As the Leeward side grows and evolves, so too do the investments being made in workforce development and in health care. Meet some of the people and organizations driving positive change within the communities of West O‘ahu.
UH West O‘ahu New Tech
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HDS gives Something to Smile About
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Queen’s Medical Center-West O‘ahu Expands
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Bend and Flex with Hawai‘i Pacific Health
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Western Pacific Crane & Equipment
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Letter from the Chancellor of UH West O‘ahu
THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I–WEST O‘AHU welcomes you to join in our commitment of collaborative connectivity to further the West O‘ahu region and engage in community-building to strengthen our collective goals.
This year, we hosted the Onizuka Day of Exploration and the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC), and numerous other events to bring hundreds from the community together. We look forward to hosting even more to give our students the chance to broaden their knowledge base. We encourage this spirit of togetherness as part of the thoughtful and meaningful exchange of ideas, culture, and traditions that are so important to personal and professional development.
The extension of our campus and its endeavors in the community, along with the service, practicums, and projects that they perform as part of their scholarship, provide our students with diverse perspectives that are gained through such gatherings. This, in combination with traditional academic programs and specialized programs in emerging fields, demonstrate our commitment to addressing community needs and fostering industry professionals.
Community in the university. University in the community.
We welcome you to learn more about UH West O‘ahu and join us on our journey to elevate our community and those around us!
E mālama pono!
Dr. Maenette K.P. Benham Chancellor, UH West O‘ahu
TECHNOLOGY PATHWAYS
Increased engagement, access and equity are helping students move toward jobs in in-demand and emerging fields.
This year, the University of Hawai‘i-West O‘ahu (UHWO) has made several new partnerships that will help students master the skills essential in today’s digitally intensive, modern workforce. For example, UHWO recently received an $800,000 National Science Foundation grant to explore a model for Native Hawaiian and other Indigenous-serving institutions to better prepare students and faculty to work with technological advances such as generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The project, rooted in pilina (relationship) and aloha ‘āina (love of the land), centers around the development of computational thinking within college courses.
“Engaging Indigenous communities in the conversation about and in the education of new emerging technologies is really important,” says Esther Widiasih, Ph.D., one of the project’s principal investigators and also the chair of the Mathematics, Natural and Health Sciences Division at UHWO. Digital literacy, mathematical skills and computational thinking skills can provide a pathway for Native Hawaiian students to higher paying STEM jobs.
“It’s not just about making sure everyone can use the latest tools like AI, but also about including their perspectives in decisions about how these technologies are used,” Widiasih says. “By listening to Indigenous voices, we can make better choices about the future of technology that respects their rights and values.” The project kicked off in August 2024.
PHOTO: AES HAWAI‘I
BY KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
In April, UHWO and AES Hawai‘i celebrated the launch of the company’s West O‘ahu solarplus-storage project in Kapolei. The project site is situated on 66 acres of UHWO’s mauka lands
Students collect data on native plants near a fishpond, with automated sondes in the background measuring air and water conditions. The students will use computational skills to analyze and utilize the data.
adjacent to Makakilo. It is AES Hawai‘i’s first facility to combine solar generation and battery energy storage on O‘ahu, and is expected to produce enough energy to reduce O‘ahu’s use of fossil fuels by 750,000 barrels of oil over the project’s lifetime.
The new project supports the university’s 2035 net-zero energy goals, provides a revenue stream to support higher education and emphasizes the importance for students to embrace a clean energy future.
Additionally, UHWO has been selected by Amazon as one of its local education partners for the company’s Career Choice program. Career Choice is an education benefit for Amazon employees that supports them in achieving higher education opportunities. Amazon was slated to open its new delivery station on Sand Island in early August.
Through Career Choice, employees can study at their own pace while earning credits toward an
associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or academic certificate. Amazon pre-pays tuition to UHWO, which then provides the education and training designed to lead to in-demand jobs, especially in fields such as health care, transportation and technology. Amazon also reimburses employees for books and fees.
More than 160,000 Amazon employees globally have participated in Career Choice so far, and the company is investing $1.2 billion in the U.S. to upskill more than 300,000 employees by 2025.
