AS CONSTRUCTION for the new Guam Regional Medical City continues, GRMC President and CEO Margaret Bengzon continues to reach out to community organizations.
At the Guam Medical Association meeting held last night at the Hyatt Regency, Bengzon addressed Guam’s medical professional community, including new Guam Memorial Hospital Administrator Joseph Verga.
Bengzon assured Guam’s medical professionals that the building of the new hospital would be a cooperative effort between GRMC, GMH, and the various medical service providers. GRMC is scheduled to open its doors in 2014 and will be located in Dededo at the intersection of Routes 1 and 3.
“It should be a process of complementation, rather than competition,” Bengzon stated. “It’s a situation of the rising tide raising all the ships.”
For his part, Verga said he’s looking forward to working with Bengzon and her group to form strategic alliances. “There’s a lot of ways for us to work together for the benefit of the people of Guam,” Verga said.
Though both hospitals agreed to cooperate for the benefit of health care on Guam, Bengzon admits it has not yet been determined how the costs at GRMC will compare with that of GMH. GRMC will be accepting Medicare and MIP but the new hospital will not offer psychiatric services.
GRMC, a branch of the Medical City in Manila, is focused on providing medical services for which several patients now must travel off-island to receive.
Bengzon also spoke with several other community groups such as the Rotary Club of Northern Guam, Guam Community College, Department of Public Health, and the Guam Veterans’ Association.
In addition to working with GRMC, Verga also spoke about plans being developed for GMH.
“I’ve already started on a strategic plan for the hospital. We will be focusing more on financial stability, quality and safety,” Verga told the GMA members. The specifics of the plan will not be released until they are reviewed and discussed with the GMH board of trustees.
