Hawaii Pacific Health

Everyday heroes are among us – and two of them are part of the Hawaii Pacific Health ohana! Congratulations to Kyle Ohisa, PA-C, and Dr. Jami Fukui, who have been named as 2025 Hawaii Healthcare Heroes by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii! What makes these awards truly special? They're nominated by the very people whose lives they've touched – patients and families. Kyle, a Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group physician assistant with the Neurology team at Pali Momi Medical Center, is honored for the compassion and dedication he shows to patients and their families – providing expert care while listening with heart and ensuring families are always a part of the decision-making process. “With every visit, he listens intently, shows genuine concern and spends his valuable time and experiences to provide Travis with the best care possible." – Linda Masuhara, Kyle's nominator and mother of Travis. As a Hawaii Health Partners breast medical oncologist at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children and associate professor at the University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Dr. Fukui is celebrated for her tireless commitment to breast cancer patients facing some of life's toughest challenges. “She is compassionate, patient and always makes me feel that I am not alone in this journey.” – Lynn Enright, Dr. Fukui's patient and nominator. Stay tuned for their full stories this October, when they will be honored at the HAH Awards and Scholarship Gala, and featured on Hawaii News Now and in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Mahalo, Kyle and Dr. Fukui, for the exceptional care and compassion you provide to our patients and their families. Your dedication and passion inspire us every day in our mission to create a healthier Hawaii! 🩵

The 40th cohort of the Summer Student Research Program (SSRP) successfully concluded their journey with Hawaii Pacific Health at the highly anticipated Scientific Presentations held Friday, Aug. 8. During this culminating event, 11 dedicated scholars showcased the clinical research they conducted over the past eight weeks to an audience of HPH leaders, physicians, principal investigators, SSRP alumni, donors, and proud family members. Congratulations to the 2025 SSRP Scholars on their outstanding efforts and achievements! Mahalo to everyone who supported the program and helped make this experience meaningful for our future healthcare leaders.

🪼🐚 We're still feeling the summer vibes while making waves of gratitude for our amazing HPH Shared Services teams with a splash of fun! Our “Under Da Sea” summer carnival was a shell of a good time – complete with games, treats and lots of smiles! 😄 Mahalo to everyone for keeping us sailing smoothly. ⛵

📺 Tomorrow morning, Aug. 26, at 5 a.m., tune in to Hawaii News Now – Sunrise live for a sneak peek inside the new Straub Benioff Medical Center – Mililani Clinic & Urgent Care! Learn about the services and technology helping us create healthier communities in Central Oahu. 💚

This summer, HPH joined forces with Kaukau 4 Keiki, a summer meal box program that provides children with nutritious meals during summer break, for a multi-day volunteer opportunity to pack meal kits for qualified families who live along the Waianae Coast. Over two weeks, a total of 42 HPH employees and their family members ventured to Kahumana Farms to pack and distribute meal kits. “Kahumana Farms works with the Department of Education and Hawai‘i Foodbank to feed keiki over the summer break. Each day, meal kits are distributed to more than 500 keiki," said Rexie Ah Chong, HPH Community Partnerships coordinator. Each meal kit included enough ingredients to prepare up to 14 wholesome meals. That comes out to about 7,000 meals every day, and approximately 63,000 meals at the conclusion of the volunteer activity! "I signed up for Kaukau 4 Keiki because I wanted to be a part of making sure keiki in Waianae have access to healthy meals during the summer break," shares Sasha Mak, Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group manager of Clinic Operations – Surgical Specialties. "This experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the power of community coming together to care for our most vulnerable and reinforced the importance of supporting our local families." During each shift, volunteers prepared approximately 500 meal kits, filling them with food that included locally sourced fresh produce. They also helped to distribute the kits to the families who gratefully picked up the meals at Kahumana Farms. Mahalo to our employees who dedicated their time to volunteer for this great cause. Not only did they provide much-needed nourishing meals to families in our local community, but they gave local farms and food producers a bit of economic stability Together, the HPH ohana continues to embrace these volunteer opportunities to build healthier communities and create a healthier Hawaii!

Congratulations to Pali Momi Medical Center for being nationally recognized as a 2025 Energy to Care Award winner by the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) – the only medical center in Hawaii to earn this honor. From upgrading air handling units to reducing synthetic natural gas use by 75%, Pali Momi is leading the way in energy sustainability! Mahalo to the Pali Momi team for their commitment to environmental stewardship – just one of the many ways they're creating a healthier Hawaii.

As Hawaii's keiki head back to school, Dr. Benjamin Schnakenberg, Hawaii Pacific Health Medical Group family medicine physician with the Straub Benioff Medical Center – Hawaii Kai Clinic, shares practical ways families can make the transition smoother – from adjusting sleep schedules and limiting screen time to encouraging daily activity.

❤️ From the first step to the finish line, our HPH ohana brought smiles and energy to the American Heart Association Hawaii Heart Walk Saturday, Aug. 9. We walked, waved and cheered our way around Kapiolani Park — all to help fund lifesaving research, CPR training and healthier communities across Hawaii. Mahalo to everyone who joined us in making every step count! ❤️ #HIHeartWalk #HawaiiHasHeart #HPHOhana

Be part of something new and meaningful! Join our team at the Straub Benioff Medical Center – Mililani Clinic & Urgent Care, opening soon in a brand-new, expanded space at the Town Center of Mililani! We’re looking for a Medical Assistant to join our Urgent Care department, where you’ll work alongside a passionate team of physicians and staff delivering Straub Benioff’s signature compassionate care to patients and families. ✨ What makes this opportunity special? ✔️ Work in our newest clinic location ✔️ Enjoy a bigger, modern space ✔️ Use state-of-the-art equipment ✔️ Help shape the future of care in Mililani If you’re detail-oriented, a great communicator and committed to providing high-quality care to Hawai‘i’s families – we want to hear from you! 📲 Apply now: https://bit.ly/4oslGEA

🏓✨ In celebration of National Pickleball Day, August 8, we reflect on the exciting competition and spirited participation at April's Hawaii Pacific Health ESPN Honolulu Open, presented by HMSA! Mahalo to our outstanding players, volunteers, sponsors and community partners whose contributions powered the inaugural event to success.