Art Ushijima

The head of The Queen’s Health Systems tackles tough problems in a changing industry

By Vicki Viotti

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 21, 2012

~~<p>Art Ushijima never could have envisioned 21st-century medicine when he first started in health care administration. That year was 1973, and the current chief executive officer of The Queen's Health Systems was fulfilling his ROTC duty, starting seven years in the Air Force Medical Service Corps, administering military clinics and hospitals. Even in civilian hospitals of the time, the intensive-care unit was a fairly new innovation and countless other technological advances hadn't even been contemplated.</p>
<p>Now Ushijima, 64, is dealing with all the industry changes, good and bad, that confront people in his profession nationwide — many of them efforts to manage the skyrocketing costs of health care. In particular, Queen's has found 2012 to be a landmark year. Primary among the challenges that still lie ahead: finalizing the acquisition of the former Hawaii Medical Center-West, shuttered since January, a deal Ushijima expects to be inked in a few weeks.</p>
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Art Ushijima never could have envisioned 21st-century medicine when he first started in health care administration. That year was 1973, and the current chief executive officer of The Queen's Health Systems was fulfilling his ROTC duty, starting seven years in the Air Force Medical Service Corps, administering military clinics and hospitals. Even in civilian hospitals of the time, the intensive-care unit was a fairly new innovation and countless other technological advances hadn't even been contemplated.

Now Ushijima, 64, is dealing with all the industry changes, good and bad, that confront people in his profession nationwide — many of them efforts to manage the skyrocketing costs of health care. In particular, Queen's has found 2012 to be a landmark year. Primary among the challenges that still lie ahead: finalizing the acquisition of the former Hawaii Medical Center-West, shuttered since January, a deal Ushijima expects to be inked in a few weeks. Login for more...