AFTER 25 years as the physician-director of the Skilled Nursing Unit in Barrigada Heights, Dr. John Steele was terminated earlier this month, but he believes his termination has nothing to do with his performance as the director.
“I think my termination was to save money, and though I would have liked to continue, I understand the current fiscal crisis of the government and hospital,” Steele wrote in an email to the Variety.
Steele was terminated after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid conducted a survey of the SNU.
Rey Vega, Guam Memorial Hospital interim administrator, confirmed with Variety that Steele was terminated earlier this month but declined to comment on the details of his termination. Because Steele’s termination is a “personnel” matter, Vega said he could not discuss the reason for firing Steele.
Steele said he enjoyed his time at the SNU. “Together with a fine staff which was like my family, we provided convalescence and rehabilitation which was appreciated by many,” he said.
Now that he’s been relieved of his duties at the SNU, Steele said he will focus on his neurological research, which has been his passion for the last 30 years.
Comments
My advice would be Saudi Arabia. The price of oil has been going up, the Saudis will collect more money than they can spend. The Saudis are always looking for doctors, and pay three times what doctor positions pay in the U.S. From what I have head, they have a relatively short time to "vesting".
You could work in Saudi for 5 or 10 years or however long it takes to get vested, then retire out of Saudi. You'd come home filthy rich, and quadruple-retired with pensions from four different countries. That has got to be a record for cross-country double dipping.
Sincerely,
Phil Dauterman
Dr. Steele is in his late 70s at present, and most people retire by that age. Dr. Steele may get multiple retirements.
Dr. Steele came to Guam from Canada in 1987. He was in his early 50s when he came, at that age almost certainly "vested" in Canada's retirement system. When hecame to Guam, GovGuam was still using the old retirement system. He has done some side-work outside of SNU that almost certainly paid into the US mainland Social Security sysem.
Thus, Dr. Steele could in effect receive retirment from three countries - Canada, the U.S. and Guam. This has got to be a record for cross-country double dipping.
None of the countries involved compare notes on their pensions. Thus, Dr. Steele probably does not have to pay Canada income tax on his U.S. and Guam pensions. He probably does not have to pay U.S. income tax on his Guam and Canada pensions.
Sincerely,
Phil Dauterman
I was there for 4-5 months a couple of years ago. I only saw Dr. Steele in the hospital ward 1-2 times in all those months. When I asked to see him, the nurses would say that he had gone for the day or was off island or they would give him my message. His right hand nurse a Ja*on Go*um was also hard to find. Even the nurses laughed if you needed one of thise two guys.
The nurses run the place, no emergency, no operating rooms, just folks waiiting in bed to get well or die, so it is not exactly brain surgery going on up there. More like a nursing home.
The nurses mainly change your bedding, give you meds and sometimes a bath. Dr Steele had a good thing going, salary in the 6 figure range and who knows what other bennies ?.....
There was a Charge Nurse from Germany that seemed to be the person in authority and she got things done but was getting frustrated all the time. Better stay than Gulag Memorial, quieter, not much activity, just lay there and wait to heal or pass away. Dr. Steele loved to throw ice cream and pizza parties for the patients and he was an amateur ventroliquist and had fun doing that stuff. Not surprised he is gone.....
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