HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — For roughly 50 years, Shriners Hospital has held outreach clinics on Guam, helping hundreds of children. In its sixth clinic at the Guam Regional Medical City, the off-island specialists are inundated with patients.
The team of specialists from Shriners Hospital in Honolulu began seeing Guam patients on Feb. 28. With the last day on Thursday, March 7, there’s a waitlist.
“During this visit, the Shriners Team is scheduled to see 36 to 40 established pediatric patients per day with orthopedic conditions, burns and spinal cord injuries. Additionally, due to the high volume of scheduled patients for the week, referrals for new patients will be placed on a waitlist. No surgeries will take place during this visit,” GRMC said in a press release.
The same thing happened the last time the Shriners clinic was on Guam, in October 2023. At that time, 40 to 50 patients were seen each day.
To get on the waitlist, parents or guardians of new patients will need to fill out an application that can be picked up at the Department of Public Health and Social Services Hagåtña location.
“Applications must include a copy of the child’s birth certificate, parent identification card and proof of legal guardianship, if applicable,” GRMC said in the release.
GRMC said it is working with Public Health, which provides direct support to the outreach clinic.
“Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Craig Ono will lead a team of four including Vena Joco, advanced practice registered nurse; Sandy Zukeran, outreach coordinator; Eric T., outreach coordinator; and Robin Miyamoto, clinical research coordinator. DPHSS will provide direct support under the leadership of Margarita Gay, RN, administrator for the Bureau of Family Health and Nursing Services,” the release said.
The entrance to the Guam Regional Medical City in Dededo is seen on Friday, March 1, 2024.