“We’re thrilled to join Amazon as an educational partner and offer relevant degrees or certificates to Amazon employees looking to expand their knowledge base,” says UHWO’s chancellor, Maenette Benham. “Our combination of traditional academic programs and specialized, place-based offerings, both available online and/ or in person, prepare professionals for emerging workforce trends.”
An aerial shot shows the West O’ahu solar-plus-storage project in Kapolei.
PHOTO: AES HAWAI‘I
BY KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT
With research showing the many links between oral health and overall physical wellbeing, community dental outreach is more important than ever.
The HDS Foundation was established in 1986 to improve oral health in the communities where Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) operates, including Hawai‘i, Guam and Saipan. Shere Saneishi-Kim joined HDS in 2004 and has been its HDS Foundation director since 2017, overseeing philanthropic grant-making to support nonprofit community organizations, including community dental clinics, govern-
The mouth is linked to whole-body health, and poor dental health is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular conditions, strokes, and even pregnancy complications. That’s why the Hawaii Dental Service Foundation (HDS Foundation) promotes oral health education and improves access to dental care for underserved populations.
For example, the HDS Foundation recently gave a $436,000 grant to Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center to obtain a dental van. It will be used primarily for outreach to area schools, reports Shere
ment agencies, and educational institutions.
In 2023, the HDS Foundation distributed over $2.5 million across various initiatives, including grants to community nonprofits, scholarships for dental and dental hygiene students, loan repayment programs for dentists, and other community programs. These funds are dedicated to promoting oral health education, preventing oral disease, advancing workforce development, and improving access to dental care for underserved populations.
In addition to providing grants for deserving nonprofit organizations, the HDS Foundation also provides scholarships for local students majoring in dentistry or dental hygiene. The HDS Foundation awarded a
total of $110,000 in scholarships to Hawai‘i students for the 2023-2024 school year. Ten dental hygiene students at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing, Dental Hygiene Program, each received $3,000 awards and eight dental students from Hawai‘i attending dental schools across the US mainland received $10,000 scholarships.
The HDS Foundation also conducts outreach in underserved communities across Hawai‘i, and its oral health initiatives include Dentist by One, Seal Away Decay, and Kūpuna Smiles. To learn more about the HDS Foundation and its work, visit HDSFoundation.gives.
Saneishi-Kim, director of the HDS Foundation. With two dental chairs, lighting and an array of equipment, the van will allow dental professionals to do exams, cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments and more for the students. Because most of the state’s water is not treated with fluoride, children in Hawai‘i struggle more with their oral health than in other places, notes Saneishi-Kim.
Another West Side initiative for keiki is Sealants in Schools, mainly done in the Waipahu area. “It’s for second graders as a preventive measure to avoid cavities,” she says. “Between second and third grades, their adult molars are erupting. These are permanent teeth, so we want to help keep these teeth healthy forever,” explains Saneishi-Kim.
Along with nonprofit organization Ke Ola Mamo, the HDS Foundation participated with Kaiser Permanente at a healthrelated baby shower at Kaiser’s West O‘ahu Medical Office in Kapolei. “They invited expectant moms and moms who had just had babies,” says Saneishi-Kim.
“One of our dentists shared what they can expect with their babies’ teeth, and about the importance of taking children to a dentist before their first birthday. We gave out oral health gifts for the moms and their babies. It was a fun event; we hope to be back there again.”
HDS also helps elders in the community with its Kūpuna Smiles program. This training initiative brings a team of dental hygienists to long-term care facilities, such as Pu‘uwai O Makaha Rehab and Nursing, to help educate staff on how to best take care of their residents’ oral hygiene needs.
“We provide tips and tools like threesided toothbrushes, and foam bite sticks to help residents keep their mouths open. This makes the care team’s jobs a little easier, and they can do a better job of cleaning the teeth of kūpuna, too. Many residents have dentures, so the hygienists also talk with the nursing staff about how to care for and clean dentures.”
HDS is also involved with workforce development, helping dental profession-
als to attend school career fairs, like Campbell High School’s Health Academy fair held in March. At Ewa Makai Middle School, a $25,000 grant from the HDS Foundation created a mock dental clinic for the school’s health academy students.
