STAND. COM. REP. NO. 23

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Second Special Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, and 62, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation West Hawai‘i Regional Board

 

G.M. No. 53

ALISTAIR WILLIAM BAIROS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2009;

 

G.M. No. 54

BARRY BLUM,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010;

 

G.M. No. 55

JOHN D. CORNILLEZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2009;

 

G.M. No. 56

JAMES W. HIGGINS,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010;

 

G.M. No. 57

DAVID BRUCE MAKALIU KAAPU,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010;

 

G.M. No. 58

BRUCE MAKAREWICZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2009;

 

G.M. No. 59

RICHARD M. MCDOWELL, M.D.,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010;

 

G.M. No. 60

LEON PASKER,

for a term to expire 6-30-2009;

 

G.M. No. 61

RICHARD J. TAAFFE,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010; and

 

G.M. No. 62

ELIZABETH HEIMAN ZAGORODNEY,

for a term to expire 6-30-2010,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal statements, histories and resumes submitted by the nominees, and finds Dr. Alistair William Bairos, Dr. Barry Blum, John D. Cornillez, James W. Higgins, David Bruce Makaliu Kaapu, Bruce Makarewicz, Dr. Richard M. McDowell, Leon Pasker, Richard J. Taaffe, and Elizabeth Heiman Zagorodney to have the necessary qualifications to be nominated to the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation West Hawaii Regional Board.

 

     Testimony in support of Dr. Alistair Bairos's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Dr. Bairos is a resident of Kealakekua, Hawaii.  He received his medical degree from Dalhousie University School of Medicine, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1977 and completed his surgical residency at San Joaquin County Hospital in Stockton, California in 1985.  Dr. Bairos currently is a general surgeon in private practice in Hawaii and is an active staff member of Kona Community Hospital and North Hawaii Community Hospital.  Dr. Bairos's experience and education will enable him to be a valuable asset to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony in support of Dr. Barry Blum's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Dr. Blum is a resident of Kealakekua, Hawaii.  He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in 1965 and completed his orthopedic surgical residency at Stanford Medical Center in 1971.  Dr. Blum is an orthopedic surgeon and currently serves as the Medical Director at Kona Community Hospital and has been affiliated with the hospital since 1988.  He has published several scholarly articles and is active in the community.  Dr. Blum's education, experience, and community dedication will enable him to serve as a valuable asset to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony in support of John D. Cornillez's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Mr. Cornillez is a resident of Kapaau, Hawaii.  He received his bachelor's degree in Business Management from Brigham Young University in Hawaii in 1985 and served the Hawaii Army National Guard from 1985 to 1995.  He is a Registered Financial Consultant and owns the independent insurance broker firm, The Cornillez Group LLC.  Mr. Cornillez's knowledge and expertise will allow him to be a valuable member of the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, representing the North Kohala community.

 

     Testimony is support of James W. Higgins's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Mr. Higgins is a resident of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii and a Punahou graduate.  He received his Bachelor of Science in Economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania-Wharton School of Finance and Commerce in 1964.  He was also an officer in the U.S. Navy and served from 1964 to 1967.  Mr. Higgins currently serves as the chairman of the Kona Hospital Foundation.  Prior to his retirement, he worked as a Branch Manager-Financial Consultant with Smith Barney.  Mr. Higgins's knowledge and expertise will allow him to be a valuable member of the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony is support of David Bruce Makaliu Kaapu's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Mr. Kaapu is a resident of Kailua-Kona and an attorney specializing in quiet title, business law, and general litigation.  He has worked in the West Hawaii community for more than seventeen years and is committed to resolving many of the healthcare related challenges facing the State.  He has also served on the YMCA Corporate Board of Directors Hawaii Islands, is currently serving as Director of Friends of NELHA and the Agriculture Leadership Foundation of Hawaii.  Mr. Kaapu's experience and community dedication will allow him to be a valuable asset to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony is support of Bruce Makarewicz's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Mr. Makarewicz is a resident of Kailua-Kona.  He is the owner of Advanced Drug Testing Services, LLC, and currently serves as President on the Board of the West Hawaii Community Health Center.  He has served on many community boards and has a strong work history in clinical labs and drug testing labs.  Mr. Makarewicz brings valuable work experience coupled with board services that will greatly benefit the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony is support of Dr. Richard M. McDowell's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by two individuals.

 

     Dr. McDowell is a resident of Holualoa, Hawaii.  He received his medical degree from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1975.  Currently, Dr. McDowell serves as Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Kona Community Hospital and is Medical Director of the West Hawaii Fire Department Paramedics.  He has published several scholarly articles and asked to give numerous lectures relating to emergency medicine and quality health care management.  Dr. McDowell has a keen understanding of the challenges facing the West Hawaii healthcare system and has been very involved in bringing necessary change and improvement to West Hawaii.  Dr. McDowell's experience, knowledge, insight, and community dedication make him a valuable addition to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony is support of Leon Pasker's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by one individual.

 

     Mr. Pasker is a resident of Kailua-Kona.  He is an active practicing litigation attorney with Lacy & Jackson, LLC, specializing in business law, contracts, trust, probate, estate, landlord tenant, real estate, and other civil financial law.  He currently serves as Director for Bridge House, a non-profit in-patient rehabilitation facility for dual diagnosed recovering clients.  Prior to moving to Hawaii, he worked as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor, litigating cases on behalf of the agencies within the department.  Mr. Pasker's vast legal experience and knowledge, coupled with his dedication to the healthcare community will enable him to be a valuable asset to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     Testimony is support of Richard J. Taaffe's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by the Hawaii Primary Care Association and two individuals.

 

     Mr. Taaffe is a resident of Kailua-Kona.  He currently serves as the Executive Director of West Hawaii Community Health Center.  His prior experience includes serving as CEO of La Familia Medical Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where successfully managed a multitude of issues from increasing cash reserves and overseeing a $10 million budget to secure federal, state, and local appropriations.  Mr. Taaffe has extensive experience with many of the challenges surrounding medical systems and is committed to improving the healthcare system in Hawaii.  Mr. Taaffe's membership on the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation will greatly benefit the West Hawaii community.

 

     Testimony is support of Elizabeth Heiman Zagorodney's nomination to the West Hawaii Regional Board was submitted by one individual.

 

     Ms. Zagorodney is a resident of Kailua-Kona.  She currently serves as Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, West Hawaii office.  Through her current position she has become acutely aware of the challenges facing West Hawaii's healthcare community.  In addition, she has vast experience with the Asian market which has enabled her to become well acquainted with the numerous cultural and ethnic diversity issues in Hawaii.  Ms. Zagorodney's experience and dedication to the healthcare community will enable her to be a valuable asset to the West Hawaii Regional Board of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committee on Health that are attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominees, has found the nominees to be qualified for the positions to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nominations.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Health,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair