Welcome. Uh I will ask first for um testimony. We have Leonard Goa speaking of Leonard Govea um in support not here and uh anyone else wishing to testify for this nominee hearing none. Uh Mr. Nepal welcome. >> Thank you. Thank you senators for the opportunity to apply for the nonuh research board position. Um and thank you for allowing me to testify over Zoom in consideration of my wife's medical issues today. So thank you. I appreciate that. Um my current position is with the MAI Ocean Engineering. I'm the VP of operations there. Um I've been involved with contracts administration, risk management, um business standards like ISO 90001, um cyber security, cyber security audits, um industrial security, um working with Department of Defense. So all this experience I think could be beneficial to the board. Um I'm kind of an outsider coming to uh I've been working in the private sector for the past 25 years.
Um so there's I have a strong desire to learn more about the relationship with uh and RCU. Um I've been told it's a very complex relationship. So I'm more than willing to learn more about that. Um personally I feel research is very important to uh and the state. I've been involved in research practically my whole life ever since I graduated a BS in in University of Illinois then PhD with Texas A&M and now in the private sector. So I I'm really dedicated to research. Um and yeah I'm I'm happy to be here and I hope I can contribute if I am elected. So thank you. Thank >> thank you very much for willingness to serve. Um as uh brought up earlier that you know this is an important board. Uh you do enjoy procurement exemption which no one else does in the state and so there's a sometimes uh people look at you as a way of being a conduit to get around certain certain things like procurement which can be cumbersome for everybody else.
And so you heard the concerns that I raised uh with the previous nominee. And so as a newcomer um you know how do you see this preventing from happening again as a board member these kinds of encroachments on uh your your uh procurement exemption and other other types of benefits that RC enjoys. >> Well, I certainly feel that um RCU and the executive director needs to be held accountable for uh his actions as well as the board. Um there needs to be clear communication um with uh the senators and the and the board. I don't currently understand how that communication works um and how they if if you hear something that is maybe non-compliant or of concern, how is that communication made to the board? So I think maybe that communication needs to be solidified um because that's really critical that the board understands um your concerns and of of course clarity is the other issue.
There needs to be clear communication between the board members, board decisions, executive executive director decisions and you all. Lots of times the communication is done um through the legislature to the executive director, but I can see where many times it doesn't get down to the board. Uh these things do come up in hearings because we try to be transparent and sometimes it'll come through a resolution or a bill trying to make changes. For example, we had a uh bill that uh looked at the actual um statue that governs RC and over the years it's grown to include such things as construction which not intended to be construction construction but construction of research type things and not actually do the construction. It's hard to explain, but we tried to narrow it and we had a lot of push back. >> Um, push back from the university, push back from the executive director.
I'm not sure if we had push back from some of the board members. Uh, but again, you know, I'm hoping that you as a board will look at the at the statue because you don't want to lose this exemption. you don't want because the other alternative is that well maybe we should um do away with RC and just give the exemption to uh and have them do all the research and do and do the do the funding and and give out the give out the um grants and so forth. So if you don't want that h to happen then I think that the board has to police itself police its executive director and maybe look at the statue and say how can we uh you know clean it up and how can we make it so that you know it is focused on research and training which is the intent and not all of this other stuff that is thrown in to your statue over the years because certain legislators felt that you know RC should take care of it.
Um so yeah, that's that's the kind of leadership I hope that we'll get and you being a non uh um representative on the board that you know you'll be vocal about that. So look forward to having you on board.
Members, any questions? Senator Sudan, I I guess and um going further, you stated that an important priority would be for RCU to plan for growth in research activities. How can you help the board accomplish this in the financing and workforce capacity? So the uh the board and executive director is currently going to be creating new goals for the next four years. Um and those goals should align with the research growth or lack thereof. They should be flexible in terms of how to manage the research coming in from extra mural activities and and organizations. So I think working for uh the company that I'm working for, MAI, we're constantly shifting goals and and moving with the um the current industry standards and the flow of flow of money coming out of the government out of Department of Defense for example. And so it's important to align your goals but not be so fixed on those goals that you can't move them as you see the funding change.
So I think I can bring some expertise from the the sector I'm in to help align the goals that the executive director proposes and make suggestions thereof. >> Thank you. Uh finally just based on your statements in your questionnaire uh I believe that you'll make a good board member. uh one first thing you uh you said in this is first I would focus on mission alignment our ch authority should be exercised in ways that support its statutory purpose and public interest so I think that's important that public interest and the statutory purpose then you also say I would considered legal and ethical compliance essential um the board should ensure that RC maintains strong policies and practices relating to procurement contracts property personnel and financial management so kudos to you for that. Um and um you know we we look forward for for you being on the board.
