Hāmākua-Kohala Health under new leadership after extensive nationwide search

Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center is under new leadership.

The nonprofit North Hawai‘i health care organization recently welcomed new chief executive officer John White, who arrived July 1 and began his duties July 8.

“White brings an entire career of visionary leadership with medical staff, finance and strategy, government regulations and relations, fund raising and construction,’ said Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center Board Chairman Ken Kaneshiro in welcoming the new CEO.

White has a 30-year career spanning five other rural hospital and clinic systems in Washington state and Oregon.

He was most recently CEO and superintendent of Mid-Valley Hospital and Clinic in Omak, Wash., a rural public hospital district with more than $100 million in annual revenue in its critical access hospital and provider-based rural health clinic.

Prior to Omak, White spent time in Hawai‘i, including as CEO of North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea and hospital administrator of Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu.

“This is a homecoming for me — back to my place, my community, my purpose,” said White. “I am grateful to the [Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center] board for their confidence and support. Looking forward to the deeply meaningful work of caring for and improving the total health of our community!”

Some of White’s past accomplishments include overseeing construction of a new, full-replacement hospital in Newport, Wash.; building a major expansion to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu; and engineering hospital turnarounds in Omak and Waimea.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington State University and a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Washington.

White was selected after an exhaustive nationwide search.

The Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center board solicited input from the center’s staff and conducted numerous interviews to ensure selection of a candidate embodying the qualities of a servant leader, possessing exceptional communication skills, exhibiting an in-depth knowledge of medical management, as well as guiding health care organizations through turnaround, fundraising and large-scale construction.

“Our ‘ohana deserves only the best and brightest,” said board member Ravi Singh. “Our search was across the country, fielding 87 applications from coast to coast. We conducted dozens of phone interviews with at least two or more board members, continuing with 12 video interviews with the entire board and our interim CEO Cathy Marquette.”

From those semi-finalists, three well-veted finalists were flown to the Big Island for intensive in-person interviews with clinic staff and the board.

While it was a difficult choice, Singh said the board and the community are fortunate to have White as the clear choice to be Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center’s new CEO.

Kaneshiro and the board also thank and appreciate Marquette for her year as interim executive while at the same time continuing her medical practice at the center.

“Cathy took us through a challenging time with great skill, tenacity and a vision for the health center,” he said. “A huge success — and we are through this transition, thanks to her. Our deepest gratitude and respect for a job well done; a job far beyond anything we could’ve asked. Mahalo nui loa, Cathy!”

Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center has community health clinics in Honoka’a, Kohala, Laupāhoehoe and Waimea, offering primary care, dental, behavioral health and cultural health services.