Hawaii Pacific Health taps CEO for new group

Dr. Leslie Chun, chief medical officer of The Queen’s Medical Center, is leaving the hospital Oct. 31 to join rival Hawaii Pacific Health, where he will help bring employed doctors under a single operational group.

Chun was named chief executive officer of the Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group, which will be officially established Dec. 15 as part of an “evolution to become an integrated provider” with more than 600 physicians and other health care providers working together to improve patient care.

“We see a real benefit for our patients and our physicians with the formation of this new medical group,” said Raymond Vara, president and CEO of Hawaii Pacific Health. “Although the individual brand of our four medical facilities will not change, the new group structure will serve to facilitate better communication, collaboration and coordination among physicians across the system to ensure that HPH continues to be a great place to receive care and to practice medicine.”

Chun, who also is Queen’s chief quality officer, has 15 years’ experience in the health care industry both locally and on the mainland. He most recently led efforts to bring in a mainland firm that has come under fire for its controversial billing practices.

Queen’s replaced a dozen local doctors with Envision Healthcare Corp., one of the nation’s largest physician-staffing companies, to take care of surgical patients in the hospital as of Sept. 1. Envision, based in Nashville, Tenn., has faced scrutiny nationally for allegedly charging insurers and patients higher rates than warranted and for not participating with certain health insurance.

He has worked as an internist, educator, medical director for an international health care analytics company, and hospital administrator. Before joining Queen’s in 2014, he was chief of clinical and medical affairs at Maui Memorial Medical Center.

“Health care today is changing at a rapid pace with a clear focus on value as defined by high-quality care at an affordable price,” said Chun, an ‘Iolani School graduate. “I look forward to working with the Hawaii Pacific Health team to ensure that we provide our community with world-class health care.”

Hawaii Pacific Health is the parent company of Kapiolani Medical Center, Straub Medical Center, Pali Momi Medical Center and Wilcox Medical Center on Kauai.