There are any other questions members? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> We are then moving on to GM507. And this is for consideration and confirmation to the Hawaii Medical Education Council Gubinator Christopher Yulan for a term to expire 6:30 2029. And let me just give you a background about our Hawaii Medical Education Council uh often called HMEC established within the University of Hawaii is responsible for assessing and strengthening the state's health care workforce and training systems with a particular focus on graduate medical education. Uh they're composed of 13 members including university leadership, state health officials, gubernatorial appointees uh representing hospitals and health professions and federal sector and the public. The council conducts workforce and program analysis uh develop and implements funding strategies for healthc care training programs and provides recommendation to the legislature and the board of regents. And through its oversight role, HMBC works to ensure Hawaii has a well-trained, adequately funded health care work aligned with current and future statewide needs.
Very important board. And so, um, I'm going to start off with testimony for Christopher Dr. Buen Hol. Welcome. >> Aloha, senators. Thank you. I am on Zoom and um, Jas stands on his testimony for all of the nominees. Thank you so much. >> Okay. So, you're going to you're testifying in all of the nominees today, right? So, I don't need to necessarily call you back on each one. Okay. Very good. Thank you. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Uh we have a Let's see. Yeah. No one else signed up with none. Okay. We will welcome Christopher. Love Christopher. Senators, thank you for having me uh here today. I do have to preface that uh anything I say today is are of the views of my my own, not of the army, the department of war, triple army medical center, the defense health agency.
Uh for the last year I've been the director detra director of medical education and designated institutional official uh for tripler AR tripler army medical center where we have 12 uh ACGMA accredited programs and a complement of 250 trainee which represents nearly half of the the graduate medical trainee in the state. Uh we work integrally with the uh health system within the state. Um our residents at Tripler rotate across the vast majority of the the hospitals um within the state to include um in the uh other islands. Um and we work we work together. Um our our problems that we face in this state are quite different than what my army colleagues face on the mainland and it is difficult to um ascertain the difficulties of living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. and the challenges that we have are much more similar to our state um colleagues than my army colleagues on the mainland.
So um thank you uh for having me here today. I'm happy to answer any questions. >> I'm just curious so on this board um how is your business um that that relates to military military medical? Um I mean is that a big a big part of the conversation or is it tend to be more sidelined? That's sideline that the military component has not come up. It's more of our shared um opportunities through medical education. Okay. >> Um as in we work together collaborating with our problems and often our solutions. Um so it it is very wonderful to be able to collaborate with our other members of the committee. >> That's so good to know. You know um I live in Moana Gardens. I have a lot of questions about the traffic from Tripleta but I know that's not your area. So, I don't have any medical questions for you.
Members questions. Anybody has questions? No. Uh, you did a good job with your questionnaire and your answers. So, thank you very much. We appreciate your willingness to serve and we know you guys are busy. So, thank you. >> Thank you very much. Okay, we're going to move on uh on GM659 on Zoom relating uh consideration and confirmation for the medical education council for nominee Jude uh dosio for a term to expire 6:30 2029. Uh let's see any testifiers other than Dr. Buenjo. No. So, uh, with that, we're going to welcome, um, Jude on Zoom. >> Aloha. >> Oh, aloha committee. Thank you very much for uh, having me and uh, very very appreciative of of my first chance to serve over this past year. Um, kind of observing um, I've been under the mentorship of Lisa Rance who previously served. She's the executive director of the Hilo Bennett Medical Center Foundation.
Um, we serve as the AEK area health education center here on >> Can you speak up just a little bit? There seems to be some rolling noise in our ceiling here. >> My apologies. Um, yeah, so we we serve as the area health education center here for Hawaii Island. Um, working islandwide uh to really grow our own and and really help um bolster our workforce pipeline. um community have been able to witness um and and kind of updated um on some of the things going on around the state um and really trying to uh contribute uh going forward, especially when it comes to best practices on our on our outer islands. Um here on Hawaii Island, everything is very spread out. Um there's a lot of rural communities that need uh additional uh support and resources. So, we try to leverage our our connections with other nonprofits, uh the DOE here on Hawaii Island.
and then work closely with um all of the educational institutions uh from uh uh nursing and pharmacy uh w medex and um all of the health pathways and health academy programs uh within the high schools as well as our connection with Japome uh trickware um uh for that send over uh med students and jabsome over here for their rural rotations to try to really show them how rural medicine is and connect them with shadowing opportunities but happy to answer any questions and again it's an honor to um have the opportunity Okay. Uh June, we never got your questionnaire um response. So, um yeah, we would we would request if you could send that in and so um I think we know that that you're you're you know, you folks have a busy time. How does you folks meet quarterly? Is that correct? The board meets quarterly.
