Dr. David M Bernstein, MD

As head of HI VA's Behavior Health division, Dr. Berstein in 2015 refused to backfill a position left open by a reassigned therapist. When asked why, he commented that he "was having trouble finding someone who wanted to move to Hawai`i." When asked why he didn't look on island considering there would likely be a number of interested qualified therapists, he replied he was "waiting for the position to be upgraded to a G12 from G11." When then informed that an incoming therapist would likely not already be a G12 rather a G11, AND that the choice to NOT fill the position had dumped 200 - 1000 patients upon the CBOC director (as noted by the director himself), Dr. Bernstein had nothing to say, nor took an initiative to backfill. Executive action to open the position for backfilling produced two qualified candidates within two days.

Little to like. Very arrogant. Never served and you can tell.