STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1842

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NOS. 638, 695, 696, 708

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Health, to which was referred Governor's Message Nos. 638, 695, 696, and 708, submitting for study and consideration the nominations of: 

 

Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances

 

G.M. No. 638

ADAM GRATZ,

for a term to expire 06-30-2024;

 

G.M. No. 695

ERIKA VARGAS,

for a term to expire 06-30-2025;

 

G.M. No. 696

DIANA FELTON,

for a term to expire 06-30-2025; and

 

G.M. No. 708

GREGORY TJAPKES,

for a term to expire 06-30-2025,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal histories, resumes, and statements submitted by Adam Gratz, Erika Vargas, Diana Felton, and Gregory Tjapkes for service on the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances.

 

ADAM GRATZ

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Adam Gratz from the Department of Health. 

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Dr. Gratz' background and proven leadership qualify him for appointment to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances.  Dr. Gratz is a primary care physician in private practice who has served rural communities on Hawaii island for over fifteen years.  He earned a Doctor of Osteopathy from Touro University in California, with an emphasis in neuromuscular-skeletal medicine.  In addition, for more than a decade, Dr. Gratz has served as a health care consultant to a number of medical and technology-driven startups, bringing broad expertise to medical logistic and design challenges, and has also provided health care consulting to the Hawaii Medical Service Association to implement rural telehealth care delivery based on video chats and house calls.  He is the owner of Mobile Doc, LLC, which conducts house calls for patients who need pain management and end of life care, and for those requiring medication-assisted treatment for opioids.  Most recently, in 2020 when the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic began, Dr. Gratz served as the site medical lead for a Project Baselines initiative to start drive-through testing sites in California.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Dr. Gratz be appointed to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances based on his experience as a primary care physician and dedication to public service.

 

ERIKA VARGAS

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Erika Vargas from the Department of Health and one individual.

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Ms. Vargas' experience, knowledge, and dedication to public service qualify her for appointment to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances.  Ms. Vargas is the Manager of Adult Services at Hina Mauka, overseeing the operations of residential and outpatient services for patients with alcohol and substance use disorders, and where she also previously served as a clinical team leader and an intake coordinator.  She received her Master in Social Work from Boston University.  Besides her passion for promoting the social work profession, your Committee finds that she has a strong interest in community involvement, is active with the Aiea Community Association, served in a Latino re-entry program where she provided cultural services to reduce recidivism of offenders in recovery, and collected and analyzed data on homeless injection drug users in Puerto Rico.  The appointment of Ms. Vargas will ensure representation of the community and business affairs segment in Commission deliberations.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Ms. Vargas be appointed to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances based on her experience as a social worker and dedication to public service.

 

DIANA FELTON

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Diana Felton from the Department of Health and one individual.

 

      Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Dr. Felton is currently the State Toxicologist with the Hawaii Department of Health Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office, which is a division of the Hawaii Department of Health aimed at protecting human health and the environment from threats related to hazardous substances.  Dr. Felton is board certified in Medical Toxicology and Emergency Medicine.  She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, attended medical school at the University of California, Davis and completed her emergency medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.  She also completed her fellowship training at the Harvard Medical Toxicology Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital and the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Poison Control Center.  Your Committee notes that Dr. Felton is a proven leader and works with many state and community partners on issues such as childhood lead poisoning prevention, safe fish consumption, air pollution risks, pesticides, and other environmental health hazards.  She also collaborates on poisoning prevention with the Hawaii Poison Center and has also served as a member of the Hawaii Advisory Committee on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances since 2017.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Dr. Felton be appointed to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances based on her experience as a physician in the field of toxicology and dedication to public service.

 

GREGORY TJAPKES

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination for the appointment of Gregory Tjapkes from the Department of Health, Hina Mauka, and Hawaii Youth Services Network. 

 

     Upon review of the testimony, your Committee finds that Mr. Tjapkes experience, knowledge, and dedication to public service qualify him for appointment to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances.  Mr. Tjapkes is the Executive Director of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Hawaii, which serves Hawaii's children, families, and communities with programs that strengthen health, wellness, and resilience against drug and alcohol abuse.  He has extensive experience working with disadvantaged communities and addressing difficult social issues.  In particular, he specializes in substance abuse and with disadvantaged youth.  Your Committee notes that Mr. Tjapkes is active in the community and is a proven leader, serving on a number of boards, including the advisory board of the Hawaii Partnership to Prevent Underage Drinking, Prevention Workgroup for the Hawaii Opioid Initiative, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition.  Mr. Tjapkes earned a Master of Public Administration from Grand Valley State University and a Bachelor's degree in psychology from Calvin College.  He also completed the Weinberg Fellows Program in 2018.  Your Committee therefore recommends that Mr. Tjapkes be appointed to the Hawaii Advisory Commission on Drug Abuse and Controlled Substances based on his experience in the field of drug prevention and dedication to public service.  

 

     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,

 

 

 

____________________________

JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE, Chair