Hawaii Personal Injury Blog - injury or death

FDA commissioner endorses legislation to improve food safety.

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:35:47 GMT

The Los Angeles Times (10/23, Zajac) reports, "Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Thursday strongly endorsed legislation that would give her agency new tools to improve food safety, but she warned that Congress still must find a way to pay for them if consumers are to benefit." The proposed "changes would require significant additional manpower and costly new computer systems, Hamburg told the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee." Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) "urged the FDA to come up with cost estimates quickly because, he said, he didn't want to pass a bill that would be undermined by inadequate funding."

The Wall Street Journal (10/23, A2, Zhang) reports that Hamburg said the bill needs to be stronger and give that agency more authority as well as funding, asking that the Senate's bill more closely resemble that one that passed the House in July.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Benjamin Makekau and Ikaikakane Makekau Victims of Fatal Kalanianaole Crash

Wayne Parsons — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:02:36 GMT

The car left the road and went airborne and crashed into a tree and the roof of the Oceanic Institute building. The occupants, Benjamin Makekau, 20, and his brother Ikaikakane Makekau (19) were dead at the scene of this violent car crash according to a KHNL News reporter Duane Shimogawa.

The incident happened on the Waimanalo side of the the Makapu'u lighthouse on a bad stretch of roadway. Police aren't sure what happened because no one has come forward to tell what led up to the deaths. Rumor has it that the Makekau car may have been racing another car. People in the area of the crash say that they heard arguing and voices at the scene of the crash. Another suspicious circumstance is that the police were not called for 45 minutes.

Someone knows what happened and they let the police know. If you know something please call the police or contact me. The KHNL report states:

Police say the driver may have been racing another car, when he lost control around a curve near the Makapuu Lighthouse on Kalanianaole Highway, Sunday.

Investigators say the 20-year-old Makekau is from Waimanalo. His brother is from Kona. They were in the car that hit an embankment which launched them into the air.

The car then crashed upside down into an Oceanic Institute building after hitting a tree and a fence.

The TV news includes a clip Keoni Limahai, who sees the dangers of this stretch of Kalanianaole Highway:

"We have lots of accidents on this roadway right here, it's a pretty busy road," he said.

"The one where they had the Gotcha Pro, had this one driver that had get into one accident, right in the same area and I think three of the people died in his car, he lived," he said.

"I think actually if they widen the road, move, so that you would have more leeway if you get off the road, you could go off a little big, instead of going in the bushes or trees," Limahai said.

The accident happened at around 2 a.m., Sunday. Police say the car veered off the road and launched into the air, crashing into the roof of the Oceanic Institute building.

We agree with Limahai who aptly points out that the real loss will be felt by the families of those who died.

"I just sorry to hear, sorry about for them families, that they lost their loved ones, but you know, you just gotta drive safe man," he said.

Police are still investigating if drugs or alcohol were factors in this crash. If you have any information about this incident, call police.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Sara Sutton Dies In Single Car Crash In Hilo

Wayne Parsons — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:07:04 GMT

Speed and alcohol may have been involved in the tragic death of Sara Sutton, an 18-year-old Big Island resident.

According to KITV News

"Police found the crashed 2000 Honda two-door sedan against a macadamia nut tree at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. The car crashed some time between 6 p.m. Tuesday and when the car was found, police said.

It appears Sutton's car ran off the side of Maikalani Drive near Amauulu Street in Hilo before hitting the tree.

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Sara was taken to Hilo Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at 10:22 a.m.

An autopsy has been done to find the cause of death, and police want people with information about Sutton's activities Tuesday evening to call the department's non-emergency line at 935-3322. When alcohol is involved in a serious accident the police often want to see if the person was illegally served by a liquor establishment.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Why Did Kenneth Richard Owens' Parachute Fail To Open?

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:27:55 GMT

In a tragic story, Kenneth Richard Owens is dead today after his parachute failed to open during a sky dive on the North Shore Monday. Owens, a 27-year-old Pearl Harbor-based Navy diver, was set to deploy today and so this was a last bit of fun before he left to defend the country. I cannot imagine there grief and shock family is going through. All of these soldiers are true hero's for defending the country and when a death occurs in a domestic situation like this it is shocking and doesn't seem fair to me. Last year I represented the family of Ethan Ranz, a war hero from Fertile, Minnesota after he was killed by a drunk driver, 5 days before his discharge and return to his parents home. I cannot imagine a sadder situation. In a small way have seen what the Owens family is going through and I know that there are no easy answers for them.

