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State Hospital’s Law
quits as administrator

He will remain with the Department
of Health, but return to Kauai

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By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

Wayne Law has resigned as administrator of the Hawaii State Hospital.

Since taking the hospital job in September 1998, Law has commuted from Kauai, where he was previously chief of the Kauai Mental Health Center. His family lives on Kauai.

Anita Swanson, deputy director for behavioral health administration at the state Department of Health, said yesterday that Law had asked to return to his position at the Kauai center.

He also asked if he could continue to assist with community planning for people discharged from the State Hospital, she said.

"We said, "absolutely.' It's a wonderful opportunity for us," Swanson said, noting that Law recently helped to resolve an issue concerning psychiatric coverage at the Hilo Medical Center.

"We're going to use him not only as chief of the Kauai Mental Health Center but to assist us with other community transition issues."

Swanson said Law agreed to continue as the hospital administrator until a successor is named and to help with the transition.

The Health Department is looking nationally for candidates to replace Law and has had several applicants, Swanson said.

The hospital is operating under federal court oversight because of a consent decree settling a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit against the state in 1991, but Swanson doesn't anticipate trouble finding a new hospital chief because of the lawsuit.