Med School Puts Best Face Forward To Lawmakers
As a medical doctor, state Sen. Josh Green knows the health needs of the residents his Big Island district of Kona and Kau.
What he may not have known is that three social workers who graduated from the University of Hawaii work in District 3. Or that 24.2 percent of the South Kona adult population smokes. Or that there have been significant shifts in use and attitudes of crystal methamphetamine among teens and young adults.
That information is detailed in the John A. Burns School of Medicine’s annual report to the 2013 Hawaii Legislature, which represents a new initiative on the part of JABSOM officials to keep lawmakers abreast of select education, research, community services and outreach in their districts — all 76 of them.
It’s intentional — a way of showing thanks to the Legislature for its continued financial support, and to keep the funding coming.
Green, who has pushed his colleagues to increase the number of doctors in rural districts, likes what he sees.
“I do like the detail,” he told Civil Beat. “I figure the more information about where physicians and provider shortages exist, the better.”
‘A Hard Story To Tell’
One might understandably cast a skeptical eye on public relations from the UH. Read Civil Beat’s recent article, UH Spending Millions On PR Efforts to Get Its Message Out.
Tina Shelton, JABSOM’s communications director and legislative coordinator, said the school is required to make reports to the Legislature
“We had never compiled the data in that fashion before, because of a number of reasons,” she said. “We had not had access to all the data before, and had not thought of putting it all together. But we just thought it would be an easier way to allow the public to see what we do in their district and let them share it in a newsletter if they want. It’s a way to help ourselves.”
The report is . But JABSOM took an extra step to get the word out by printing hard copies and delivering them directly to lawmakers’ offices.
It was also done on the cheap.
“It’s nothing fancy — it’s photocopied, and we stapled it ourselves,” said Shelton.
The legislative report caught the eye of one lawmaker, who passed it along to Civil Beat, writing on a Post-it, “Interesting and unusual report to Legislature.”
Shelton said work on the report began in October. It was made available in January, when the legislative session began.
Shelton said the JABSOM report was not related to the legislative investigation last fall of the university regarding the failed Stevie Wonder concert, a major embarrassment to UH and the impetus for the Legislature to examine closely what goes on at UH.
As indicated, the report is broken down by district — that is, the 25 Senate districts and the House districts that are in the same area. For example, Rep. Denny Coffman’s District 5 (Naalehu, Ocean View, Captain Cook, Kealakekua, Kailua-Kona) and Rep. Nicole Lowen’s District 6 (Kailua-Kona, Holualoa, Kalaoa, Honokohau) are on the same page as Green’s District 3.
There are also maps outlining the districts, and photos sprinkled about to break up the print-filled pages. The entry for Sen. David Ige’s District 16, for example, which includes Pearl Harbor, features a photo of the USS Arizona Memorial.
Mostly, the legislative report is full of health and school information relevant to all parts of the islands.
“We have such a hard story to tell, and we can’t do it in a sound bite,” said Shelton.
Green said that couple of years ago the Legislature asked JABSOM to provide more information.
“There was a perpetual dispute over shortages of providers — or not — and that was hamstringing our ability to pass legislation, fund scholarships and address malpractice issues. By breaking it down, we can see that we really have a rural shortage. I think it gives us a lot more focus, actually.”
, which addresses primary care physician shortages by appropriating funds for a primary care training program at Hilo Medical Center, passed the Legislature this week.
Green’s own bill, , which would appropriate funds to address the shortage through a workforce development plan on loan repayment, diversity programs and primary care workforce expansion, didn’t pass before Friday’s deadline. But it can be taken up next session.
JABSOM officials clearly hope to remain in the good graces of lawmakers.
“Our achievements would not have been possible without the contributions from the Hawaii State Legislature and benefactors to the medical school,” said the school’s dean, Jerris Hedges, in the 2013 report’s introduction.
It’s big money: State general funds for JABSOM and the public health program currently total about $16 million. More than $12 million in 2012 tobacco settlement funds pay the debt service on JABSOM facilities in Kakaako and help with operations. (The operational use reduces each year and expires in 2015.)
But it’s not just about the money either, say school officials.
“Education is what we do, including education of public and elected leaders, as we are a state public institution,” said Shelton, a former journalist. “We are always evolving — hopefully getting better at — our methods of doing that.”
