Guam - New managers brings a new attitude to solving the problems at the Guam Memorial Hospital. The GMH board last night approved hospital administrator Joseph Verga's 2013 strategic plan.

"Many of these imitative are already in progress but I just needed formal board approval to formally kick it off and really kick it up so to speak. But we're all really looking forward to it," he said. Verga has issued his prescription to address the chronic problems at GMH. Outlined in his 2013 strategic plan approved by the hospital board last night it provides five strategies for success.

At the top of the list: achieving financial stability: the objective is to improve cash flow by improving hospital wide services and systems delivered and managed by properly led and staffed departments. According to Verga some of the reforms are already in place. "For example we're in the process of correcting the errors the pharmacy errors that we've found and of course the insurance carriers are looking at it and assessing it we're going back and forth so these things are going to take time to yield actual results," he said.

GMH is also planning to issue an RFP to collect $130 million in receivables, a big chunk of which is owed from self pay patients. Other objectives of the strategic plan include: developing a leadership team capable of properly leading, managing and holding accountable the staff that compromise the hospital's divisions and departments.

Goal number three to establish and sustain a culture of safety and quality for all patients, families employees, visitors, volunteers and contractors. According to Verga a recent visit by consultants and auditors from Medicare should show they are moving in the right direction. "They were very impressed and complimentary on many of the programs that we have in place here at the hospital they mentioned infection control in fact I'm waiting for a report and as soon as I get the report I plan on making it public," he said.

Objective number four: GMH commits to providing its dedicated staff with the training and education programs it will need to meet all pertinent standards, guidelines, rules, regulations, policies and procedures and finally: the hospital plans to assess immediate, intermediate and long term planning needs which includes not only maintaining its current facilities but also includes plans for a new hospital in the future.

Verga in the meantime is just asking for the public's patience so the plan can to take effect and allow the hospital to heal. "Everyone has to realize that there's really no magic bullet. There are no two things that we're going to do that's going to produce an instant or an immediate cash flow or injection of cash into the hospital this is process that will develop over time," he said.