Dean of UH med
school agrees to
finish out term
Students and faculty rallied
to Hammar's support, gathering
a 'zillion' petitionsGroup fasting to save Public Health
By Helen Altonn
Star-BulletinThe University of Hawaii administration has backed away from a plan to remove Dr. Sherrel Hammar as interim dean of the medical school after overwhelming support for his retention.
UH Vice President Dean Smith today said Hammar has been asked to complete his term, which ends Jan. 1.
Hammar told the school's executive committee May 14 he had been asked to step down July 1 and return to pediatrics. That triggered a massive effort to keep him as interim dean.
Smith said he received "about a zillion" petitions, letters and calls. A petition with more than 300 faculty and student names was presented to the Board of Regents last week.
Hospital chief executive officers telephoned and faxed their support, as well as groups such as the Hawaii Coalition for Health, Hawaii Medical Association and Health Care Ohana, comprising about 27 organizations, said Dr. Marian Melish, pediatrics professor and past president of the medical school's faculty senate.
"I think it was really statesman-like to respond to this genuine expression of support," she said. "Despite the financial pressures, I think the university administration has a vision for supporting the medical school."
"It has been a hectic week or so," Hammar said today, expressing surprise and gratitude for such solid backing from the medical school and community. "I'm most interested in the school and its survival. I think it's terribly important to the state. If we weren't so isolated, there might be other options, but it's played a vital role in the last 25 years."
Hammar, 68, was planning to retire when asked to become interim dean of the medical school in December 1996 after Christian Gulbrandsen retired.
"That has come and gone," he said, laughing. "Having a charge and task like this is rejuvenating. I will certainly stick with it until the school is in better shape."
Smith said the UH had hoped to get a permanent dean for the school by July 1, but "the search committee didn't come up with a further name."
Three top mainland candidates declined the position, citing concerns about instability of funding for the school.
Faculty members said Hammar has provided strong leadership.
"We've tried to bring everybody together," Hammar said, "and we've had such good quality students ... We still get 1,100 applications for 58 slots." Class sizes will be increased to 62 in August and then to 66 the following year, he said.
But funding remains a critical problem.
Hammar said he hopes to develop an advisory council of hospital CEOs to advise the medical school on policy. He said two-year and five-year business plans will be developed and he will look for an associate dean to help with fiscal affairs and plan development.
"I'm hoping we can begin to work on rebuilding the school and expanding." He said he wants to establish a good financial base isn't sure where additional revenue will come from. "I keep eyeing the tobacco money. We are a health facility," he pointed out.
Hammar said his intent is to stabilize the school and make it more attractive to candidates for a permanent dean. "It may take a year before we can do that," he said.
Melish said, "We've been given a reprieve to continue with an able and effective dean. We have a plan to deal with any problems we might have ...
"These are measures clearly designed to strengthen the school and allow us to be more attractive to recruit a new dean of world-class capabilities."
Group fasting to save
By Mary Adamski
public health school
Star-BulletinA handful of University of Hawaii students and professors pitched tents in front of the Manoa campus administration building beginning a hunger strike to dramatize their last-ditch hope of saving the threatened School of Public Health.
"We want the administration to realize our commitment and the community's support of the public health school," said graduate student Mark Diel, an organizer of the planned weeklong demonstration outside Bachman Hall. He said he and other participants will consume only water and juice through next Monday. They hope their ranks will swell as the week goes by.
Supporters from health-related organizations and the faculty union held signs for the benefit of afternoon commuters yesterday, then stood around commiserating about the threat by the withered economy and shrunken budget.
It's not just a campus issue, it's a potential problem for the native Hawaiian community, said Laulani Teale, a graduate student in health education. "Hawaiians are the very worst statistic" in island public health, with high rates of obesity, heart disease, strokes, alcoholism and other risks, she said.
"People trained elsewhere would not understand the needs of the kanaka maoli and other Pacific people," Teale said. "There would be less cultural sensitivity in health programs. Hawaiians need access to health education."
There would be a communitywide impact if the school closes, said Dr. Arleen Jouxson-Meyers, president of the Hawaii Coalition for Health, a patients' rights advocacy group. "The quality of health care will undoubtedly go down in Hawaii," she said.
The school doesn't just train students as professionals but it serves as "a consultative resource, on a daily basis there is interaction between practicing physicians and the academic physicians and we all learn," Jouxson-Meyers said.
Barbara Wright, president of the Hawaii State Foster Parent Association, said: "We need to value public health, especially of our children for heaven's sake." She cited areas such as screening for diseases, immunization and "just for the education of people to know how to stay healthy."
The hunger strike demonstrators watched University President Kenneth Mortimer drive away. He has said he backs moving public health into the medical school as a department and that he cannot support action to ensure continued accreditation of the School of Public Health if it will cost money.
Foremost among the demonstrators' goals is to persuade Mortimer to sign an already prepared agreement to share resources with the state Department of Health, which is seen as crucial for accreditation. An accreditation committee will be here in the first week of June.
Acting Public Health School director William Wood said the pact is a formalization of a long-running arrangement by which Health Department professionals augment the faculty and students are given practical experience in the department's programs.
Professor Walter Patrick came armed with a resolution of support from public health educators from 42 institutions in 17 Asian countries. The Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health directors said: "We recognize that the leadership role for public health at the University of Hawaii will be greatly diminished in the region if urgent steps are not taken to maintain the strength and integrity of public health training through the School of Public Health, University of Hawaii."
