Posted on: Monday, October 21, 2002

EDITORIAL
Emergency services audit does critical job

It's easy to toss aside yet another "scathing" report by state Auditor Marion Higa. This time, she's faulting the state agency that oversees ambulance services for gross fiscal and personnel mismanagement.

We're just relieved that someone in the state is digging into how public money is spent and how contracts are awarded and administered.

Ideally, Higa's audits also light a fire under the department heads to clean house.

In this case, Higa faults the Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System branch for failing to account for more than $30 million worth of contracts.

As a result, the audit says, "state funds are being used inappropriately and the agency is unable to determine whether emergency medical services are delivered effectively or efficiently."

Moreover, Higa says, poor personnel management has fostered a dysfunctional and hostile work environment. Apparently, if the audit is to be believed, one "unprofessional" staff member has intimidated co-workers. The tense atmosphere has contributed to abuse of employee leave and low staff morale.

Now, this is an agency with a critical mission. It's designed to reduce medical emergency deaths, injuries and long-term disability through a fully integrated cohesive network and to ensure access to emergency services regardless of the consumers' ability to pay.

Sloppy management can have a detrimental effect on these important services.

So we're glad that state Health Director Bruce Anderson is addressing some of the problems. For example, he had mediators from the University of Hawai'i's Program for Conflict Resolution work with the staff, which has completed an anger-management program.

But Anderson also claims that none of the complaints have affected ambulance service to victims of emergencies. How can we know that when there's no telling how millions of public dollars have been spent?

Even if it's just a case of poor documentation, as Anderson says, the agency obviously needs to better manage and record its contracts.

This is far more than a matter of proper bookkeeping. In an era where every public dollar is precious and hard-fought over, no agency or service can afford to let a single penny go unaccounted for.