>> Yes. Yes. Uh and I'm so sorry. I just want to make sure who uh I I sent it in. Uh I my apologies. I was just traveling. I sent it in before I left and and was contacted that need to send it in again. Sent it in two days ago. Um so I can just make sure. >> Okay. Yeah, we can >> needs to receive it. Yeah. >> Says they they never got it. So hopefully you can send that in. Um so when you folks meet, do you meet on on Zoom or do you meet in person? And where do you meet at? Uh the meetings are on Zoom. Uh they are there are uh sort of members there who meet in person. Uh we were planning last year but uh due to scheduling weren't able to have um our representatives here from Big Island come up uh to join in person but the the meetings that I've attended from this previous year were on Zoom.
>> Okay. Thank you. Members, any questions? Questions? No questions. Okay. Well, thank you very much. Uh, next GM665 and this is for confirmation to the Hawaii Medical Education Council gumator nominee Lance Sagawa Seawa for a term to expire 6:30 2029 and we really appreciate your patience. I know it's been a long day. Uh, let's see. Other than Leo, uh, we have Edward Chu sending in support. Not here. Anyone else wishing to testify on GM665 hearing? None. Uh, Ed Lance, >> please. >> I know you've been waiting patiently. No, >> thank you. >> Good afternoon. >> You learned a lot though, right? >> I did. I did. It was actually I'm on vacation, so that's why I figured I must combine. We might learn on one of these other points. >> Well, thank you so much. Good afternoon, Sher Kim and Vice Chair Kedani, members of the education committee.
I really appreciate this opportunity. uh when when I got the call um I felt it was a it was a good time for me to serve and to be at the table to address really crucial issues for the future of Hawaii, especially in the area of how are we going to take care of our our community today and tomorrow with physicians and all the challenges that come with it. And as a healthcare executive uh on Kauaii, I I see the issues uh daily and uh I've really appreciated uh my fellow council members. I think the the dialogue we've had over the past year has been very very effective and as you have uh read, I've identified some really critical um opportunities and solutions uh that we can continue to move forward on.
So with that I am happy to entertain any questions. >> Thank you >> from your >> according to your questionnaire you do raised a concern about medical uh workforce housing on Kawaii. So that's something that um >> it's crucial. >> So I I've taken an active role as the CEO for the Kawaii region in developing workforce housing uh on the campus of Sama Mahalona. >> And so we are working on phase one. Our goal is to have uh 35 rental units uh at least part of them available by summer of 27 when the first group of uh residents come through as participants in the Kauaii base family practice residency program uh which is a partnership with the Jabsome HB and HHSC. >> I'm sure our president is very happy about that being from Kawaii. >> Yes. >> You hear that Ron? Yeah, but you know, I I think it serves as a as a great example of what we can do working together >> and it will make it uh so much better for the people that live the the employees that live there and for the residents as they become more embedded in the community and they don't have to worry about co you know the cost of living because we have housing that's going to be I think uh within range as as residents.
So >> yeah, I I mean I think this body has uh looked at how to how to assist um our doctors and physicians and you know loan forgiveness and so forth. Um but we're still not producing enough coming out of Japan and we keep I know Senator Masumoto has talked about you know how many are we putting through and it's just not enough. But you do say that, you know, we need to address ways to encourage our local physicians whether they're trained on the mainland or at Jabson. And I think that's so true. And the number of I think >> doctors is what 80 that they produced. >> 80 which is >> Jabson. >> Yeah. Which is really, you know, a drop in the >> Well, you you know the legislature has been very supportive. you have been extremely supportive and I think the answer has to be um I think multiaceted and and there's a lot of issues you know around what causes someone to want going to medicine what what influences them as far as way they want to practice all these things have to be considered and and it's evolving right doctors today are not the same as doctors from yesterday and so we have to adapt and we have to support them as they you know continue their track.