Forum set on
public health school

Star-Bulletin staff

A task force charged with studying options for the controversial School of Public Health at the University of Hawaii at Manoa will hold a public forum Aug. 16 to gather opinions on the school's future.

"We anticipate hearing a wide range of views and we hope to be able to resolve discrepancies in the factual information that has been presented by the various groups with an interest in this matter," said Kenji Sumida, chairman of the task force and a former president of the East-West Center.

The meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. in Classroom 2 at the William S. Richardson School of Law. Those wishing to provide testimony may sign up at the forum.

Other members of the task force are Dr. Clayton Chong, director of oncology at St. Francis Medical Center; Dr. Julia Frohlich, president and medical director of the Blood Bank of Hawaii and a former UH regent; Dianne Plotts, general partner of Mid-East and China Trading and a former UH regent; and Leroy Laney, professor of economics and finance at Hawaii Pacific University and a former chief economist for First Hawaiian Bank.

The school lost its accreditation in June. Members of the faculty and public health community as well as students and alumni have lobbied to keep the school open and work for reaccreditation, while the UH-Manoa administration has advocated making public health a master's degree program folded into the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

The accrediting body said it might reconsider visiting the school if it sees commitment from the university to keep it open. That commitment must be made by September.

The task force will gather and analyze information and present a recommendation to UH President Kenneth Mortimer. Mortimer in turn will make a recommendation to the Board of Regents.

Facts presented by both sides have varied greatly. For example, cost estimates for keeping the school open vary from $50,000 a year to $700,000.

The task force plans to assess state and community needs for public health education; ascertain facts on budget, enrollment, revenue and other areas; identify national trends in public health education; and evaluate alternatives to a separate school.

The task force prefers written copies of testimony be delivered or mailed no later than Aug. 13 to Sumida at Task Force on Public Health, c/o RCUH, 2800 Woodlawn Drive, Suite 200, Honolulu, HI 96822. Indicate if the contributor wants to speak at the forum.