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For Immediate Release:

July 29, 1999

Contact: Dean O. Smith, 808 956-7486

Cheryl Ernst, 808 956-5941, ernst@hawaii.edu

UH Names Members of Task Force on Public Health

Five community members have agreed to serve on a special task force to evaluate the costs and benefits of maintaining a reputable, accredited school of public health in the state of Hawai'i. They are:

  • Kenji Sumida, former president of the East-West Center, who will serve as chair.
  • Dr. Clayton Chong, director of oncology, St. Francis Medical Center, and a participant in the Hawaiian Health organization.
  • Dr. Julia Frohlich, president and medical director of the Blood Bank of Hawai'i and a former UH regent.
  • Paul Brewbaker, chief economist, Bank of Hawai'i
  • Dianne Plotts, general partner, Mid-East and China Trading, and a former UH regent

"Testimony on this issue has been contradictory and often emotional," noted UH Senior Vice President and UHM Executive Vice Chancellor Dean O. Smith. "Due to the highly polarized and politicized nature of the current debate, we have convened this task force as a group of objective, respected individuals who can identify the state's needs in public health education, research, and service; the current cost of meeting those needs; alternatives to an accredited UH School of Public Health, and the cost of those alternatives." In addition to being unaffiliated with the University, the task force members were selected for their high credibility within the community, record of public service and expertise in relevant areas, such as higher education, economics and health issues, particularly with regard to local populations.

The task force is charged with

· Assessing state and community needs for public health education, broadly defined to include degree programs, continuing education and professional development, research and faculty consultant services.

· Ascertaining the facts, establish a common data set-to include budget, enrollment, revenue, demographic, graduation statistics and other information-that can form the basis for subsequent discussion.

· Identifying national trends in public health education, including organizational structures at other institutions, accreditation criteria and so on.

· Evaluating alternatives to a separate School of Public Health that can be considered as options by the University.

"We expect that members of the University and health care communities and the community-at-large will be provided ample opportunity to provide the task force with input, both written and oral," said Smith. "We hope that the work of the task force can be completed by early September, so a report can be made at the September 9­10 Board of Regents meeting at Kaua'i Community College."

 

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