Forty-four employees of Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital have signed a petition asking the State Director of Health to investigate charges of mismanagement against Administrator Frank Crabtree. The petition was presented to Dr. Walter Quisenberry. Director of Health, in Honolulu by
Forty-four employees of Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital have signed a petition asking the State Director of Health to investigate charges of mismanagement against Administrator Frank Crabtree.
The petition was presented to Dr. Walter Quisenberry. Director of Health, in Honolulu by officials of the HGEA and UPW, who said it is a joint action of the two groups.
The petition asked “an immediate investigation of an intolerable situation that has developed over the past 20 months at the Hospital.”
It added that “the behavior and deportment of the administrator has had a thorough disruptive effect upon the mental well being of many of the employees. Today, because of his unreasonable and erratic conduct and disposition an atmosphere of uncertainty pervades the hospital to the extent that we can no longer in good conscience remain silent.”
Leaders of the two local employee groups who are working together on the matter are Clarence Takashima, executive secretary of HGEA, Kauai Chapter, and Gary Rodrigues, UPW business agent. They said the petition for the hearing was resorted to since Mr. Crabtree is under Civil Service and can only be removed on a showing of cause.
Takashima said that the petition was forwarded to Daniel Ainoa, state HGEA director for hand delivery to Dr. Quisenberry. He said that hospital employees are ready to express their concern to the proper authorities. He said all but two of the 46 permanent hospital employees signed the petition.
Of the other two employees, one is vacationing on the mainland and the other is Mr. Crabtree himself.
The employee petition follows recent action by the KVM medical staff asking Crabtree’s removal as administrator. At that time the acting director of Health suggested that specific complaints would be needed to substantiate the complaint.
