STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3371

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 688, 689, 690, 691

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 688, 689, 690, and 691, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Board of Health

 

G.M. No. 688

ALAN KATZ,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 689

VINCENT LEE,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016;

 

G.M. No. 690

CLARYSSE NUNOKAWA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016; and

 

G.M. No. 691

ERIC TASH,

for a term to expire 6-30-2016,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Alan Katz, Vincent Lee, Clarysse Nunokawa, and Eric Tash to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Board of Health.

 

ALAN KATZ

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Alan Katz from the Department of Health, Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, and six individuals. 

 

     Dr. Katz received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of California, Irvine and a Master's degree in public health from the University of Hawaii.  Dr. Katz is currently a Professor and Chair of Graduate Studies for the Department of Public Health Sciences at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii.  Dr. Katz has a demonstrated passion for his work and, as evidenced by his publications, has a lengthy track record of innovative research, including extensive work with Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.  Furthermore, Dr. Katz is one of the few people in Hawaii that bridges the clinical and population aspects of public health.  Consequently, your Committee finds that Dr. Katz's dedication, altruism, empathy, and breadth of experience in public health will allow him to make many meaningful contributions to the Board of Health.

 

VINCENT LEE

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Vincent Lee from the Department of Health, Office of the Governor, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii, and three individuals.

 

     Mr. Lee is the Oahu region Chief Executive Officer for the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation.  Mr. Lee has a Master's degree in social work, a Master's degree in public health, and over twenty-five years of experience in senior health care administration.  Mr. Lee's career history includes twenty years as the Vice President of St. Francis Medical Center and six years as the System Vice President of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii.  Two of the health care facilities over which Mr. Lee presides recently received a four- and five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, reflecting the highest levels of quality for a nursing home facility, despite the aging infrastructure of these locations.  Mr. Lee also has one year of prior experience serving on the Board of Health. 

 

CLARYSSE NUNOKAWA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Clarysse Nunokawa from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Nunokawa is a certified social worker who received her master's degree in social work from the University of Hawaii.  She is currently a Grant Manager and Compliance Coordinator for the City and County of Hawaii.  Ms. Nunokawa currently manages the $2 million Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant to prevent underage drinking, for which she coordinates community efforts.  Ms. Nunokawa's experiences have given her useful knowledge of the health needs and challenges in rural and urban communities.  Furthermore, she has served on the Board of Health since 2008 and has ensured that the County of Hawaii is represented well.

 

ERIC TASH

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Eric Tash from the Department of Health, Injury Prevention Advisory Committee, and two individuals.

 

     Mr. Tash is currently retired, but has continued to work with the Department of Health as a member of the Injury Prevention Advisory Committee and the Steering Committee.  Mr. Tash received his Master's degree in public health from the University of Hawaii.  Prior to retirement, Mr. Tash was the Program Manager for the Department of Health's Injury Prevention and Control Program for sixteen years.  Mr. Tash has a total of thirty-five years of experience in public health planning, policy development, implementation, and management and has worked in fields as diverse as communicable disease education, HIV counseling, health survey data collection, physical fitness, and injury prevention.  Mr. Tash has also served on the Board of Health for a year-long interim appointment.

 

     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,

 

 

 

____________________________

JOSH GREEN, M.D., Chair