2017
Hagåtña — Governor Calvo has appointed former lieutenant governor Dr. Mike Cruz and Dr. Larry Lizama as joint Chief Health Policy Advisors. The two doctors will serve as key advisors in shaping health policy on Guam.
The physicians have decades of experience in patient care and healthcare policy. Additionally, they both have served at the Guam Memorial Hospital as Medical Directors. They understand the inner workings of both hospitals, as well as the challenges that each hospital and its staff face on a daily basis.
“It is in the interest of our community that the two hospitals work collaboratively to provide Guamanian families the best healthcare in the region,” Governor Calvo said.
The island has grown and with it our healthcare needs. For example, neither GMH nor GRMC has the number of beds necessary to accommodate a community of our population. “Ensuring that both hospitals are viable is in the best interest of Guamanians today and future generations,” Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio stated.
Lt. Governor Ray Tenorio met with the two doctors today and they accepted the appointment.
The Governor has asked the health czar duo to prioritize working with his administration and the legislature on solutions that modernize and bring financial stability to GMH. “They will have to evaluate the current situation so they’ll need some time. I would like for them to look first at Bills 141 & 142. We must figure out how to provide financial stability for GMH.”
Dr. Lizama has served key healthcare positions in the Administration. He was instrumental in working with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, the Attorney General, and the Department of Corrections in reforming prison healthcare and getting DOC out from under a 25-year-old federal consent decree. He helped develop the current GMH 2.0 solution.
Dr. Cruz currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer for Guam Regional Medical City and has shaped health policy on Guam as a former senator and lieutenant governor. The joint appointments serve to advance healthcare on Guam and ensure that both hospitals provide complementary care while working synergistically together.
“I look forward to working collaboratively with Dr. Mike Cruz. Together, with the continued support of the administration and great partners in the Legislature working with us, we can create smart policies that nurture a stronger healthcare system that meets the needs of our people,” Dr. Larry Lizama said.
“I’m honored by the appointment. In a healthcare system it is important that public and private hospitals work together to ensure the viability of each. I look forward to working with the Governor and all the stakeholders in ensuring that Guam’s healthcare system continues to evolve in this direction,” former Lt. Governor Dr. Mike Cruz said.
