Page 15 - MidWeek - July 20, 2022

The latter point is why Raethel, the current presi- dent and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawai‘i, and his staffers will be honored July 30 with this year’s St. Francis of Assisi Spirit Award during a wine gala at Sheraton Waikīkī Hotel. Presented annually by St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawai‘i, the award is be- ing bestowed upon the HAH team for its “abiding commit- ment to unreservedly serve the community throughout the pandemic.”
pecially during the pandemic they know that we’ ve got to work together,” he adds. “We can’t rely on a cavalry driving across the border with trucks and all that kinds of stuff.”
the availability of high-flow oxygen for respiratory sup- port for their patients, Raethel and his staff took immediate action to resolve the issue.
JULY 20, 2022 MIDWEEK 15
Raethel, Team Prove They Have The Right ‘Spirit’
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hile it may not be a cavalry, the HAH team does function extraordinari- lywellasa
“Within 72 hours, we had a multifaceted plan to address the situation,” he recalls. “Long story short, because of all the incredible collabo- ration, we were able to avert that crisis. So while we never actually ran short of oxygen, we were that close.”
“As with the Sisters of St. Francis who came to Hawai‘i in 1883 to care for those suf- fering from Hansen’s disease, HAH was a breath of fresh air,” say the organizers of the event. “The HAH team pro- vided solutions to complex challenges during the pan- demic, including surge staff- ing to supplement Hawai‘i’s frontline health care teams and respiratory support for Hawai‘i’s patients impacted by COVID-19.”
quick-moving, life-saving unit. Over the past two years, Raethel and his staff of 20 members have ridden into harm’s way on numerous occasions, willingly expand- ing their mission to meet the constantly changing needs of state residents battling a
Raethel is appreciative of the praise HAH has received throughout the pandemic, but he makes careful note that his team couldn’t have done anything without the autonomy that both Gov. Da- vid Ige and the state Depart- ment of Health granted the association to make its own decisions.
(Above) Hilton Raethel, at right, greets Hawai‘i Healthcare Hero Award winners at the 2019 HAH Awards and Scholarship Gala. PHOTO COURTESY HILTON RAETHEL (Right) The Raethels moved to Hawai‘i in 2000. Here, they enjoy a bit of family time together. Pictured are (from left) Steven, Ashley, Hilton, Kathy, Justin and Brydon. CHRIS SIMMONS PHOTO
Raethel calls the honor “very, very rewarding” for an association that functions as a bridge between the payer and provider sectors and one that represents approximately 170 health care organizations around the state — including all of its acute care hospitals.
“What we did was get all our medical directors togeth- er with all of our hospitals — because Remdesivir was only to be used in a hospital setting — and they came up with a list of guidelines about a hi- erarchy,” Raethel explains. “So, no matter whether you were in Hilo or Kona, or on Moloka‘i or Lāna‘i, or in Ho- nolulu, if you met the criteria, there was an equal chance of you getting the drug.”
In his view, each stop along the way has provided him with valuable real-life ex- periences that have prepared him for his current position, which he calls “the best job in the world.”
try faces — most notably, the shortage of workers because of resignations, relocation, burnout and other factors. Yet despite the dwindling numbers in the health care workforce, Raethel believes better days are ahead.
The evening will be an op- portunity to celebrate the pos- itive that has happened in the state over the past two years, and remind everyone how a unified effort can help the public through a particularly difficult period.
once-in-a-lifetime crisis. For example, when the drug Remdesivir became available for use, HAH — in close coordination with the
“We kept them fully in- formed of what we were do- ing, but the governor and oth- ers did not interfere. They did not jump in and say, ‘We think you should be doing this,’ but they trusted us and we trusted them, and it all worked very, very well,” says Raethel. “We were able to have that very close, collaborative and cooperative arrangement that did not exist in many other states, where the hospitals felt their hands were tied, where they couldn’t do those things they wanted to do or had to do those things they didn’t want to do. We did not have that situation in the state of Hawai‘i.”
For Raethel, his success with HAH can be attributed to his decades’ worth of ex- perience in the health care in- dustry. Prior to joining the as- sociation in 2017, he worked for a dozen years in Southern California, including at Loma Linda University Medical
state Department of Health — took the reins and coordinat- ed the delivery of this remedy to hospitals statewide.
Center, before he and his wife (who retired as president of Adventist Health Castle last year) moved to the islands in 2000. Thereafter, he was welcomed at Straub Clinic and Hospital, Hawai‘i Pacific Health and Hawai‘i Medical Services Association, where he served as senior vice presi- dent of foundational services.
“HAH exists to serve its members,” he explains. “We’re in this unique posi- tion where we can bring peo- ple together. If an issue comes up, we can get our payers to- gether, we can get our mem- bers together, and we can get the regulatory bodies together and be a convener.
HAH also came through during one of the most tense moments of the pandemic when Airgas, the largest pro- ducer and supplier of oxygen in the state, notified local health officials last summer that it was about to run out of oxygen in 10 days. Know- ing that so many statewide ICU units were counting on
“I’ ve had phenomenal op- portunities that led me to this role,” states the 65-year-old Raethel. “I was in the right place at the right time when this opportunity came up.”
“We’re working incredi- bly hard to increase the pipe- line of health care workers. We’re also working with our high schools, our community colleges, our universities to ramp up and get more people into the pipeline. It’s a chal- lenge not only for us here in Hawai‘i, but nationally as well,” he says.
“I am so proud of my team and what the members have done and how each of them has contributed, worked to- gether, pulled together to support our members and this state during this continuing pandemic,” he says. “Despite all the suffering and despite the deaths, we still have the lowest infection rate and the lowest death rate (across the nation), and that’s something allofushavearighttobe proud of.”
“One of the beauties of living in Hawai‘i is that people have this incredible
Being in the right place means, in part, finding the right solutions to combat the current challenges the indus-
While the work goes on for Raethel and his team, he says he’s looking forward to the upcoming award ceremony.
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