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Like most politicians, Gov.-elect Josh Green doesn’t back away from talking about himself. If you have met Green, who on Dec. 5 will be sworn in as Hawaii’s ninth elected governor since statehood, he probably told you he is also an emergency room physician.
You may have had a hint that it was his job because when you met him, Green was probably wearing his usual garb, hospital greens.
We can assume that now as governor, Green will be changing out of the scrubs as he goes on to become Hawaii’s gubernatorial attending physician.
Good thing, it turns out, that the positive attributes listed for an emergency room doc are all skills Hawaii will need during the next four years.
St. George’s University compiled a list of character traits needed to become a successful emergency room doctor. They also are the skills needed by Hawaii’s new governor.
First up: “You have composure.” Yes, temper tantrums will get you nowhere when you are governor. No screaming at your legislative buddies.
“Emergency physicians always need to have a fine level of composure,” says Dr. Ninad Desai, an emergency medicine resident physician at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center and SGU graduate. “You need to be able to compartmentalize different tasks and information, and prioritize accordingly.”
Hawaii’s budget has 12 sections and is growing; the governor needs a working knowledge of all of them. If Green needs help, there is assistance available. Sylvia Luke, House Finance chairwoman and now lieutenant governor-elect, is a state budget master. Not only do details not get past her, she knows why specific items were included and how much they cost.
Also, “you’re decisive” is another emergency room quality doctors like Green need. If outgoing Gov. David Ige was faulted for anything, it was for not making timely decisions ranging from not sending up a warning about that false missile alert in 2018, to not quickly reacting to the first spread of COVID-19.
And then, an emergency doctor — or Hawaii’s governor — must “love solving problems.”
When you are governor, everything that lands on your desk is a problem that your staff and Cabinet directors couldn’t solve by themselves; that’s why they sent it up to you. So you better be able to get to work on a solution.
Another trait of a doctor and governor is that you must be “detail-oriented.” If there was a skill that Ige possessed, it was the trait of appreciating and knowing the gubernatorial details of the local government. How something became a problem, who caused it, who can fix it and how long it will take are all questions a governor should answer.
Next up in recommended emergency room doctor qualities is, “You’re a natural leader.” Should be obvious, but not every politician can get everyone to follow his or her orders and lead. If Green could do it in his medical practice, he will have to transfer that skill to leading that proverbial herd of cats, the Hawaii State Legislature.
Finally, emergency room physicians “work well with others.” The guide says, “In the emergency department, patient care involves an entire team, and everyone has to play a role to maximize patient care.”
“Being a good team player requires that you listen to what other types of doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and additional team members have to say.” So also the governor should know that while he is the leader, he is a member of a team. The governor can appoint Cabinet members, but he must also work with that staff.
Green’s emergency room experience was in a small rural Big Island facility. Now when he walks into his state Capitol executive office, the spotlight will be as bright as any operating room light he ever saw.
Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays. Reach him at 808onpolitics@gmail.com.
