July 2024— Hāmākua-Kohala Health Welcomes John Raymond White as Chief Executive Officer

The Hāmākua-Kohala Health Center Board of Directors, including Ken Kaneshiro as President, Diana Moriarty as Vice President, and Nidhi Chabora as its Secretary welcomed John White as Chief Executive Officer.

White was most recently CEO & Superintendent of Mid-Valley Hospital and Clinic in Omak, Washington, a rural public hospital district with over $100 Million in annual revenue in its critical access hospital and provider-based rural health clinic. Prior to Omak, White’s tenure in Hawaii included roles as CEO of North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea and Hospital Administrator of Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu. White’s thirty-year career spanned five other rural hospital and clinic systems in Washington and Oregon.

Some of White’s past accomplishments include overseeing construction of a new, full-replacement hospital in Newport, WA; building a major expansion to the Shriners Hospitals for Children in Honolulu; and engineering hospital turnarounds in both Omak and Waimea. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington State University and a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Washington.

Board Chair Ken Kaneshiro said “White brings an entire career of visionary leadership with medical staff, finance and strategy, government regulations and relations, fund raising and construction. Welcome back to North Hawaii!”

The HKH Board solicited input from the staff after numerous interviews to ensure selection of a candidate embodying the qualities of a servant leader, possessing exceptional communication skills, exhibiting an in-depth knowledge of medical management, as well as guiding healthcare organizations through turn-around, fund raising, and large-scale construction.

White was selected after an exhaustive nationwide search. According to board member Ravi Singh: “Our ‘ohana deserves only the best and brightest. Our search was across the country, fielding 87 applications from coast to coast. We conducted dozens of phone interviews with at least two or more Board members, continuing with 12 video interviews with the entire Board and our Interim CEO, Cathy Marquette. From these semi-finalists came 3 well-veted finalists who were flown to the Big Island for intensive in-person interviews with clinic staff and the Board. We, and the community, were fortunate to have had such a difficult choice. It was clear that John White was singularly qualified to become our new CEO.”

White arrived on island July 1. “This is a homecoming for me – back to my place, my community, my purpose. I am grateful to the HKH Board for their confidence and support. Looking forward to the deeply meaningful work of caring for and improving the total health of our community!”

Chair Kaneshiro and the HKH Board sincerely thank and appreciate Cathy Marquette APRN for her year-long role as interim executive while at the same time continuing her medical practice. “Cathy took us through a challenging time with great skill, tenacity, and a vision for the Health Center. A huge success – and we are through this transition, thanks to her. Our deepest gratitude and respect for a job well done; a job far beyond anything we could’ve asked. Mahalo nui loa, Cathy!”