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Updated at 12:32 p.m., Friday, June 22, 2007

Healthcare advocates lobbying for more Maui hospitals

By CLAUDINE SAN NICOLAS
The Maui News

KAHULUI — A new health care advocacy group has formed to fight for two more hospitals on Maui, and one of its founders pledged that members would become a political force to vote out of office the island's three state senators, The Maui News reported.

The Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui has a membership of 2,900 people statewide, according to the association's public relations consultant, Jan Shields.

A former neonatal nurse and an outspoken supporter of the proposed Malulani Health and Medical Center, Shields spearheaded her group's formation after the private hospital proposal failed to gain approval earlier this year.

Communicating through an e-mail newsletter called "Coconut Wireless," Shields and several other residents unsuccessfully lobbied this past legislative session to eliminate the certificate of need process that Malulani failed to pass. Another bill would have exempted Malulani from the entire certificate review, but that attempt failed, too.

Those setbacks have not defeated Shields or the association's managing member, Jim Foster.

In fact, Foster made a "substantial" financial investment to set up the association, he said, although the 67-year-old West Maui resident declined to say how much he's contributed to the association. He also emphasized his involvement stemmed from his belief that more health care facilities are needed on Maui.

The association's mission will be "to serve as an advocate for the creation of a system that will provide excellent health care services to all of the citizens and visitors of Maui County," according to information Shields distributed Wednesday night at her first public appearance for the association. Shields was the invited guest speaker at the Maui County Republican Party's "E Komo Mai" meeting at the Cafe O'Lei Restaurant at the Maui Lani Dunes.

The association's first focus will be to advocate for a state-of-the-art, full-service teaching hospital in Kihei, and a private second or satellite hospital in West Maui.

Shields told about 25 people attending Wednesday night's meeting that she believed the certificate of need process administered by the State Health Planning and Development Agency blocked Malulani's attempt to build a state-of-the-art hospital in Kihei and would inhibit any other private hospital provider from establishing a facility on Maui.

She said she's been in contact with investors willing to finance a private hospital on Maui, but they've indicated they would not do so because of the political climate against such a proposal.

Shields lashed out at Maui's three state senators — Democrats Shan Tsutsui, Roz Baker and J. Kalani English — for what she said was failing to support Malulani and the attempts this legislative session to eliminate the certificate of need process.

"The CON is the barrier," Shields said.

She also charged that all three senators "do not want the island to have good health care" and are instead protecting the interests of the Oahu hospitals that would lose business if Maui had two hospitals.

Baker called the charges preposterous and ludicrous.

"It's not true," she said. "We've done everything we can to improve health care on Maui."

Among other things, Baker said, she and her colleagues have pushed for numerous health care appropriations including emergency room upgrades at Maui Memorial Medical Center and additional nursing faculty positions at Maui Community College.

Foster, who was not present at Shields' talk, said he agreed with her criticism of the three senators.

"I think we would like to see honest politicians in office who have the best interests of the people at heart," he said.

Contacted yesterday at his office on Oahu, English said he welcomed any attempts to get voters to the polls, adding that the island of Lanai in his district had one of the lowest turnouts in the state.

"Isn't democracy wonderful? ... Let's go for it," he said.

Both Tsutsui and English reiterated that they have never spoken out against Malulani or a proposal to build any private hospital for Maui.

"That's never been my position. Unfortunately people want to state my position for me," Tsutsui said.

Baker has also said she has never voted for or against Malulani nor has she asked anyone in the certificate of need process to deny Malulani its request for approval.

Tsutsui said he takes offense at Shields' criticism, particularly because there was no legislative action that denied the proposed private hospital from happening.

The State Health Planning and Development Agency Reconsideration Committee in January upheld a decision last year to deny Malulani a certificate of approval.

"We have nothing to do with that process," Tsutsui said.

Representing residents of Central Maui and lower Paia, Tsutsui was elected last November for a four-year term that runs through 2010. Baker, the senator from West and South Maui, and English, who represents Upcountry, East Maui, Lanai and Molokai, will be up for re-election in November 2008.

All three introduced Senate Bill 1792, legislation aimed at providing semiautonomous status to Maui Memorial. Shields said she supported the bill at first, but now opposes it and hopes Gov. Linda Lingle will veto it.

"This bill is just plain bogus," Shields said. She was particularly critical of the new regional board makeup and appointment process for facilities like Maui Memorial. She also pointed out such boards would be exempt from the Sunshine Law.

"They don't have to let us know of their meetings," she said. "They don't have to keep minutes. They call this regional control? I call this Maui Memorial doing whatever it wants behind closed doors."

Maui County Democratic Party Chairman Lance Holter said Shields and her group are turning the state's health care system into a "political pawn" by choosing to endorse candidates and oppose those who do not support their viewpoint.

"She's making it a political football and that's ridiculous," Holter said.

He said her criticism of Maui senators is uncalled for and misleading.

"I think she's distorted the facts," Holter said, adding that Shields is misrepresenting the senators' stance on private hospitals for Maui.

Yesterday, Shields stood by her statements against the three Maui senators.

"You can say you support anything you want. But actions speak louder than words," she said.

The Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui is accepting donations and registering new members. For more information, call (808) 298-8886 or send e-mail to information@AIHM-Maui.org.

For more Maui news, visit The Maui News.