CHCC labs on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota keep federal CLIA certification, ensuring round-the-clock testing and patient safety
SAIPAN – The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation has maintained its federal Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certification for all three island laboratories in Saipan, Tinian, and Rota following a biennial CMS survey, securing uninterrupted diagnostic services across the CNMI. A biennial CMS survey is the every-two-years inspection required under federal CLIA rules to ensure labs meet national quality and patient-safety standards.
PSS moves to 64-hour workweek; no school Mondays starting Nov. 1 as FY2026 austerity begins
SAIPAN – In a memorandum released by PSS Commissioner of Education Lawrence F. Camacho, the Public School System announced it will shift to a 64-hour work schedule beginning Nov. 1, canceling all Monday classes and work until a revised FY2026 budget is approved. PSS has been operating since Oct. 1 under a $31.7 million local appropriation that Camacho described as insufficient to cover the real costs of operating 20 schools, serving more than 8,000 students, and employing nearly 1,500 staff. With a larger revision still under deliberation by the legislative and executive branches, the commissioner said the system must implement cost-cutting measures to stay within the set budget.
