The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust announced today $3.2 million in grants to provide an MRI machine, portable X-ray capabilities, and portable ultrasound equipment to Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center (LBJTMC) and Department of Health Community Health Centers (ASCHC).
These grants are the first major philanthropic funds in support of healthcare in American Samoa.
“American Samoa was a key strategic asset in the South Pacific for our country during World War II, but since then, the people here have not received the same access to care as mainland Americans,” said Walter Panzirer, Trustee at the Helmsley Charitable Trust.
“The doctors, nurses, and staff at Lyndon Johnson Tropical Medical Center and American Samoa Community Health Centers provide the best care they can, given their limited resources, but they don’t have the equipment that they need.
“Augmenting the islands’ health facilities with better diagnostic resources, like MRI machines, will elevate the quality of healthcare available to American Samoans,” he added.
“A core part of Helmsley’s grantmaking has been to ensure that Americans in remote parts of the Upper Midwest and Mountain states have access to quality healthcare close to home—and now we hope to do the same for the people in some of the most remote and beautiful American territories with these grants.”
A press release from the Helmsley Charitable Trust said the government of American Samoa spends millions of dollars each year to send residents off-island for medical care, and MRI exams are just one example of the need for more healthcare resources on American Samoa.
In 2023, 77 patients in American Samoa were approved to receive MRI exams off-island.
LBJTMC supported 34 of those patients in their travels, with airfare costs totaling $63,000. Once off-island, patients pay for MRI and other medical services themselves. Another 22 of the 77 patients were able to go off-island with financial support from Medicaid and other health organizations, but 21 people did not travel because they could not afford the cost of MRI and related medical expenses.
The hospital anticipates it will perform 2,500 MRI studies per year.
In addition to purchasing MRIs, one of the grants will increase access to other basic medical resources at the Department of Health community health centers.
Currently, radiology services are not available at all ASCHC clinical sites, and many patients who require X-ray or ultrasound studies are referred to LBJTMC. The grant will purchase portable chest X-rays and ultrasound machines for the health centers, enhancing access to critical healthcare technology and significantly decreasing the number of patients who are referred to the main hospital or transported by plane to another island.
CEO of LBJ Hospital, Dr. Akapusi Ledua said, “Many of our patients are going off-island for orthopedic issues and other medical conditions because we simply do not have the resources to confirm their diagnosis and provide follow-up.
“These grants are incredibly impactful for the people of American Samoa because they will allow our patients to get treated closer to home without having to leave their families and jobs behind to receive care.”
Dr. Elizabeth Lauvao, Medical Director at the Department of Health said, “Many people in American Samoa, particularly those in the most remote communities, depend
on our network of community health centers for care, yet many of our facilities lack access to modern medical technology.
“This grant from Helmsley is transformative, as it will enable our clinics to offer higher quality care closer to home, reducing the need for residents to travel long distances for basic medical care.”
