The dean of Hawaii's only medical school predicted yesterday that its appeal of a proposed probation of its national accreditation will be successful. UH medical school appeals
accreditation probation planBy Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.comThe University of Hawaii's John A. Burns School of Medicine will remain accredited while it appeals a recommendation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the national body that accredits medical schools, Dean Edwin Cadman said. He does not expect a response from the committee for at least 60 days after filing an appeal, with a final decision in the fall.
Cadman said he will emphasize what the medical school already has been doing since he arrived in November 1999.
"These are not new issues," he said. "These are technical issues and we are addressing them. This is not about the quality of our students, faculty or graduates."
He also said he expects plans for a new $150 million medical school campus in Kakaako to proceed on schedule.
The accrediting committee said in its April 12 letter to UH officials that some reasons for the proposed probation are:
>> A "serious under-funding from limited revenue sources," contributing to operating deficits in the 1998-99 and 2000-01 fiscal years. >> Attrition that led to a low of 38 basic science professors at the medical school in 2001, down from 56 in 1995. >> Curriculum that is not evaluated regularly for effectiveness. >> Inadequate tracking of graduates. >> Funding cuts to the library that have slashed journal acquisitions by 50 percent and book purchases by 75 percent. >> A lack of disability insurance for students. The committee wrote that its proposal for probation "was based on the serious and long-standing nature of several areas of partial or substantial noncompliance with accreditation standards."
It also praised the school for the leadership of Cadman and UH President Evan Dobelle; its mission of providing health-care professionals to Hawaii and the Pacific; loyalty and commitment of a diverse student body; invaluable contributions by clinical faculty members; and a supportive environment for student learning.
Cadman wrote letters to state legislators Tuesday that sought to reassure them.
Though a key concern of the commission is a lack of state funding for the school, Cadman noted that of the 72 state medical schools in the country, 10 receive less funding from their states than UH.
He wrote that before he accepted the dean's job, he got a commitment from UH that it would hire 30 new medical school faculty. The six "who have been hired or with whom we are negotiating will bring $5.5 million annually to the school through grants and contracts."
"Our faculty (medical school and Pacific Biomedical Research Center) in the first nine months of this academic year have brought in $41 million through grants and contracts," Cadman told legislators.
State funds allotted to the medical school have increased to $18.8 million in fiscal year 2002, up from $15.7 million in 1995, medical school records show. This year's allotment will be determined by the university after it receives a lump sum from the Legislature.
Cadman said the state and local hospitals each contribute about 25 percent of the medical school's $63 million budget, with 40 percent coming from research grants and 10 percent from endowments and fund raising.
Cadman said the school has restored the number of science professors to 44, and his goal is to increase the number to 60 within a few years.
University of Hawaii
