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 Tony Krieg (CEO, Hale Makua), Herb Yim (HAH personal member) and Terri Fujii (Ernst & Young). |
Healthcare Association Annual Meeting and Board Retreat
The Healthcare Association held its annual general membership meeting on the morning of Nov. 15 at the Hawaii Prince Hotel. The meeting was attended by CEOs, Administrators, and Directors of the Association's regular members, as well as associate members, affiliate members, and personal members.
A retreat for HAH Board members followed in the afternoon.
The annual meeting began with a welcome by HAH President and CEO, Rich Meiers, followed by brief remarks by Board Chair Tom Driskill.
Helen Altonn, a veteran reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, was presented with the "Media Person of the Year" award in recognition of her excellence in reporting health care issues.
Lynn Nicholas, CEO of the American Diabetes Association, was the keynote speaker. She described the increasing incidence of diabetes nationally, which is now affecting more and more children.
It is particularly disturbing that Hawaii is experiencing diabetes rates that are much higher than the national average. However, Nicholas also spoke of how organizations can access resources that can help control and prevent diabetes.
State Rep. Josh Green, the Vice-Chair of the House Health Committee, shared his perspective on health care as an emergency room physician and his passion for the need to extend health care insurance coverage to more people.
He also chairs a legislative committee that is considering a single-payer system that would cover virtually all residents. His comments were tempered by an awareness that a single-payer system faces considerable opposition among various groups in the community.
Toby Clairmont, HAH's Emergency Program Manager, described his experiences as the leader of a DMAT team that went to Louisiana to treat victims of Hurricane Katrina. He showed slides that underscored the human suffering caused by this natural disaster, as well as many heroic efforts to help people.
Terri Fujii presented the latest version of the Ernst & Young study of the financial condition of Hawaii's hospitals and nursing homes.
The meeting ended with HAH staff member John Kawamoto presenting the legislative package that was recommended by the HAH Government Relations Committee, which was subsequently approved by a vote of members. The approved package is available on the HAH website at www.hah.org.
During the afternoon retreat, the HAH Board discussed various issues. The question of whether the HAH bylaws should be amended to include freestanding independent living facilities was discussed. The Board decided not to expand membership because of the concern that quality cannot be assured, as independent living facilities are not currently regulated.
The Board also discussed tort reform because it will likely be an issue in the upcoming legislative session. Workers compensation insurance, the concept of a regional health information corporation, and critical access hospitals also received attention.
The Healthcare Association would like to express its appreciation to HAH associate members AIG VALIC, Marsh USA, and MetLife Resources for underwriting a portion of the costs of the annual meeting and Board retreat.
Visit our Photo Gallery to view photos taken at the meeting.