Guam reiterates call for feds to invest in new medical facility on island

Lou Leon Guerrero

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero formally urged direct federal investment in Guam’s public healthcare infrastructure during remarks before Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, senior White House officials, and federal agency leadership at the 2026 Interagency Group on Insular Areas plenary session.

The remarks came on the heels of a high-level briefing at the Department of War, where Undersecretary of Defense Hung Cao and the governor reviewed current plans and timelines in support of a unified approach to the construction of the new medical complex.

Addressing DOI officials and interagency representatives responsible for insular affairs, the Governor renewed her call for capital funding to replace the aging Guam Memorial Hospital, emphasizing that island jurisdictions require infrastructure calibrated to geographic isolation and logistical complexity.

“Guam’s healthcare infrastructure must match the strategic importance of our island,” the governor stated before federal leadership. “We are not asking for temporary fixes; we are calling for modern systems that ensure continuity of care across the Pacific.”

The governor highlighted the pandemic as a turning point that exposed structural vulnerabilities and underscored the need for a durable federal partnership.

In addition to capital modernization, she called for federal support for enterprise Electronic Health Record funding, noting the collaborative development of a unified digital health framework that improves continuity of care.

Pacific jurisdictions do not have neighboring states to absorb medical surge capacity and face extended supply chain timelines that require advance planning and federal coordination. 

“Healthcare resilience in the Pacific is a national responsibility,” she said. “Federal systems must reflect the operational realities of island communities.”

The governor urged DOI and interagency leadership to align capital investment and health modernization efforts with Guam’s strategic role in the region, stating that sustainable healthcare infrastructure is foundational to emergency preparedness, economic stability, and long-term resilience. (Office of the Governor of Guam)

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