Head of Maui hospitals stepping down before privatization
DENNIS ODA / JAN. 2015
Wesley Lo is stepping down as the collection of Maui hospitals.
WAILUKU >> The head of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is stepping down as the collection of Maui hospitals transitions to new private owners.
The Maui News reports that CEO Wesley Lo will step down as head of Maui County’s three hospitals and its parent regional organization on July 1, the same day Kaiser Foundation Hospital’s Maui Health Systems is scheduled to take over operations.
“I just thought it’s time for me to let go and not try to slow down the change,” Lo said Saturday, a day after announcing his departure. “Some point in time, you got to let go and allow the people to do what they need to do. My goal was to be the catalyst for the change and get us to this point.”
The quasi-public HHSC will step back and become owners of Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital on July 1, leasing the properties to Kaiser.
“My personal commitment to this community, and to all of you, is to see this transition through to completion,” Lo said. “Kaiser should and will choose its own leadership team without the pressure of my incumbency.”
Lo started at Maui Memorial Medical Center as chief financial officer 13 years ago. In 2004, he became an interim CEO at Maui Memorial and continued on to oversee all three of HHSC’s Maui County facilities.
“I’m excited about the future. I think Kaiser is going to do an excellent job here,” Lo said. “I’m so excited for the community. I think health care is going to see a great change.”
Laura Lott, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii, declined comment, saying the focus should be on Lo.
Avery Chumbley, chairman of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Maui Region board, could not be reached for comment by the newspaper.
13 responses to “Head of Maui hospitals stepping down before privatization”
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I wish only the best for the new private hospital. Maui’s future depends on it.
How does our future depend on it??
People of Maui owe a deep debt of gratitude to Wesley Lo.
For what exactly? Leading behind the scenes efforts to ban a private hospital a few years ago. And then with no competition he proceeds to bankrupting MMMC. Kaiser is so happy that they are getting a monopoly on Maui. And in a short period of time Wes Lo will get an ongoing 7 figure consulting contract with Kaiser.
You have on island hospital services. You almost didn’t.
You’re right. He pretty much bankrupted Maui hospital putting in programs that flat out didn’t belong, couldn’t survive in a smaller population. He wasted so much money, it’s impossible to count. His proclaimed public private partnerships? See Any??
Just sell them toi Kaiser. Why does State need to hold back control with leases?
Mr Lo will land on his feet…
Hawaii Health Systems is soooooo top heavy…..why do you need so many ceo’s?
Time to END HHSC that is supported with Hawaii taxpayer money and privatize all of the remaining neighbor islands public hospitals and have either HPH, Kaiser or Queens take them all over. Why is Wahiawa General hospital not privatized as well which requires a $2.5 million Hawaii taxpayer bailout in which they will come back for more taxpayer money.
You lead, follow or get out of the way. Good choice Mr. Lo, was time to let go.
Maxed out on his pension benefits.
Probably a long overdue resignation considering the state of finances at the Maui hospitals and their multi million dollar losses every year. Kaiser wouldn’t employ him anyway, they have much more competent management to run the hospital system. In the private sector, Mr. Lo would have lost his job running the hospitals long ago.