HDS also supports student scholarships. For example, a Waipahu High School graduate attended UH Mānoa and HDS provided financial support for her to attend the dental hygiene program. After graduating in May, she’s now back in Waipahu working for a dentist in the community. SaneishiKim says it’s exactly the kind of outcome the HDS Foundation hopes for.
“In total, we gave more than $2.5 million last year in grants to community nonprofits, our scholarships, loan repayment for dentists, and our other community programs,” says Saneishi-Kim. “It’s an investment in our community to make sure we can continue to improve oral health throughout our islands.”
LOOKING BACK, LOOKING AHEAD
Continued expansion aims to meet the health care demands of a growing area.
It was a banner year for The Queen’s Medical Center-West O‘ahu.
In May, it celebrated 10 years of providing care to those living in West O‘ahu. The hospital had opened on May 20, 2014, sharing a birth date and month with Prince Albert (born May 20, 1858), the only heir to Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV, founders of The Queen’s Hospital.
In celebration of the 10-year anniversary, there was a week of activities at Queen’s-West including a lei-making event, keiki movie night, Mākeke Market, cultural discussions and a staff appreciation meal.
The following month, in June 2024, Queen’s-West had another reason to celebrate: the opening of its new Same Day Surgery space. The 8,500-square-foot
space has 21 bays for pre- and post-operative patients. The Center serves as a hub for conducting more common procedures such as colonoscopies, esophagogastroduodenoscopies, orthopedics, and pain procedures, which had been previously performed in the operating room. Having these procedures done in the new Center helps to free up space in the operating room for more complicated cases.
“As always, Queen’s-West is committed to providing patients with high quality, compassionate care in a safe environment,” says Robin Kalohelani, RN, MSN/Ed, CCM, FACHE, vice president of regional operations Central and West O‘ahu and associate chief nursing officer. In fact, in the fall of 2023, Queen’s-West received a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade of A, a national distinction that recognizes the hospital’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and error.
The Queen’s Cancer Center at The Queen’s Medical Center - West O‘ahu, opened in 2022, “continues to provide critical and much needed outpatient comprehensive cancer care to those living in West O‘ahu,” says Kalohelani. The array of services includes medical oncology, chemotherapy, radiation oncol-
BY KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
ogy, nurse navigation, social work and nutritional support, as well as travel, transportation and lodging assistance. “We understand how frustrating it can be for patients to have to travel to various places to receive treatment, especially for cancer patients who are already dealing with a myriad of challenges related to their diagnosis,” Kalohelani says. Having everything under one roof can help ease some of the stress for patients.
Looking ahead, she says 2024 will continue to be a year of growth for Queen’s West-O‘ahu. The goal is “to provide comprehensive services to meet the health care demands of those living and working in West O‘ahu,” she says. “Queen’s realizes the need to ensure access to care to all, as well making it available close to home.”
Queen’s Medical CenterWest O‘ahu
FROM CANCER CARE TO EMERGENCY CARE, TO A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALTY SERVICES , The Queen’s Medical Center - West O‘ahu in ‘Ewa Beach provides families with access to high quality health care conveniently located in their neighborhood. We remain committed to ensuring that we are delivering on our commitment of ensuring access to care by honoring the legacy of our founders, Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV.
Queen’s-West offers an array of services including gastroenterology, cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, ear, nose & throat (ENT), sports medicine, rehabilitation, women’s health, cancer care, and much more.
Queen’s also offers other health care options to those living in the ‘Ewa/Kapolei region. At EmPower Health, located at the corner of Kapolei Parkway and Keoneula Boulevard, we focus on a multidisciplinary approach to health care where patients are cared for by their core health care team. With our comprehensive primary care services for families, convenient location, on-site parking, as well as the added services of Diagnostic Laboratory Services and Queen’s Island Urgent Care, our patient population has grown in part through word of mouth and trusted communication throughout the community.
The Queen’s Health Systems is proud to have a dedicated team of caregivers who continue to provide compassionate care every day as part of our ongoing commitment to delivering high quality care to all of our patients.
