Surrounded by parents and dozens of children he delivered over the past 22 years, Dr. Thomas Shieh broke ground on Saturday commencing the construction of his new medical facility in Tamuning that will be his permanent clinic.
“The standard of care for women is getting higher and higher,” Shieh said. “In order for me to provide the high standard of care I want for my patients I need to build my own clinic to make sure that the space is good enough for my use, for my patients and staff.”
Shieh, a native of Hawaii, has been a practicing OB-GYN on Guam for 22 years, is currently holding clinic at a building on Chalan San Antonio in Tamuning. He currently has 10 employees.
Designed by Setiadi Architects, the new clinic will rise on Carlos Camacho Road, across Shirley’s Coffee Shop, next to Paradise Smiles Dental Clinic, within the medical zone in Tamuning. The project is expected to be completed in August 2019.
Shieh said the new facility is designed to accommodate high technology equipment he will bring into Guam. “The only way I can do it is to build it where I want it and to make sure that my patients are taken care of,” he said.
He declined to disclose the project’s cost. “It’s multimillion, that’s all I can say,” he said.
Shieh said the new clinic will have one of the world’s best ultrasound systems for maternal fetal diagnostics and the world’s best 4D images. “Early detection of fetal birth defects and other high-risk conditions are extremely important for our management,” he said in press release. “Additionally, we will continue to emphasis on the cure for cancer and that cure is early detection to which we will continue to enhance.”
Noting the critical need for sub-specialists on Guam, Shieh said his clinic will enhance its network of specialists to include maternal fetal medicine,. "In the years to come we hope to expand our rotating specialists to infertility, and gynecological oncology," he added.
The medical facility, which has 9,000 sq. feet of space, is being built by 5M Construction Corp. The first floor patient waiting area will be welcoming with a touch of aloha spirit of natural koa wood tone from Hawaii to Guam in a setting that is friendly to families. The clinical arena inside will comprise of five oversized private exam rooms with a centralized nurses’ station.
Each exam room will be equipped with the latest climate control system for the comfort of the patient to include one non-stress test room for maternal fetal health. Each exam room will have the top of the line medical equipment to include the best power examination beds, and sound system to increase patient comfort during their clinical visits.
The second floor will have a comfortable conference room for planning our community service project such as medical missions, bone marrow drives, along with telemedicine capability for team discussions on the more challenging medical cases that requires a team approach to care of the patient.
There is also a multi-purpose open area to allow continuing medical, nurses and patient education on diabetes, cancer, women’s health screening, and maternal fetal classes. There will also be a self-sufficient medical library system that will also allow patients to have access and check our medical books to enhance patient’s knowledge of obstetrics & gynecological health.
Shieh came to Guam with his wife and two daughters from Hawaii with the U.S. Navy in 1996. He has since delivered 8,800 babies on Guam, which he said has become his permanent home for his medical practice.