State selects new Medicaid director

Judy Mohr Peterson has been named head of the state Medicaid program amid continuing problems with an online eligibility system estimated to cost taxpayers as much as $144 million. Mohr Peterson, who will start her job as administrator of the state Department of Human Services Med-Quest Division on July 1, is an expert in Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income residents, and the federal Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, DHS said in a news release. Mohr Peterson’s salary is $210,000 per year.

She fills a post left vacant since February when DHS ousted former state Medicaid director Kenny Fink, who led the program since 2008. In a memo to staff, Fink said he had been "asked to resign," but did not provide further details.

Fink oversaw implementation of the troubled Kolea eligibility system that opened in October 2013 to accommodate expanded Medicaid enrollment under Obama­care. Kolea is still unable to automatically verify the income of Medicaid applicants. DHS is scheduled to update the system this month to enable automation.

Kolea has come under fire after widespread complaints by community health centers that for more than a year the online system has constantly frozen up, frequently lost applicant information, didn’t update eligibility in a timely manner and couldn’t upload documents required for verification.

Mohr Peterson has served as Oregon’s state Medicaid director since September 2009.

Par Petroleum names Dods to board

Houston-based Par Petroleum Corp., owner of the former Hawaii Tesoro refinery and gas stations, said Monday that Walter Dods has been appointed to the board of directors. Dods, chairman of Matson Inc., will join the board following Par Petroleum’s stockholder meeting June 3.

Senate confirms 2 HTA board members

The state Senate has confirmed two new Hawaii Tourism Authority board members. Gerald De Mello and Rodney "George" Kam began serving their terms following their confirmations May 5. Gov. David Ige appointed De Mello as the Hawaii island representative on the HTA board of directors and Kam as an at-large representative.

HEI faces key vote

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. will hold a shareholders meeting at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to vote on the proposed $4.3 billion acquisition by NextEra Energy Inc. The meeting is in Room 805 on the eighth floor of American Savings Bank Tower at 1001 Bishop St. The deal also needs state Public Utilities Commission approval.

ON THE MOVE

Outrigger Hotels and Resorts has named the following employees assistant general managers for Outrigger-managed Wyndham properties: 

» Karen Villarmia as assistant general manager at Wyndham at Waikiki Beach Walk. She was general manager of the OHANA Waikiki West for the past 10 years.

» Maria Caravalho as assistant general manager at Wyndham Kona Hawaiian Resort. She was the resort’s operations administrator since last year as well as operations administrator for Kanaloa at Kona by Outrigger for four years.

Col. Brian Bishop, Civil Air Patrol’s Pacific Region commander, has appointed Col. John Henry Felix as interim Hawaii Wing commander. Felix has been a member of Hawaii Wing for more than 50 years. He currently serves as executive chairman, COO and CFO of the Hawaii Medical Assurance Association, as well as commander of Maryknoll Cadet Squadron in Hono­lulu.