By Emmanuel T. Erediano
emmanuel@mvariety.com
Variety News Staff
GOVERNOR David M. Apatang on Monday issued an above-salary-cap certification proposing an annual salary of $104,000 for Keith Longuski to serve as a physician assistant at the Department of Corrections.
In a letter to Senate President Karl King-Nabors and House Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, the governor expressed strong and unequivocal support for Corrections’ urgent request to hire a physician assistant and compensate the position above the statutory salary cap. He respectfully asked the Legislature to act without delay.
The governor noted that Corrections is experiencing increasingly severe challenges in providing consistent and effective on-site medical care. A critical shortage of licensed medical providers willing to work at the correctional facility — combined with rising patient acuity and a growing inmate population — has placed the department under significant operational and legal strain.
According to Apatang, many inmates suffer from complex chronic illnesses, substance use disorders, serious mental health conditions, and age-related medical complications that require immediate and continuous clinical attention.
Without sufficient qualified medical staff, the governor said, Corrections faces heightened risks to life, safety, and constitutional compliance.
Apatang emphasized that the hiring of Longuski is not discretionary but an immediate necessity. As a licensed physician assistant, Longuski is qualified to conduct medical assessments, diagnose and treat conditions, prescribe medications, and manage both acute and chronic illnesses under physician supervision.
The presence of a licensed physician assistant at Corrections, the governor said, would substantially expand access to care, reduce dangerous delays in treatment, and provide critical support to existing medical staff and corrections officers. Failure to fill the position, he warned, would prolong service gaps and exacerbate existing risks.
The governor further explained that inadequate medical staffing directly threatens facility safety, increases medical emergencies, drives costly off-island medical transports, inflates staff overtime costs, and exposes the Commonwealth to serious legal liability.
He added that delays in medical evaluation and treatment undermine institutional stability and significantly increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes and litigation, stressing that the department must remain in compliance with constitutional standards of care and applicable court mandates.
Apatang said prompt legislative approval of the request is necessary to safeguard the health and safety of individuals in custody and to protect the Commonwealth.
Emmanuel “Arnold” Erediano has a bachelor of science degree in Journalism. He started his career as police beat reporter. Loves to cook. Eats death threats for breakfast.
