Most Hawaii Medical Service Association members responding to a survey are pleased with their doctors and their health plans, HMSA reports. HMSA members laud care,
upholding isles' top health ratingHawaii's largest health care insurer, HMSA sent surveys to more than 214,000 members last summer to measure their satisfaction with services.
More than 113,000 were returned by the end of October. Nearly 95 percent said they'd recommend their physician to others, and more than 90 percent said they'd recommend their health plan, HMSA said.
Members highly rated their physicians, quality of care, treatment and friendliness of office staff, according to HMSA, a nonprofit mutual benefit association.
The surveys were sent to members of three HMSA plans -- the Preferred Provider Plan, Health Plan Hawaii and Plan 65C for medicare beneficiaries.
Questions were adapted from surveys by the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the American Association of Health Plans and other national organizations.
"We hope Hawaii's physicians will find this kind of information valuable," said HMSA Senior Vice President Bob Nickel.
"Our role in the quality improvement process is to assist physicians with accurate and timely information that helps improve the quality of care and service in the state and helps Hawaii's health care system remain one that is admired and respected around the nation."
HMSA said the results support a nationwide analysis by the Institute of Healthcare Quality that ranks Hawaii No. 1 in a nationwide analysis comparing health care quality indicators.
Member satisfaction regarding physicians' skills, access to care, medical services and outcomes "provides additional insight into the quality of Hawaii's health care system," said the association.
The American Journal of Public Health recently reported that Hawaii has the highest percentage of medically insured people in the nation, although the rate of the uninsured population has been growing.
State worker wins praise
By Terrence Lee, Star-BulletinFlorence Yamada might be the state workers' version of Cal Ripken Jr., iron man of baseball.
She's never called in sick in her 42 years with the state Department of Education and as an executive secretary for Gov. Ben Cayetano's chief of staff.
While working as an administrative secretary for Aiea High School, Yamada gave birth to her son on a Friday and was back to work the next Monday.
It's that dedication which prompted Cayetano to give special mention to Yamada in yesterday's State-of-the-State address.
"It's because of remarkable workers like Florence that some of our state departments have excelled in providing public service in the face of budget cuts," he said.
Yamada retired a few weeks ago but continues to work for the state.
"What makes your work really worthwhile are the people you work with -- your bosses, your co-workers," she said.
"I enjoy the people I work with," she said, explaining her zest. "It's like living on a high all the time because when you enjoy something, it's not like work."
Yamada said other state workers share her work ethic though budget cuts and layoffs have been difficult.
"What can you do to make things a little better? That means you have to do more than what you have to," Yamada said. "It's a never-give-up kind of attitude."
The last time she can recall missing a day due to illness is when she had measles in the sixth grade.
Yamada currently teaches business education at Leeward Community College and remains active in the Hawaii Government Employees Association.
Waihee to head plans for millennium gala
If you're looking for a good local party to welcome the year 2000, go see former Gov. John Waihee for details.Gov. Ben Cayetano named his former boss as head of a New Millennium Celebration Commission. The commission will usher in the year 2000 with a Dec. 31 New Year's Eve concert featuring local and mainland musicians in Diamond Head Crater.
Cayetano said the commission will plan a series of events including multicultural celebrations and a campaign to bring in Hawaii residents from all over the world, called "Come Home Hawaii."
"This celebration is designed to boost our tourist industry with an additional 500,000 visitors in the year 2000 -- a great way to showcase Hawaii in the first year of the new century," Cayetano said in his State-of-the-State speech yesterday.
Belgian film 'Damien' will premiere March 10
A dispute between the producer and the director of "Damien" has been resolved, and the movie is scheduled for its premiere in Brussels on March 10."It's no big deal," said Tharssi Vanhuysse, head of ERA Films, the Belgian company that filmed the movie here last summer. "It was an emotional thing, and it's all over with."
A Belgian judge halted the company's editing of the film in response to a suit by Dutch-Australian director Paul Cox.
Cox said the company was changing his cut without consulting him.
Vanhuysse said the difference of opinion "was about exactly 12 seconds" of the two-hour movie and that it has been resolved.
