Building industry Magazine - September 2014 - (Page 42)

Guam's Medical Construction Picks up Pace New and improved healthcare facilities aim to better serve residents as well as the thousands of Marines being relocated to the island BY MAR-VIC CAGURAGAN T he $250 million Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) project in Dededo is among several healthcare medical facilities under construction on Guam. For years the lack of medical care and specialty medicine has sent patients off-island to facilities in Hawaii, California and the Philippines. The GRMC, currently the biggest civilian project on the island, is set for completion in October. "A construction project of this magnitude faces challenges in meeting this deadline on a daily basis," says Carlos Pangelinan, spokesman for GRMC. "While we do our best to manage these challenges, there are other aspects of the project that will allow the construction phase to catch up and be on track to finish by next year." The medical community and health industry stakeholders have sought to minimize the need for Guam patients to leave the island and seek medical care offshore. The goal also is to have 42 | BUILDING INDUSTRY HAWAII | SEPTEMBER 2014 the medical facilities on Guam when 5,000 Marines and their dependents relocate from Okinawa. The military aims to meet this increased need with the recent opening of the replacement Naval Hospital in Agana Heights. Guam Memorial Hospital (GMH), the only existing civilian hospital run by the government of Guam, has completed renovations of some of its divisions, with other projects in the pipeline. Privately owned primary and specialty clinics are also in the process of expanding, along with projects that are currently under construction. GMH currently has a 158-bed capacity, and officials say that is about 275 beds under the World Health Organization's (WHO) standard bedpopulation ratio of 1:500, based on the population served. Once the new private hospital is up and running, however, GMH and the Medical City will have more than 250 beds combined to serve Guam's population of 170,000, as well as patients from neighboring islands. The GMRC, a 130-bed facility, is expected to see its first patient in October, "unless construction is delayed," Pangelinan says. "There are challenges every day. They mostly have to do with logistical issues and with multinational parties involved in overseeing and working on the construction project itself. Recent weather conditions are also having an impact." The Guam Economic Development Authority (GEDA) board of directors last year agreed to award a qualifying certificate (QC) to the Medical City, guaranteeing a 75 percent corporate income tax rebate over 20 years. "We are waiting on GEDA's instructions for signature of the document once the language review is complete," Pangelinan says. Based on GEDA's estimates, the new hospital will generate $420 million

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Building industry Magazine - September 2014

KAUAI CONSTRUCTION: SLOW RISE BUILDING
HAWAII STEEL ALLIANCE RESOURCE DIRECTORY
MEDICAL CONSTRUCTION ON GUAM
ENVIRONMENT VS. CONSTRUCTION
INTERVIEW WITH BERT KOBAYASHI SR.
News Beat
Datebook
Contracts Awarded
Low Bids
Concept To Completion: Kaunakakai Harbor
Spotlight On Success: Hilton Hokulani
News Makers
New Products
Faces: 2014 Plumbing Expo
Best Practices

Building industry Magazine - September 2014