Pohnpei Public Information
September 11, 2026
Pei Lapalap, Pohnpei — Governor Stevenson A. Joseph, First Lady Dr. Helentina Garstang, Lieutenant Governor Herolyn S. Movick, and Chief of Staff Patterson K. Shed recently welcomed a delegation from Tripler Army Medical Center to Pohnpei State, including Colonel Brimson, Colonel Nguyen, Colonel Medendorp, Yu Wei Chang, and Mark Eble.
This engagement follows an earlier official visit by Governor Joseph and First Lady Dr. Garstang to Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, where they discussed continuing and strengthening medical referral pathways for Pohnpei residents.
The current visit represents a direct support implementation step resulting from Governor Joseph’s earlier visit to Tripler Army Medical Center, advancing the partnership into actionable operational support alongside the Pohnpei State Health team.
During their visit, the delegation met with Pohnpei State leadership, U.S. Embassy officials—including the Chargé d’Affaires—and local veterans’ representatives, such as Mr. Hainrick Panuelo, Director of FSM Veterans Affairs. Discussions centered on reinvigorating VA beneficiary care and expanding outreach for healthcare services across the state.
Key outcomes and focus areas from the visit include:
• Healthcare & Medical Program Reinvigoration: Delegation leaders and Governor Joseph outlined strategies to reintroduce active care programs to local physicians and hospital staff. Increasing patient consults and volume is critical to gathering data on local healthcare demands, which will support future resource allocations and program expansion in coordination with partner institutions like Tripler Army Medical Center. Following their official meeting with Governor Joseph, the Tripler team toured Pohnpei State Hospital and met with hospital officials and local specialists. During this visit, Pohnpei State Hospital specialists signed up for the Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) website, enabling local providers to now post cases—including military veterans—directly for consultation and referral.
• Veteran Care Coordination: Meetings with local veterans’ groups highlighted opportunities to better serve the region’s sizeable military veteran population. State and military officials discussed augmenting current services by coordinating with local Physicians.
• Patient Support & Logistics: The leadership addressed historical service delivery challenges, specifically patient housing support for medical referrals, with ongoing efforts underway to secure reliable accommodations for individuals receiving care abroad.
The delegation’s itinerary also coincided with local Liberation Day commemorations, marking the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II in Pohnpei and its 47th official celebration, where visiting officials observed community events and sports preparations.
The visit concluded with shared commitments to maintain close regional coordination, support local hospital infrastructure, and ensure high-quality healthcare and veteran services for the people of Pohnpei.
Leave a Reply