Peter Alecxis Ada, of the medical referral office, said Los Angeles-based thoracic heart surgeon Dr. Kathy Magliato will begin practicing here as early as next month.
Ada said without a licensed heart specialist, many Guam residents seeking treatment had no choice but to travel off-island to receive vital procedures.
However, many patients could not afford the high costs associated with traveling to the Philippines, Hawaii or mainland United States for treatment. Even with the help of the island’s medical referral office, many patients continued to have no access to the vital procedures necessary to cure their disease.
“This gives people other options,” Ada said, referring to Magliato’s arrival. “This will cut down the number of off-island referrals as well.”
Ada noted that having a specialist on island will help patients detect any disease early on. He said that often patients are not diagnosed until it is too late.
Patients are usually only left with one or two solid option for treatment, he said. Magliato’s presence will ensure that diagnosis happens early on, when the patient still has a plethora of treatment options to choose from.
Ada said the need for a heart surgeon on Guam is extremely high. He said the island currently does not have a heart specialist.
Ada said Magliato, who is already licensed by the Guam Medical Licensing Board, is expected to begin seeing patients at the island’s SDA clinic by April 12. Magliato also specializes in lung cancer, another area of high demand on Guam.
Ada said Magliato, along with two other heart surgeons, will travel to Saipan to meet with health officials. Ada said that Saipan does not have a heart surgeon either.
Drs. Manny Estioko and Michael Miranda will join the fact-finding mission, which Ada said will help health officials determine the healthcare needs of both islands.
The surgeons will also meet with officials at the Department of Public Health and Social Services to discuss the Medically Indigent Program on Guam.
Ada said the arrival of Magliato, who previously worked at LA’s St John’s Hospital, will benefit patients in Guam and Saipan by giving them much needed access to more affordable treatment options.