Cox could not be reached for comment.
Maui community gains funds for water project
WAILUKU -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program is releasing $1.4 million to the Maui Ranch Estates Owners Association today for water improvements.The money is being given under a program that assists low- and moderate-income families living in rural areas.
Francis Blanco, state director for Rural Development in Hawaii, said the utility project is the first of its kind to be funded in Maui County and could be used in similar ways for other areas, including Molokai.
County Water Director David Craddick said the plan is for residents who live in upper Ulumalu to turn over the system to the county once it is developed.
The county Board of Water Supply and other agencies plan to contribute about $1 million toward the project for the development of a pump and a 300,000-gallon storage tank.
Under the program, the ranch estates will be responsible for paying a low-interest loan of $295,000 over 35 years.
Isle attorney convicted of immigration crimes
A federal jury has convicted Honolulu attorney S. Jay Matsumaru, 44, of two counts of wire fraud, two counts of visa fraud and one count of establishing a commercial enterprise to violate immigration laws.After a seven-day trial, U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway ordered Matsumaru remanded to the custody of federal marshals.
Sentencing is set for May 20.
Each visa fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Each wire fraud count and commercial enterprise violation carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
Pay was a minor reason why state Appeals Judge Walter Kirimitsu left the bench to become the University of Hawaii attorney. Kirimitsu said the main lure was the chance to develop the new UH office. A story Friday cited low judge pay as the reason. CLARIFICATION
Quality Roofing co-founder Thomas Tamashiro is alive. A story yesterday on Lox of Bagels was incorrect. CORRECTION
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Police, Fire
By Star-Bulletin staffA federal jury has convicted Honolulu attorney S. Jay Matsumaru, 44, of two counts of wire fraud, two counts of visa fraud and one count of establishing a commercial enterprise to violate immigration laws. Attorney convicted of visa fraud
After a seven-day trial, U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway ordered Matsumaru remanded to the custody of the federal marshals to await sentencing.
Evidence was produced at trial to show Matsumaru advertised himself in Japanese language publications as an attorney who could handle immigration matters.
Matsumaru then told Japanese nationals who sought his services he could get them E-2 visas, the U.S. attorney's office said. An E-2 visa is granted to foreign nationals who actively manage substantial business enterprises in the United States.
After foreign nationals agreed to hire Matsumaru, he had them set up Hawaii corporations and bank accounts for these corporations in Hawaii, and then had them wire large amounts of money to these accounts, the office said.
Matsumaru then prepared E-2 visa applications which falsely represented the corporations were substantial businesses.
"In fact, most of the invested funds were actually diverted to Matsumaru's own use without the knowledge or permission of his clients," federal prosecutors said.
Sentencing is set for May 20. Each visa fraud count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each wire fraud count and the commercial enterprise violation carry a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment.
Fingerprints help nab burglary suspect, 19
A 19-year-old man was arrested yesterday after his fingerprints were found to match those at a burglary last year in Hawaii Kai, police said.On May 22, 1998, detectives recovered fingerprints from banana leaves that were used to remove louvers to get into a home, police said. Computers, televisions and a safe were stolen.
The man was later identified through the police Automated Fingerprint Identification System, according to a detective's report. He was arrested yesterday by East Honolulu District's crime reduction officers.
Wrong-number caller accused of burglary
A 29-year-old Kaneohe man was arrested yesterday for allegedly breaking into the home of a woman he had met on the phone.The woman, 19, told police she met the man during a wrong-number call last year.
After a few conversations, she invited the man to her Kaneohe home, police said. She reported to police that while the man was at her home, he exposed himself on two occasions in November 1998. He was also found inside the home one day without her permission, police said. Yesterday, he was booked for first-degree burglary and two counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.
In other news...
Fire officials were investigating a blaze that destroyed a Kamehameha Heights home this morning. The fire at 1450 Hala Dr. was reported at 11:51 p.m. yesterday. Firefighters had the blaze under control at 12:18 a.m., and extinguished at 1:40 a.m., they said.
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