According to the Star Bulletin story, by Gary T. Kubota and Leila Fujimori Owens had made dozens of jumps since August 2008. He fell 13,000 feet without his parachute opening and was found in Mokuleia.

Owens is believed to be married and have a child. He is from West Chatham, Massachusetts and his parents are David and Mary Owens of West Chatham. Our condolences go out to the family.

The FAA is investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident. According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin investigation:

Owens was in a four-person formation when his main parachute failed to open due to what Hinshaw said was a packing error. "He had a high-speed malfunction, but he should have responded by opening up his reserve."

Hinshaw said Owens was sports-jumping with three others and was on his third jump of the day.

Owens landed in a pond on Dillingham Ranch, authorities said. Skydive Hawaii employees pulled Owens from the pond about five minutes later.

The other three divers landed safely at Dillingham Airfield and gave reports to police, Hinshaw said.

The call came into the Fire Department at 12:27 p.m., and police and fire officials got to the scene quickly and began resuscitation efforts. Owens wa then taken by ambulance to Wahiawa General Hospital.

Owens had 85 to 95 jumps according Skydive Hawaii:

"I remember I congratulated him when he graduated his student program," around September 2008, and he had started sky-diving in August 2008, he said.

"He was a together guy," Hinshaw said. "He seemed to have his wits about him and command over all his facilities. He's a nice, pleasant guy."

"Skydive Hawaii regrets the loss of his life and mourns the loss with his family and friends. ... He had so much potential," Hinshaw said.

Owens packed his own parachute but carried a reserve parachute that was packed by a professional rigger, Hinshaw said.

"It's rare that someone would have a total malfunction and not deploy their reserve parachute," he said.

Hinshaw understands why Owens used his last day before shipping out to go sky-diving. "The people that kind of get addicted to sky diving, you want the adrenaline, where sky diving does give you the adrenaline," he said. "It's something that's very enjoyable.

"He was a wonderful young man," he said. "He was just enjoying life."

The statistics show that injury or death in skydiving is rare. It is actually a pretty safe sport according to the book "Jump! Make Your First Skydive Fun and Easy" by Tom Buchanan:

USPA data for 2000 shows that there were 32 fatalities, and there were 34,217 members of the organization that year. Using these figures defines a fatality rate of 1 per 1,069 members. The fatality numbers will vary significantly from year to year, but a ten year average of data collected between 1991 and 2000 shows one skydiving death was recorded for every 903 members. USPA single year data also show that members made an estimated 2,244,165 jumps in the year 2000, presenting a fatality rate of one death for each 70,130 skydives that year.

The President of Skydive Hawaii, talking to KGMG television news speculated that the problem may be from Owens packing his parachute:

"He did have a good amount of knowledge of sky-diving, he packed his own chute, he was certified to jump by himself," said Frank Hinshaw of Skydive Hawaii.

The 27-year-old and three friends had gone up with Skydive Hawaii, a company Owens first jumped with last year. Hinshaw says Owens used his own chute and packed it himself. Everything was fine during the group's first two jumps earlier in the day, but the third jump ended in tragedy.

The FAA and police are investigating but Hinshaw speculates the chute may not have been packed properly.

"He made a problem in his packing procedure and probably didn't close main parachute properly," Hinshaw guessed.

A skydiving expert tells us a jumper is taught to aim for water if half of the parachute malfunctions, but the water didn't cushion Owens' fall; his main and reserve parachutes failed to deploy

Something doesn't add up for me. Owens was plenty experienced and, I think, unlikely to screw up packing his parachute. I wonder who owned the parachute and whether if may have been defective. First the FAA will investigate and they we can look more closely at the situation. Anyone with information is welcome to Comment.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Separate Wahiawa And Kunia Motorcycle Crashes Leave One Dead And One Critical

Wayne Parsons — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:22:31 GMT

The motorcycle was headed toward Haleiwa at about 1:15 p.m., just past Wahiawa, when it crossed the centerline on a curve on Kaukonahua Road and crashed into an oncoming car one mile past Wilikina Drive.

