The lyndon b. Johnson tropical medical center (LBJ) proposes the 'american samoa amputation prevention' (asap) program, and aims to address high rates of diabetic foot infections (dfis), diabetic foot…

The Lyndon B. Johnson Tropical Medical Center received a $366,000 Project Grant from the Department of the Interior's Office of Insular Affairs under the Economic, Social, and Political Development of the Territories program (CFDA 15.875) awarded on November 3, 2025. The American Samoa Amputation Prevention (ASAP) program will deliver comprehensive diabetic foot care services over a two-year period designed to reduce non-traumatic lower extremity amputations, diabetic foot infections, and diabetic foot ulcerations in American Samoa's diabetic population. Key deliverables include annual workforce training for clinical staff, implementation of advanced screening and diagnostic protocols, provision of comprehensive foot and wound care supplies, and integration with the CareVue electronic health record (EHR) system to enable enhanced patient outcome monitoring and early intervention capabilities.

The initiative will strengthen the medical center's institutional capacity in diabetic disease management while supporting broader administration priorities in health information technology system improvements, healthcare workforce development, and data collection infrastructure. By addressing a critical noncommunicable disease challenge identified in American Samoa's NCD Strategic Action Plan, the program is expected to improve clinical outcomes and reduce healthcare costs across the territory's sole acute care provider serving approximately 55,000 residents.

The lyndon b. Johnson tropical medical center (LBJ) proposes the 'american samoa amputation prevention' (asap) program, and aims to address high rates of diabetic foot infections (dfis), diabetic foot ulcerations (DFU) and prevent non-traumatic lower extremity amputations (leas) in american samoa's diabetic population. Over a two-year period, the initiative will strengthen workforce capacity through annual training, implement advanced screening and diagnostics, and provide comprehensive foot and wound care supplies. Utilizing the carevue EHR system, the program will enhance diabetic care management by monitoring patient outcomes and improving early intervention. This project aligns with american samoa's NCD strategic action plan and seeks to improve clinical outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs (american samoa government, 2023; hrsa, 2023). The project also includes top priorities of the administration through improving health IT systems, capacity building of the healthcare workforce and improved data gathering in a critical health initiative.