Medical school proposed on Saipan

Retired Philippine ambassador and former Consul General to the CNMI Julia Heidemann yesterday led a Filipino-American business group that proposes to build a medical school on Saipan, using the La Fiesta complex in San Roque as venue.

“This is a multi-million project,” said Heidemann, while noting that her trip back to the Commonwealth is private in nature, being a retired government diplomat.

Heidemann, who serves as consultant to the group, Loyola Medical College Foundation, had served as the Philippines’ Consul General in the CNMI for six years ending in 2003.

The investors, led by LMC Foundation board chair Johnny Y. Fong M.D., his wife, Grace Lim Fong M.D., and business associate Gerardo A. Borromeo, as well as Heidemann couple Richard and Julia, first met with Gov. Juan N. Babauta yesterday morning, then paid a courtesy call on the Senate.

In the afternoon, the investors, joined by Babauta, met with the State Board of Regents at Northern Marianas College to further discuss the project.

The BoR is the regulatory authority on all postsecondary programs in the CNMI.

Governor legal counsel Steve Newman described the Fongs’ business proposal as “very promising.”

Under the plan, the proposed medical school would be offering degree programs in nursing and dentistry. At the same time, the school would be offering training courses for doctors and nurses as well as dental practitioners. LMCF, local authorities said, operates one college in the Philippines and has an affiliate college in California.

Senate legal counsel Michael Ernest said that the Fongs—who are U.S. educated and trained pediatricians—had wanted to focus the business in the U.S. mainland but considered the CNMI after meeting with the Heidemanns.

“They were going to put it up in the mainland but she [Heidemann] is a wonderful asset for the CNMI,” said Ernest.

“It’s a good sign for 2005. We welcome investments in the CNMI,” said Senate President Joaquin G. Adriano, who was expected to issue a letter of support for the project yesterday for submission to the BoR.

Last year, another group of Filipino-American investors, represented by Sedy Demesa, vice president of U.S.-based PleasantCare entered into a business plan with NMC.

PleasantCare, which operates at least 50 nursing homes in California and Texas, wants to offer nursing and nursing assistant programs with NMC at the La Fiesta complex.

La Fiesta is now owned by the Governor’s Office following a recent turnover of ownership from NMC to the Executive Branch.

NMC had acquired the complex in August 2003 from Hotel Nikko Saipan and Guam-based Cocos Lagoon Development Corp.

The college had used a $3.5 million federal grant as initial deposit for the $7.5 million shopping complex.

NMC had planned to convert the complex into a campus to cater to international students under its failed Pacific Gateway project.

The financially distressed college eventually stopped the plan after getting warnings from accreditation commissions.