STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1580

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 541, 542, 543

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 541, 542, and 543, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Emergency Medical Service Advisory Committee

 

G.M. No. 541

DIAN GRUBER,

for a term to expire 6-30-2014;

 

G.M. No. 542

ELIZABETH CHAR,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017; and

 

G.M. No. 543

RALPH YAWATA,

for a term to expire 6-30-2017,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by the nominees and finds Dian Gruber, Elizabeth Char, and Ralph Yawata to possess the requisite commitment, sincerity, dedication, and qualifications to be nominated to the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Committee.   

 

DIAN GRUBER

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health.

 

     Ms. Gruber is a Registered Nurse and is the Manager of Ambulatory Surgery, Recovery Room, and Endoscopy at Maui Memorial Medical Center.  She has significant experience working at various emergency departments, including the Memorial Medical Center in Corpus Christi, Texas; Providence Hospital in Anchorage, Alaska; West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois; and Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.  She is an interim appointee to the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Committee, where her significant experience in emergency medical care has proven to be a valuable resource to the Committee.   

 

ELIZABETH CHAR

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health, Hawaii Fire Department, American Medical Response, and one individual. 

 

     Dr. Char earned a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Hawaii and a Doctorate of Medicine degree from the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine.  She completed her residency requirements in Emergency Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles and in General Surgery at the University of Hawaii Integrated Surgical Residency program.  She currently works in the Emergency Department at the Straub Clinic and Hospital, is the Medical Director for American Medical Response on Oahu, and is a physician with the Metropolitan Medical Response System.  In the past, she served as Director of the Emergency Services Department for the City and County of Honolulu and as the Director of Medical Education for the Emergency Department at The Queen's Medical Center.  She is involved in numerous community activities and serves on the Board of Directors of the American College of Emergency Physicians Hawaii Chapter.  She has been serving as an interim appointee to the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Committee since July 2012.  Her significant experience and expertise in Emergency Medicine has already provided the Committee with valuable insight and direction, and she will be a valuable resource to the Committee moving forward.  

 

RALPH YAWATA

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this nominee from the Department of Health. 

 

     Mr. Yawata recently retired from the Hawaii County Fire Department where he served as the Battalion Chief of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and later as the Assistant Chief of Support Services overseeing the Hawaii Fire Department's EMS Bureau.  Currently, he is an auxiliary EMS instructor for Kapiolani Community College at Hawaii Community College where his primary role is conducting First Responder/Emergency Medical Responder Training certification courses.  He also teaches First Aid, CPR, and AED for Hawaii Preparatory Academy and is a Safety Officer at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.  He has served as an interim appointee to the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Committee since July 2012 and provides the Committee with a wealth of knowledge, experience, and expertise on emergency response services. 

 

     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, Chair