The 38th Guam Legislature convened on August 17, 2025, to discuss the fiscal challenges facing the Guamanara Hospital, particularly regarding the costs associated with travel nurses. A significant focus of the meeting was the hospital's outstanding payments and future budget projections for travel nursing services.

As of now, Guamanara Hospital owes approximately $4 million to travel nursing agencies for services rendered since October 2024. The hospital has been making payments under a plan of $150,000 every two weeks; however, they have struggled to meet this schedule consistently. The current monthly invoices from the travel nurse company amount to around $65,000, reflecting a decrease in the number of travel nurses employed compared to the previous fiscal year.

In fiscal year 2024, the hospital had a higher number of travel nurses, with rates reaching up to $115 per hour. This year, the rates have decreased, and the hospital is employing fewer nurses, which officials hope will help manage costs. Looking ahead, the budget for travel nurses in fiscal year 2026 is projected to remain at $4 million.

The meeting also addressed efforts to recruit more local nurses to reduce reliance on travel nurses. The hospital is implementing a graduate nurse recruitment incentive program, which offers stipends to new nurses upon completing their probation and after two years of service. Additionally, local nurses are being hired at a higher starting pay, beginning at step three of the pay scale, to attract more candidates.

The discussions highlighted the ongoing challenges in staffing and budget management at Guamanara Hospital, emphasizing the need for effective recruitment strategies to stabilize the nursing workforce and reduce costs associated with travel nursing.