August 21, 2007 - President of the Development Bank of American Samoa Utu Abe Malae, who was offered the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) position at the LBJ Medical Center earlier this month, will stay on as DBAS president as a deal between him an the semi-autonomous agency was never finalized.
Instead, the LBJ board has selected chief financial officer (CFO) Patricia Elly Tindall as the new hospital CEO.
Tindall was the acting CEO at the LBJ Hospital since former CEO Kirk Gray’s contract was terminated several weeks ago.
Negotiations between Utu and the LBJ were reported to have been in the works but in the end, Utu said that nothing was finalized as “we, the bank board of directors included, offered to loan my services to the hospital on a 90:10 basis, meaning that the LBJ pays for 90% of my salary and DBAS, 10%,” explained Utu.
“Apparently the LBJ board wanted me there “110%” and I don’t blame them because of all the problems they are facing,” he continued.
Utu said that the LBJ Hospital “could have gotten 90% of me rather than 0% but there is a potential symbiotic relationship between the bank and the hospital that can benefit both. I multi-task and delegate to the individuals best able to handle a work assignment.”
Utu served as the CEO for the LBJ Medical Center from November 1995 to January 1997. During that time, he enforced key policies and practices like emphasizing the role of doctors and nurses in the delivery of health care (there was a smaller administrative staff then), including training and continued education.
He also implemented a high degree of accountability and sense of urgency from the workforce that resulted in, for example, improvements in Medicare reimbursements.
In addition, Utu built the Emergency Room; relocated Vital Statistics away from the LBJ; installed the oxygen generation system and the telemedicine system:
and ensured that accounts payable was current.
So what does he think are the main things that should take place at the LBJ right NOW, as far as management is concerned, in order to smooth things out at the territory’s only hospital?
Utu responded: “Concentrate on the delivery of health care by cleaning up the personnel and organizational issues that are taking up precious time.”
“Of course, you need a keen understanding of organizations and strong leadership to implement these things,” he concluded.
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