Maui mayor Charmaine Tavares nominated seven people today for the Maui Health Initiative Task Force.
The newly created task force will determine the current and future health care needs of Maui County; develop an integrated plan for providing health care, including primary, acute, and long-term care, urgent and emergency care, and disaster preparedness; and determine an appropriate role for Maui County health care facilities within the statewide system of emergency and trauma care.
Maui County announced the nominations via news release yesterday.
The legislation creating the task force called for Mayor Tavares to appoint seven members by geographic region, and the Senate President and Speaker of the House to appoint four members each. The 15-member task force is charged with submitting a final report, including findings, recommendations, and any necessary proposed legislation, to the legislature, the Mayor, and the State Health Planning and Development Agency no later than 20 days prior to the convening of the 2008 legislative session.
Tavares' nominees, with information supplied by Maui County:
Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli (Molokai) – Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli is currently the Medical Director of External Affairs for Molokai General Hospital. He maintains a 50-year family medicine practice at the Molokai Family Health Center. He is an assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Health and Family Medicine and Community Health of the University of Hawaii, John A. Burns School of Medicine. Dr. Aluli is a founding member and past Board President of Na Puuwai, Inc., the Native Hawaiian Health Care System of the islands of Molokai and Lanai, and also a founding member of the Board of Native Hawaiian Physicians Association.
Rita Barreras (East Maui) – A resident of Huelo, Rita Barreras holds a Master's degree of Urban Affairs from the University of Colorado at Denver. She is currently the project director for the Maui Long Term Care Partnership. Ms. Barreras has held several positions with the Colorado Department of Human Services, including serving eight years as the Director of the Division of Aging and Adult Services. She previously was the project director for federally-funded human services research projects with the Colorado Office of State Planning and Budgeting, and served as a board member of Hospice of Metro Denver.
Gina Flammer (Upcountry Maui) – Gina Flammer was born in Honolulu and is currently the Vice-President of the Kula Community Association and Chair of the KCA Health and Safety Committee. She spent four years as a research analyst for the Institute for Health Policy Solutions, working with state legislatures, insurance commissioners, and the federal government on health care policy and financing issues. Ms. Flammer also served as a member of the Arlington County (Virginia) Health and Human Services Commission. She earned a Master's degree of Public Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and is a Certified Financial Planner.
May Fujiwara (West Maui) – Born in Honokahua, Maui and a retired vocational teacher, May Fujiwara is currently the West Maui Regional Representative of the Maui Long Term Care Partnership and is also a member of the Maui County Fire and Public Safety Commission. In addition, she serves as Executive Board member and Legislative Chair of the Planning & Coordinating Council for Maui Economic Opportunity. Ms. Fujiwara earned a Master's degree of Education from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She currently resides in Lahaina and is President of the Lahaina-Honolua Senior Citizens Club.
Hermine Harman (South Maui) – A resident of Kihei, Hermine Harman holds a Master's degree of Social Work from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a retired medical social worker, having spent seven years at Midway and Century City Hospitals in Los Angeles. She previously was a hospice director and consultant, directing one of the first hospice home care programs in Southern California, and continued with the establishment of hospice programs at Midway Hospital, Wadsworth Veterans Administration, Cedars Sinai Medical Center and Roosevelt Hospital in Chicago. Ms. Harman currently serves as a Co-Chair of People United to Support Superior Healthcare (PUSSH) in Maui County.
Alan G. Lee (Central Maui) – Alan G. Lee has worked in the healthcare field for 25 years, including serving as a hospital administrator for both Maui Memorial and Kula Hospitals. He also served as an interim hospital administrator for Lanai Hospital. He has testified before the legislature on a number of occasions regarding healthcare and hospital issues. A 22-year resident of Maui, Mr. Lee earned a Master's degree of Public Health from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He currently resides in Wailuku.
Phyllis McOmber (Lanai) – A retired educator, Phyllis McOmber earned a Master's degree of Sociology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. She served four years as the Director of the Lanai Rural Redevelopment Project through Maui Community College and the U.S. Department of Labor. She previously taught at both the high school and college levels, and also spent eleven years as the Maui Community College Lanai Education Center Coordinator. Additionally, Ms. McOmber served five years on the Lanai Women's Center Board of Directors.
