The University of Hawaii plans to retain Michele Carbone as head of its Cancer Center, despite calls for a leadership change by some faculty who say the director’s poor management has tarnished the center’s reputation and jeopardized its funding.
UH is working on a solution that would involve the embattled director keeping his job, while providing him support to help stabilize the center.
"The university is developing a plan to strengthen the Cancer Center under the continuing leadership of Michele Carbone as director," UH said in an emailed statement. "The Cancer Center is vital to our state, and the university is committed to ensuring that it achieves its full potential to serve the people of Hawaii."
UH did not provide additional details of the plan, and faculty at the center say they have not been privy to any details.
Years of internal disputes over Carbone’s management came to a head last week as former and current faculty say they were prompted to petition the Board of Regents to remove Carbone after two failed attempts by UH-Manoa Chancellor Tom Apple to terminate him.
Carbone was first named interim director in November 2008 before being appointed to the post a year later by former UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia Hinshaw. He has been working without a formal employment contract, according to UH.
The university would not confirm attempts to fire Carbone but said last week that it was concerned about the center’s long-term future, calling it one of the most important programs at UH. As one of 68 National Cancer Institute-designated centers in the country, it attracts about $30 million a year in federal research grants.
UH said last week that a plan was in the works to strengthen the center, but would not say whether that involved Carbone remaining at the helm.
Carbone was not available for an interview, according to a university spokeswoman.
He is paid $412,000 a year, making him the third-highest-paid employee at UH, and he oversees about 300 faculty and staff on the center’s payroll.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser last week requested copies from UH of all letters received by the regents over the past two weeks regarding Carbone’s leadership. A week later, the university said it was still not able to provide any to the newspaper, saying its attorneys needed to first screen all correspondence before releasing them as public documents.
The university also said it could not say how many letters have been received, or provide a tally of how many have been critical of the director or in support.
Cancer Center faculty and researchers paint two very different pictures of Carbone’s leadership, according to several letters obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
On one hand, those calling for Carbone’s removal describe him as a vindictive director who retaliates against those who challenge his decisions and has created a hostile and stressful work environment.
On the other hand, those in support of Carbone credit him with securing renewal of the center’s National Cancer Center designation last year and that any rancor arises from personal feuds and animosity.
Lynne Wilkens, a faculty member with the epidemiology program at the center, told the regents in a Dec. 11 letter that at least seven faculty members have left because of his management style and at least seven faculty complaints against him have been upheld.
She wrote that Carbone lacks transparency and visionary leadership, adding that management problems that the faculty identified in 2009 have continued unabated for the past four years.
Wilkens said Wednesday she hadn’t heard about the university’s plan to retain Carbone.
"We’ve been trying to effect change in the leadership style for five years. I don’t know what plan they think would work," Wilkens said.
She said she hopes any plan the university implements will address unresolved faculty complaints that have been ruled in favor of faculty. But she ultimately wants "a change of leadership so that we can get back to being a productive and nonhostile work environment."
Some faculty said privately that they’ve been told by staff at the National Cancer Institute that UH is at risk of losing its federal standing because of concerns over its management.
Linda Weiss, director of the Office of Cancer Centers under the National Cancer Institute, said the center is not at risk.
"The University of Hawaii received a five-year award in 2012, so their designation is not in jeopardy," she said in an email.
Brian Issell, who served as the center’s director from 1988 to 1999 and now works as an associate director, wrote in a Dec. 11 letter that the center has "grown substantially" under Carbone’s leadership, citing the successful renewal of the center’s federal designation and completion of the center’s new facility that opened earlier this year in Kakaako.
"We’re actually moving upwards and the best is to come. We have so much more opportunity now. But I’m so saddened that some faculty are trying to pull down the institution," he said in an interview Wednesday. "Sure, I recognize things could have been done better with regard to personal relationships, but you’ve got to look at the overall good. It’s really shameful that people are fighting each other."
He added, "We’re here to support the people of Hawaii and beyond. I can guarantee you this, the Cancer Center has made a huge impact on the quality of cancer care in our state."
Issell and six other senior faculty submitted a commentary to the newspaper Wednesday, throwing their support behind Carbone.
"Dr. Carbone deserves credit for making changes that have improved the quality and impact of the work being done by the center. He has insisted on high standards of performance, and has been an agent of change," the group wrote. "Dr. Carbone has also been very successful with fundraising, he has attracted talented faculty and he has gotten us national visibility because of our research. This is the sort of person the UH needs to retain."
State Sen. Josh Green, chairman of the Senate Health Committee, said he wants to see the university move forward.
"It is in our state’s best interest for both sides to work out their personal differences and move forward. Those who suffer from cancer and need this center aren’t interested in interpersonal drama and conflict," Green said.
He added that while Carbone "has many strengths and brings a lot to his position, still he can surely use some additional support from the UH leadership to further help the Cancer Center thrive. Any shortcomings he or others have can be addressed professionally and calmly over time. Sometimes everyone needs to compromise a little and set their agendas aside for the greater good of our state. I truly hope this happens."