(808) 691-3000
WWW.QUEENS.ORG/WESTOAHU
BEND AND FLEX
BY KATHRYN DRURY WAGNER
Bone and joint services on the West Side are helping people return to their desired activity levels.
In orthopedics, much of what the physician does is about what the patient wants to achieve in life.
Explains Timothy Fei, M.D., “My approach is to educate patients as much as I can, and then guide them to make a tailored decision based on what their goals are. A professional athlete’s goal is very different from a 75-year-old grandma whose goal is to be able to knit again.”
Fei is a hand and upper extremity surgeon at the Hawai‘i Pacific Health Bone & Joint Center at Pali Momi Medical Center, where he specializes in carpal tunnel, trigger finger, hand arthritis, peripheral nerve repair and transfers, upper extremity fracture fixation, shoulder arthroscopy, and elbow and shoulder arthroplasty (replacement). He also practices at Straub Medical Center – Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care.
in with other tech-related health woes, too, such as thumb tendonitis from cellphone use – it’s also called “gamer’s thumb” within the video game industry. He’s also had patients with tennis elbow, but says, “It’s a misnomer. I’ve never seen a tennis player with tennis elbow. It’s often from people gripping laptops or even their luggage.”
Timothy Fei, MD Orthopedic Surgery, University of Hawai‘i
Along with these technology-induced, repetitive movements, aging is an additional risk factor for orthopedic concerns, he says.
Just like cars, humans are elegant machines. Fei explains, “Parts do wear out. That being said, you can take care of yourself. Be mindful of your ergonomics. Take breaks between work sessions; instead of sitting for four hours straight, get up and move around, talk to your colleagues, change your posture.”
Pali Momi and Straub Benioff Medical Centers
PALI MOMI MEDICAL CENTER RECENTLY CELEBRATED ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF SERVING WEST AND CENTRAL O‘AHU. Opened on July 31, 1989, the medical center was founded by Dr. Joseph Nishimoto, known by many as simply “Dr. Joe.” Raised on a rural Waialua plantation camp, he envisioned a place where patients in underserved communities could be treated closer to home.
Since its founding, Pali Momi has strived to uphold that vision. One of Pali Momi’s most important services for the community is its Emergency Department (ED). The ED recently added a new space called Laulima, which is designed so medical teams can quickly assess and treat patients who have less serious conditions. This helps decrease the time patients spend in the ED while improving their overall experience.
Like Pali Momi, Straub Benioff Medical Center was also founded by a physician — Dr. George F. Straub. This year, the medical center was renamed to recognize longtime Hawai‘i philanthropists Marc and Lynne Benioff, who donated $100 million toward a major redevelopment project to transform the facility into the health care campus of the future.
Straub also offers a network of neighborhood clinics, including Straub Medical Center - Kapolei Clinic & Urgent Care. This clinic provides a wide range of general and specialty services to adults and children, including primary care, imaging and orthopedics.
The No. 1 medical concern he treats is, surprisingly, business related. It’s carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition caused by compression of the nerve in the wrist and often triggered by keyboard use. Fei frequently sees patients come
Fei has worked in large health care institutions in Cleveland and New York, and says the team at Hawai‘i Pacific Health fully measures up. “I’m very happy with the care we provide. The best part of my job is the people; the world-class nurses, medical assistants
Pali Momi and Straub Benioff medical centers, along with Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children and Wilcox Medical Center, are part of Hawai‘i Pacific Health. To learn more, visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org.
and so many others. They make the practice go around. I’m an important part but so are they. When I get high marks for patient satisfaction, that’s a reflection of the whole team.”
But Hawai‘i offers something he hadn’t encountered much during his time spent in residencies and fellowships on the continent: lots of marinerelated injuries, including working with patients who are crewmembers on international fishing vessels.
“That is challenging because they can’t stay here on land, so it’s a lot of time educating them on care for their injury, and then when they are ready to go back on the ship into international waters, we give them the health care supplies or help them know where to get the supplies they’ll need,” he says. “We do our best to coordinate a time for follow-up care. These are interesting scenarios. I’ve never had to deal with that anywhere else in the U.S.”
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