ELECTION DATES:

Primary Election:
Sat. September 20, 2008

General Election:
Tues. November 4, 2008

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It pleases me to know that there are those of you who understand that, although I am running on the Republican ticket, my goals are non-partisan. I am grateful for the support and contributions from everyone, regardless of your party affiliation.

A big Mahalo to my Democrat friends!
Jan  

      
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Aloha everyone,

It was the lack of healthcare on Maui that moved me to run for state senate. However, there are other problems that we are facing here on Maui and in Hawaii in general. Maui needs new hospitals. Our government-run hospital is poorly equipped, offers few services and is lacking in educational offerings for the staff. 

As a registered nurse and co-founder of the Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui, I have been working with AIHM’s 3000-plus members to bring a hospital to South Maui in addition to supporting efforts to bring a new hospital to the Westside. We need to keep Maui's medical dollars and good jobs here on Maui. Maui's healthcare is in crisis and I promise to make it my first priority.   

As your Senator I will work to abolish the State’s “Certificate of Need” process which gives government the final say on new medical facilities. We need market driven supply and demand to regulate businesses, including hospitals. 

             Read Jan's complete letter:..
              

Jan's Biography 

Jan Shields served on the nursing staff at Maui Memorial Medical Center in the well baby nursery and the postpartum floor. Jan saw the lack of resources at MMMC. Denied her request to upgrade Neonatal Intensive Care within Maui Memorial, Jan left the hospital in September, 2006 and was invited to join Dr. Ron Kwon in his pursuit of a second hospital on Maui .  

After Malulani’s request for a “Certificate of need” was turned down in October, 2006 and the new hospital blocked by State Health Planning and Development Agency, Jan founded Association for Improved Healthcare on Maui (AIHM). The goal of AIHM is to improve healthcare for all of Maui County. 

Jan served as school nurse at Kamehameha Schools until leaving to run for office. She continues her clinical consulting, inventing, and lobbying for better healthcare for Maui County. Jan and husband Paul Shields have four children. They own “Sunshine & Rainbows” legal vacation rentals in Kahana. Paul works as a Department of Defense Police Officer.  

Jan graduated from Michigan State University and later taught Veterinary Anesthesia at MSU. 
Jan later obtained her BSN, Cum Laude from Oakland University and then worked as a certified Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse in Detroit. Jan is author of a medical book and inventor of patented neonatal products and equipment currently used in 50 countries. 

Jan's Objectives

I feel that "studying" obvious problems is another form of "non-action". The voters elect their officials to serve them, not to put important issues on the back burner. 

We need private hospitals, and all the jobs that this industry will bring to Maui. Maui’s patients need to stay on Maui. Maui’s medical dollars need to stay on Maui, too.

I do not believe in doing things behind closed doors. If I am elected, I will be available in person, by phone and email. I will keep the public informed of what is happening at our meetings on Oahu. I value your feedback and ideas. I will listen to your concerns. I am focused on the improvement of our educational system in Hawaii. 

We need to evaluate where our educational dollars are really being spent and focus on getting those funds in the classroom. We need to support our public charter schools. We need to support Maui Community College in maturing into a 4 year university as our community grows.
 
We must work on our infrastructure and plan ahead for projects we will need to face in the future. We need to think about issues such as mass transit before all of the land we need is developed. We need a ‘think ahead’ attitude. It's time to roll up our sleeves and get things done. I will work for the good of everyone. It is time for us to take action. 

"It is not the function of our government to keep the citizen from falling into error; 
it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error."
                           U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson (1950)