Going to Haleiwa ia always a beautiful way to spend the day but something went terribly wrong for the 29-year-old motorcycle driver. Whether it was speed, a problem with the motorcycle or inattention is not yet known. What is known is the deaths and serious injury on motorcycles continues to rise on Oahu this year. I have written several times this year on the subject of why motorcycles crash. Federal Highway Administration Studies Cause Of Motorcycle Crashes by Wayne Parsons, October 10, 2009 According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin News story:

Police said the motorcyclist was Haleiwa-bound at 1:13 p.m. when he failed to negotiate a bend in Kaukonahua Road and smashed into an oncoming car about a mile past Wilikina Drive. The man died at the scene. Police said he was wearing a helmet.

The other vehicle was a Chrysler sedan with 4 people in it and it was being driven by a 24-year-old woman. No one in the sedan was physically injured but you can imagine that a collision like this would leave permanent mental scars.

We have now had 42 deaths in traffic accidents on Oahu this year compared to 36 at this time last year. Why is that? Is it speed? Traffic? On the day of the Kaukonahua Road crash, another motorcyclist crashed in Kunia and was in critical condition last night. The second motorcycle accident happened at about 8 p.m. on Kunia Road near Kupuna Loop according to police. The motorcyclist is his late 50s and was taken to Hawaii Medical Center West.

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The reasons for these incidents is under investigation. If you know anything about the incidents please let us know.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Federal Highway Administration Studies Cause Of Motorcycle Crashes

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Hawaii247 reports that the Federal Highway Administration is conducting an ambitious new study to better understand and prevent motorcycle crashes, Administrator Victor Mendez announced.

Between 1997 and 2008, motorcycle rider fatalities increased from 2,116 to 5,290 - a 150 percent jump, according to U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

Motorcycles are one of the highest-risk groups on on our streets and highways with nearly 5,300 motorcycle riders dead in roadway crashes in 2008, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities. 96,000 were injured. In 2008 alone, deaths due to motorcycle crashes rose by an estimated 2.2 percent while all other vehicle classes saw reductions in fatalities.

“Having a better understanding of what causes these crashes will help us improve roadway safety for everyone,” Mendez said. “Keeping people safe on America’s roads is Secretary LaHood’s top priority at the Department of Transportation.”

The new motorcycle crash causation study is the first in-depth analysis of motorcycle safety in 30 years. A provision in the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users” (SAFETEA-LU) requires the study, which will be conducted by the FHWA in partnership with the Oklahoma State University.

The Oklahoma Transportation Center is one of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 10 National University Transportation Centers, and it receives federal grants to conduct transportation research.

“OSU is delighted to be the lead research institution for this important study,” said Dr. Alan Tree, associate dean for research in OSU’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology. “We expect very significant, scientifically valid results to emerge from this work and look forward to a very positive final outcome.”

Factors evaluated in the study include road configurations, environmental conditions and rider experience.

The study’s focus is to look at how these factors may be affected by countermeasures that, if effectively implemented, will prevent motorcycle crashes or lessen the harm when they occur. Prevention is a goal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted a motorcycle causation study in 1981.

Hawaii has been among the states seeing high rates of motorcycle injury and death.

Motorcycle Deaths Skyrocket On Oahu by Wayne Parsons April 12, 2009

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Injured Tourist Airlifted from Hanakapiai Beach On Kauai

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:16:11 GMT

Hiking to remote beaches can be risky as a 52-year-old Canadian tourist learned this week. After injuring his legs at Hanakapiai Beach on Kauai, KITV reports that a tourist was rescued and airlifted out by Kauai Rescue. Firefighters, paramedics and a life guard joined in the rescue. The rescue took place on Thursday afternoon.

The injured man was 52 and from Vancouver, Canada. His injuries prevented him from walking out on his own. That trail is not an easy one to navigate. Particularly when it is wet.

Emergency crews treated the man and airlifted him to Princeville Airport, where medics took him to Wilcox Memorial Hospital.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Maui Mournes Loss Of "Na'i" Kana, "Tuku" Kana and Tyson Latham

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:43:54 GMT

In a story today in the Maui News, "Young men mourned by community" a tribute to the three young men is cause for all of us to pause and bow our heads. The three are 20-year-old Na'ilimakuwai'oleokekulamehamehaokaluna'iu'iuokeahua "Na'i" Kana; his 17-year-old brother, Kalamakuokana'auao "Tuku" Kana, both of Waihee; and their cousin, 20-year-old Tyson Latham of Wailuku. Th crash occurred on Kahekili Highway on 30 September.

