Kaiser Hawaii gets top accreditation

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii received the highest accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for improving service and clinical care.

The accreditation means that all eligible health plans, including commercial, Medicare and Medicaid, received the agency’s highest quality rating.

Kaiser was the first Hawaii health care organization to be accredited by the NCQA in 1995. The accreditation is awarded to plans that meet or exceed NCQA’s requirements for consumer protection and quality improvement and deliver excellent clinical care.

Finance ministers to meet in Hawaii

Finance ministers from the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation countries will meet in Honolulu on Nov. 10, 2011, the U.S. Treasury Department said. The ministers will meet before APEC leaders gather Nov. 12-13.

"The United States will use the opportunity of chairing APEC in 2011 to highlight the vast potential the Asia-Pacific region holds for American companies and workers, to help shape the future of Asia-Pacific’s regional architecture, and to promote APEC’s core mission of spurring mutually beneficial regional economic integration," the department said.

APEC finance ministers are scheduled to gather in Japan this November.

Honda recalling about 383,000 cars

WASHINGTON » Honda Motor Co. is recalling the popular Accord and Civic passenger cars to address problems with an ignition switch that could allow the key to be removed without the transmission being shifted into park, its third recall over the problem since 2003.

Honda said the most recent recall involved 384,220 vehicles and includes 2003 model year Accords and Civics and 2003-2004 versions of the Honda Element. Honda told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the defect with the automatic transmissions could lead to a vehicle rolling away and increase the risk of a crash.

The Japanese automaker said the recall would involve about 197,000 Accords, 117,000 Civics and 69,000 Elements.

ON THE MOVE

Chris Tatum has been elected chairman of the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association. He is area vice president at Marriott International for North Asia, Hawaii and South Pacific.

Ronald I. Taniguchi has joined Ameriprise Financial Services as branch manager at its Ala Moana Pacific Center office. He has 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Hagadone Printing Co. has hired or promoted the following:

» A. Michael Gascon as national sales manager. He was previously an account executive in the retail advertising department for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, as well as having worked in various positions at The Honolulu Advertiser for six years.

» Nicholas Riopelle as sales executive. He was previously with The Honolulu Advertiser for three years as well as the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for two years.

» Jeff Texeira to commercial sales manager from senior sales executive. He has been with Hagadone Printing Co. for 24 years.

Olelo Community Media has named Roy K. Amemiya Jr. as chief operating officer. He was previously an executive of Central Pacific Bank as well as an Olelo board chairman.