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We Have an Emergency … Is There a Governor in the House?
We have all seen it on TV … and perhaps you have also watched it play out in real life. At a concert, a rally or a sports event … anywhere that a crowd has gathered … someone has a sudden, medical crisis and an anxious voice is heard over the public address system, asking:“Ladies and gentlemen, we have an emergency … is there a doctor in the house?”
In Hawai’i, there is a new twist to that story. Last fall, Josh Green was elected as the state’s ninth governor. He is also a physician with substantial emergency room experience. As might be expected, improving healthcare was a major focus of his campaign. One promise that he has already begun to fulfill is the construction of kauhale … the latter is a cluster of “tiny houses” for homeless people who require ongoing medical support, with easy access to a clinic or hospital capable of providing the services that they need.
Recognizing that NIMBYism (‘not in my backyard’) would be an obstacle, Green had the first group of temporary dwellings built in his backyard. Freshly painted, the little houses stand adjacent to historic Washington Place. That property was once the home of Queen Lili’uokalani – Hawai’i’s last reigning monarch – and is now the governor’s mansion. Just a short walk away is The Queen’s Medical Center.