KANA FAMILY photo courtesy of the Maui News

Na‘ilima Kana poses with his 1-year-old daughter, Kaha-li‘aoku‘uhaola Kana-Yarborough. Kana was 20.

St. Anthony Church holds services for the three in the Keanae YMCA gym. Burial will follow at the St. Gabriel's Church Cemetery. The Maui News story shows the loving nature of the family and highlights the devastating loss.

"I don't know what words to express our heartfelt sympathy to such a loving family," said Kapono'ai Molitau, co-kumu hula of Na Hanona Kulike 'O Pi'ilani, where the Kana brothers' younger sister was a student.

Molitau said the brothers sometimes picked up their sister from hula practice.

"They were very respectful kids," he said. "They would always make sure they would say aloha. If they're anything like their parents or anything like their sister, they're very respectful gentlemen and very loving.

"It's just too soon. They were just getting started in their adult life."

Latham worked in the county Aquatics Division as a summer lifeguard where he was remembered as "respectful, kindhearted and fun" by Fran Yamamoto, an Aquatics Division official. Latham had been talking about going to college.

"They just remember him to be just a great guy to work with," Yamamoto said.

The single car crash occurred on Kahekili Highway north of Wilipohaku Street in Waihee.

Na'i Kana was driving a 2004 Mazda sedan headed north when he lost control of the car. The vehicle crossed the centerline before returning to the northbound lane and continuing off the highway, hitting an embankment, where it overturned and came to rest against a tree, police said.

Lei, ti leaves and candles have been placed at the crash site on Kahekili Highway. According to the maui News:

Na'i Kana worked at Akaku: Maui Community Television, editing the Maui Daily weekly news program. His brother, Tuku, also known as "Kalamaku," was a senior in the Hawaiian language immersion program at King Kekaulike High School. Susan Scofield, principal at King Kekaulike High School, remembered Kalamaku:

"We are all very sad he didn't have that opportunity to fulfill his dreams," she said. "It's pretty sad when a young person goes so early."

School counselors, behavioral health specialists, and Maui Police Department chaplains and crisis workers are helping friends and all students with counseling sessions. Counselors remained available to students through the end of the week, she said. Tuku Kana was still alive in critical condition at the time.

In the Maui News story Scofield said she appreciated the support extended to the school, especially by police.

"They are really angels to us," she said.

Both Na'i and Tuku Kana started their Hawaiian language immersion education at Punana Leo O Maui preschool. Na'i continued in the Hawaiian immersion program until his freshman year of high school, when he was accepted into Kamehameha Schools Maui.

Henohea Kane, lead teacher for Kula Kaiapuni 'o Kekaulike, the Hawaiian language immersion program at King Kekaulike High School, knew both brothers from the time they were young children.

The program is like a family, she said. "To lose two Kaiapuni students whose mother was a Kaiapuni teacher for many, many years is really difficult," she said by e-mail.

"What I remember most about Na'i is his heart that showed in his personality and in his smile," Kane said. "Na'ilima was warm, sweet and very respectful. He was definitely someone who could light up a room when he walked in. Always smiling, always considerate of others, I always saw his mother in his 'ano (personality) every time I was around him, such a nurturing kanaka Hawai'i (Hawaiian man)."

She said Kalamaku, a student at Kula Kaiapuni 'o Kekaulike, was set to graduate in May.

"Kalamaku enjoyed life, he was a very talented singer, such a beautiful and soulful voice!" she said.

Hulali Canha, a classmate and friend of Na'i, remembered his involvement in many school activities at Kamehameha Schools Maui. He played volleyball as a freshman and sophomore, served as sophomore class representative, junior class president and senior class vice president.

Na'i enjoyed working in media, graphic design and video production and helped with the school newspaper and production team, Canha said.

"Everything he did, he did with a passion," she said. "He had so much fun doing what he did while making lifelong friends and memories along the way. His easygoing, fun-loving energy and his smile were contagious."

Friends also said the brothers had a passion for Hawaiian culture and enjoyed working in the loi, or taro patch.

Yamamoto said Latham had just started working as a summer lifeguard in September and worked at various pools on Maui.

"He left a wonderful impression on the public as well as his co-workers," she said.

I have written two articles on this tragedy. The losses will be remembered. These young men will not be forgotten.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Do Private Health Insurance Practices Causes Decline In Health Care Quality?

