Crisis seen in officials' quitting
By Ken Kobayashi
Advertiser Courts Writer
A key state health official who recently submitted his resignation received overwhelming support at a legislative hearing yesterday from members of Hawai'i's mental health community who want him to stay on the job.
Thomas Hester submitted his resignation, effective Friday, from his $303,000-a-year position as head of the Department of Health's Adult Mental Health Division, although he will be staying on longer to help in the transition.
Hester is one of three state health officials to resign recently. Alan Radke, medical director for the division, leaves his $210,000 job on Friday, and Paul Guggenheim, administrator for the State Hospital, resigned on June 17. Guggenheim's yearly salary was about $193,000.
The three helped the State Hospital emerge last year from federal supervision imposed on the health department as a result of a federal civil rights lawsuit.
The resignations prompted yesterday's hearing before the House Health Committee, whose chairman, Dennis Arakaki, D-30th (Moanalua, Kalihi Valley, 'Alewa), called the impact of the departures an "emergency."
"Just when we got the ship launched, we're losing a captain," he said.
Health officials are still under federal orders to come up with a plan to provide adequate treatment and services to Hawai'i's estimated 9,000 seriously mentally ill residents by next June 1.
Federal Magistrate Kevin Chang is expected to file an update report on the state's progress next month after he receives the findings of a three-member evaluation team of mental health professionals who visited here earlier this month.
In his last report in February, Chang said the state's progress was "slow and not remarkable." He warned state health officials not to rest on their accomplishments at the State Hospital.
Arakaki yesterday said he was somewhat surprised by the outpouring of support for Hester, but said he was sorry and disappointed state Department of Health Director Chiyome Fukino could not attend.
He read a letter from her in which she cited conflicting obligations and said she felt more comfortable talking about the issues herself rather than sending a staff member. Fukino also said she would be happy to meet with the committee after Chang submits his report.
Hester also did not appear and could not be reached for comment yesterday, but he told The Advertiser last week he was resigning because his lawyer told him a plan that evolved from discussions with state and federal lawyers and the evaluation team would take away his authority to complete the development of the community mental health plan.
He said he was "stunned."
"I did not choose to remain involved without having sufficient authority and involvement to finish the last remaining items of the community plan," he said.
More than 20 people, including representatives of groups that provide services and individuals who have mental illnesses, hailed Hester's work yesterday. They said he developed the community mental health plan as well as promoted a recovery model that gives the mentally ill a say in their treatment, a departure from past practices of professionals dictating to patients what to do.
Ken Wilson, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Hawai'i, said the departures are "particularly alarming." He said the department's adult mental health division is now "leaderless."
Ellen Awai said Hester had to overcome resistance from groups providing services as well as "staff indifference" in developing the recovery model.
She said Hester and the other two officials are considered top professionals in the mental health field in the country. "We're going to turn them down and send them back, and that's such an embarrassment to Hawai'i," she said.
The audience later urged the committee to find some way to keep Hester on the job, but Arakaki later said he's not sure what could be done, except to talk to Fukino and Hester and urge the department to reach a "reconciliation," assuming Hester would want to stay on.
Arakaki said he did not know the reasons for trying to keep Hester "out of the loop."
He said he plans to hold a follow-up informational hearing after the magistrate submits his report.
Reach Ken Kobayashi at 525-8030 or kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com
