Walter Panzirer, Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust trustee, center, poses for a photo with Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, third right, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, second right, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna, third left, CHCC Board of Trustees Chair Juan N. Babauta, right, and two CHCC physicians during the announcement of a $6.4 million philanthropic grant for CHCC on Monday.
GOVERNOR Arnold I. Palacios, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero and Saipan Mayor Ramon Blas “RB” Camacho on Monday joined Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. officials in thanking the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which announced a $6.4 million philanthropic grant for CHCC.
The funds will be used to purchase a magnetic resonance imaging or MRI machine, portable X-ray units, and portable ultrasound equipment for Tinian Health Center.
CHCC Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said it is the largest amount of philanthropic funds that they have received in support of healthcare in the Commonwealth. The last one was $1 million from an anonymous donor, she added.
Helmsley Trustee Walter Panzirer made the announcement in the presence of CNMI officials at 1 p.m. in the CHCC parking lot.
“There’s not a lot I can say that could be meaningful but, simply, on behalf of the people of the Commonwealth, thank you very much for this much needed assistance and thank you for your partnership,” the governor told Panzirer.
“It is indeed a beautiful day,” he added. He thanked Helmsley for coming to the CNMI. “Our hospital here on Saipan and health center on Tinian are in dire need,” he said.
Muna said, “I stand before you all with tremendous gratitude to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. Today is nothing short of momentous.”
Last summer, she said, she and other CHCC officials met with Panzirer, who visited CHCC and heard about the challenges that the hospital faces. One of these challenges, she said, is the lack of MRI.
She said hundreds of CNMI patients have to travel off-island for a healthcare service that most people in the U.S. can access in their own communities.
She said those who can go off-island for medical care have to leave behind their families, their support systems and even their jobs. Thanks to the Helmsley grant, she said, state-of-the-art diagnostic care will now be available on island.
Muna said having an MRI on island will improve CHCC’s ability to diagnose and monitor various medical conditions, including but not limited to neurological disorders, muscular and skeletal issues, and cardiovascular disease.
For their part, patients on Tinian will be able to access X-ray and ultrasound services at a clinic close to their homes, Muna said.
CHCC Board Chair Juan N. Babauta thanked Panzirer and the Helmsley trust “for such a generous donation, which is going to have a lasting positive impact on the way we deliver healthcare in the CNMI.”
In an interview, Babauta said the philanthropic grant will reduce the cost of delivering healthcare in the CNMI, and help improve the health of the people.
Medical referral patient Joseph Tudela, who was a special guest at the grant announcement, said he had to travel off-island for MRI. He said he had to spend between $2,000 and $3,000 just to go off-island, and had to use his personal leave at his workplace.
Having an MRI here would save him a lot of time and money, he said as he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Helmsley Trust.
Panzirer said that over the last 15 years, Helmsley has funded more than $700 million in healthcare programs across eight states in the Midwest and western parts of the U.S. mainland.
Last year, he said, he heard about the challenges in the CNMI. He and his staff visited the Commonwealth to explore and learn about its healthcare challenges.
“And we saw those healthcare challenges firsthand,” he said. “We heard about the challenges and about the people having to travel to Guam for healthcare diagnostics and higher levels of care, and even farther, even all the way to Hawaii. A lot of that is significant cost not only to insurance companies and Medicaid, but it’s huge out-of-pocket expenses for individuals, making it a huge challenge for families to receive needed healthcare,” Panzirer said.
“So when we got back [to the U.S.], that is when I made the decision with the other trustees to include the Marianas…into our…healthcare portfolio. That is the historic announcement. We have expanded to two U.S territories,” he said, adding that two weeks ago, he was in American Samoa to announce some grants for the territory.
“Today, I’m so happy to be announcing our expansion here on Saipan. And with that comes a great grant. I’m so excited to announce a $6.4 million grant here to the hospital to provide the first-ever MRI on island,” he said.
He said they also visited Tinian and saw the challenges there. Tinian, will receive a portable X-ray and portable ultrasound equipment “because it so important for people to get care locally.”
He noted that Tinian is only a five-minute flight away, but it’s still a huge challenge for the people there to travel to Saipan for basic diagnostic needs.
Now, he said, Tinian patients can have the latest equipment they need “because I firmly believe and it’s what I always say: It does not matter where you live. It does not matter what your zip code is. Your zip code should not determine your healthcare outcomes. But it does and Helmsley Charitable Trust will change that. And we have been changing that on the mainland and we will be changing that here as well. With this new commitment to the central Mariana Islands, that also means we are partners. We are going to be here for a while. We have not pulled out of any states that we’ve been in before. So this is the beginning of a partnership.”