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:08:11 GMT

Science Daily reports on 09 October 2009 that "[t]he cost and quality of health care, as well as access to care and health outcomes, continue to vary widely among states, according to the Commonwealth Fund Commission " The Commonwealth Fund Commission is a private foundation working toward a high performance health system. This is it's second rating of the various states. In their report "Aiming Higher: Results from a State Scorecard on Health System Performance, 2009".

Leading states in the 2007 report still lead, disparities are great and the gap is widening. That means the quality of your health care depends on where you live in the United States. That's why we need national health care and a public option. I suspect that the driving factor in this is the insurance company denials of paying for quality and necessary treatment and tests. It isn't that we have too much health care in the form of rampant defensive medicine. Its that some adjuster at a big insurance company is denying a lot of patients and their doctors necessary treatment. This rationing of medical care by private health insurance companies is making America sick. The report confirms my support for a single payer public plan for health insurance, AND reform of insurance law and strict regulation of private insurance companies.

Since the beginning of the decade, insurance coverage in most states has been eroding for adults while increasing or holding steady for children. This divergence reflects the impact of federal action to expand coverage for children through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); rates of uninsured children in 2008 were the lowest since 1987. Nevertheless, high and rising rates of uninsured adults in many states underscore the need for comprehensive national reform to expand coverage in all states, and to further the gains made in Massachusetts, Vermont, and other states that have taken a lead in enacting reforms.

Private health insurance in the United States has failed. While the insurance industry is hugely profitable, the doctors are not being fairly reimbursed for treatments and the CFO's of the insurance companies are directing widespread denials of treatment to patients. Who are these insurance executives anyway? They aren't doctors so why can they make treatment decisions? It isn't defensive medicine that is a problem, its the money hungry insurance executives that are hurting people. Maybe they could use a good dose of lawsuit abuse.

While health insurance coverage for adults declined in a majority of states, the only improvements occurred when government support was implemented such as in health coverage for children. The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

A new bill signed into law by President Obama makes millions of children eligible to receive health insurance.

If your kids do not have health insurance, they are likely to be eligible, even if you are working and even if you have applied in the past and been turned down.

Your state (and every state) has its own program, with its own eligibility rules, but in many states, uninsured children 18 years old and younger, whose families earn up to $44,500 a year (for a family of four) are eligible for free or low-cost health insurance that pays for

Doctor visits, Dental care, Prescription medicines, Hospitalizations and much more.

Find out if your child qualifies.
Go to Your State's Program or make a free call to 1-877-KIDS-NOW.

Looking at overall health care in 2009, Vermont, Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Maine, and New Hampshire lead the nation and these states set new standards on most indicators. Conversely, low states have declined in most areas.

"Leading states have raised the bar for better access, quality of care, and reducing disparities," said Commonwealth Fund Senior Vice President and study co-author Cathy Schoen. "Where you live in the U.S. matters in terms of your health care, and it shouldn't. These wide and persistent gaps among states highlight the need for national reforms and federal action to support states. National leadership has been critical for children– particularly for states with historically high rates of children uninsured— so we know that strong national efforts can make a real difference even in struggling states."

The sharp variation across states spans access, quality of care, costs, and lives. For example, rates of hospital readmissions (within 30 days of a previous hospital stay) among Medicare beneficiaries ranged from a high of 23 percent of hospital admissions in Nevada to a low of 13 percent in Oregon. The percent of adult diabetics getting recommended preventive care ranged from a low of 33 percent in Mississippi to a high of 67 percent in Minnesota as of 2006-07, a new high. On these and other measures, the lowest ranked states would have to improve 40 percent to 100 percent on average to achieve the performance of top ranking states.

Here's what would happen if the low states caught up:

Twenty-nine million more people would have health insurance—cutting the number of uninsured by more than half;

Nearly 78,000 fewer adults and children would die prematurely every year from conditions that could have been prevented with timely and effective health care;

Nine million more adults age 50 and older would receive recommended preventive care, and almost 800,000 more children would receive key vaccinations;

Five billion dollars could be saved annually by avoiding preventable hospital admissions and readmissions for vulnerable elderly and disabled residents.

