Photo By Petty Officer 3rd Class Ethan Lambert | FALEOLO, Samoa (Oct. 27, 2025) - Lt. Sherry Sandri performs a vision screening on a...... read more read more
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APIA, Samoa – Faleolo District Hospital in Apia, Samoa, welcomes members of the Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP25) medical and engineering teams for a side-by-side exchange and collaborative engagement Oct. 27, strengthening Samoa’s capacity in health care delivery and infrastructure support.
During this mission, U.S. Navy medical and partner nation personnel worked alongside Samoan doctors, nurses, and engineers to provide some direct care services while focusing on building local medical capacity and expertise through side-by-side exchanges, community education, and collaborative projects. The teams shared knowledge in areas such as emergency and disaster management, wound care, and obstetrics, while engineers supported ongoing hospital maintenance and electrical improvements as part of Pacific Partnership’s broader effort to strengthen local resilience and disaster response capabilities.
Principal Nurse Officer Filifilia Fauo’o-Su’a expressed appreciation for the collaborative effort and the professional exchange that took place throughout the week.
We are grateful for the extra hands and the chance to share our workload,” said Fauo’o-Su’a. “Working with the Pacific Partnership team has been a big help in education, knowledge, and skills, especially in community health care and wound care management. We plan to apply what we’ve learned to strengthen our emergency and disaster response capabilities.”
Fauo’o-Su’a explained that Faleolo District Hospital recently merged with Leulimoega Hospital, now serving a combined population of about 30,000 to 38,000 people. She added that partnerships like Pacific Partnership help bridge resources and improve patient care delivery across the region.
Registered Nurse and Midwife Sharon Talalelei, who participated in obstetric and maternal health exchanges, said the experience was invaluable for future emergency preparedness and hands-on patient care.
This partnership is very important for Samoa, especially in preparing for future public health emergencies,” said Talalelei.
“Today, we had the opportunity to perform first prenatal assessments and practice using fetal heart rate monitors, experiences that will strengthen how we care for our patients. If I could describe Pacific Partnership in one word, it would be ‘blessing.’”
Mission Commander Commodore Mark B. Stefanik, U.S. Navy, commander of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 31, emphasized the value of working alongside Samoan professionals.
“Pacific Partnership is about building enduring relationships through shared experiences,” said Stefanik. “Working with Samoa’s dedicated medical and engineering teams reflects our collective commitment to improving regional resilience and ensuring that communities are better prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Pacific Partnership, now in its 21st iteration, is the U.S. Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Each year, the mission works alongside partner nations to strengthen relationships, bolster host-nation capacity, and support efforts to reduce the risk of, prepare for, and respond to disasters.
For more information on Pacific Partnership visit http://www.clwp.navy.mil/Pacific-Partnership.
| Date Taken: | 10.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2025 22:48 |
| Story ID: | 550729 |
| Location: | APIA, WS |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Team Participates in Samoa Disaster Response Seminar, by ENS Alexis VanBuren, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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