With heavy lifting done, Kaiser wants in

We just have to wonder what’s being said — muttered, possibly — in the board rooms of Hawaii Pacific Health these days.

Specifically, what was the executive reaction to Kaiser Permanente Hawaii stepping up as a potential suitor in the transition of the state-owned Maui hospitals to private management?

Kaiser had shown an interest earlier in the discussions but it was HPH in the driver’s seat as the bill enabling the shift maneuvered through the Legislature.

Wesley Lo, who heads the state’s Maui hospital region, avoided choosing sides in his reaction statement, but did acknowledge "resources" HPH already invested to advance the plan.

Competition is always a good thing, but usually the contenders enter the ring at about the same time.