It isn't all bad news. Most states improved in treatment for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and prevention of surgical complications. And the lowest states have improved in some areas to what the average was in 2007. In addition, most states improved significantly in the quality of care in nursing homes (reductions in pressure sores, pain, and use of restraints) following a national effort to make that data publicly available. Wouldn't it be nice if the reason was that doctors and nurses made this improvement on their own? Why does it only happen when the poor quality is exposed to public view. lawsuits and news stories are the only tools that force change. That's why tort reform has no place in health care reform.

"The differences we see among the states translate to real lives and dollars," said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. "If we can enact health reforms that give all states the opportunity to do as well as the best states we will save lives, improve quality, and cut costs. And, the good news is that these aren't pie in the sky goals—we know they are attainable because we see it happening in the states at the top of the pack."

Here are the declines in health insurance coverage from the private sector:

In 1999-2000 there were only two states with 23 percent or more of adults uninsured, by 2007-2008 there were nine. In 1999-2000, 22 states had less than 14 percent of adults uninsured; by 2007-2008 the number dropped to only 11 states. Children fared much better—due in large part to the CHIP program. The number of states with 16 percent or more of children uninsured dropped from nine to three between 1999-2000 and 2007-2008.

Gaps in coverage between states were particularly stark, with 32 percent of working-age adults uninsured in Texas compared to only 7 percent in Massachusetts as of 2007-2008. Several states stood out in terms of health insurance coverage expansions, as part of comprehensive reforms. Massachusetts, which had only begun to implement its universal health insurance program during the period covered by the State Scorecard, had the greatest increase in coverage for adults and gains in coverage for children. The reforms passed by Vermont in 2006 to cover the uninsured and establish a "blueprint for health" focused on preventing and controlling chronic disease are providing a new model for other states. And, Minnesota has achieved high rates of adult coverage and better preventive care through public–private collaboration.

The 2009 state scorecard includes 38 indicators grouped into five dimensions of performance—access, prevention/treatment quality, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives. The analysis ranks states on each indicator and then averages the indicator ranks to determine the dimension rank. Dimension scores determine the overall rank. Equity measures the gaps in performance between vulnerable groups and the national average.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation supporting independent research on health policy reform and a high performance health system.

Hawaii health care is at the top of this review and is an example of how to do things right. A separate report gives details of 7 top states and why they rank at the top: "Aiming Higher for Health System Performance: A Profile of Seven States That Perform Well on The Commonwealth Fund's 2009 State Scorecard".

Hawaii: An Early Quest for Coverage

Hawaii has one of the healthiest populations in the nation, as measured by the Commonwealth Fund’s
State Scorecard on Health System Performance, 2009 (Table 5). Compared with most states, fewer people in Hawaii smoke and are overweight or obese, and more people are engaged in regular physical activity, which is not a surprise given the state’s natural beauty and diverse geography. However, Hawaii also has its share of health-related challenges. For example, Hawaii has the highest incidence of breast cancer of all 50 states, but it also has the lowest death rates for breast cancer. How is that possible? Hawaii’s residents have excellent access to primary and preventive care, say the states health experts, and that reduces preventable mortality and enables early identification and management of chronic disease.

Hawaii also has had mandatory health insurance for all employees since 1974 and that system is singularly distinguishable across the country. If you wonder how our little states can afford this, it actually saves money because with everyone in the system the numbers make the insurance side of the system more efficient just like national health insurance reform would do in a single payer public plan.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons

Propane Tanker Truck Rolls Over On Malakole Street In Campbell Industrial Park - Driver Hurt.

Wayne Parsons — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 10:04:33 GMT

Yesterday I blogged about a KITV News story about a gas comapny propane truck mysteriously turning over in Campbell Industrial Park. Initial reports didn't make sense. Neither did my article. Now I have

The propane truck, owned by the Gas Company, and shown above, collided with a dump truck and overturned. The dump truck was exiting an asphalt company on Malakole Street near Hanua Street at about 1:15 p.m., said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. Firefighters sealed off the area and confirmed no propane was released.

Seelig said the propane truck driver was treated for injuries that were not critical. He added that a wrecker company righted the propane truck, and the road was reopened.

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Paramedics treated the driver and took him to a nearby hospital for further medical care.

Four Campbell Industrial Park businesses were evacuated yesterday after the 1:15 p.m. incident, said Honolulu fire Capt. Terry Seelig. Firefighters isolated the area and confirmed no propane was released. The Gas Company employee driving the propane truck wass treated for injuries that were not critical.

If you know more about this incident please contact my office.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Wayne Parsons