Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 29, Number 9, 1 September 2012 — Waimānalo Health Genter gets a new executive director [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Waimānalo Health Genter gets a new executive director

By Cheryl Corbiell

Four months into her new job as executive director of Waimānalo Heahh Center, Mary Frances Oneha, Ph.D., says improving the health of Native Hawaiians is among her priorities. "I hope to focus efforts on maximizing information technology, workforce training and eommu-nity-based participatory research to achieve sustained quality improvement, with a particular emphasis on improving Native Hawaiian heahh," said Oneha, adding, "The staff needs to be skilled technology users and learn best practices for routine medical procedures. For example, an annual competency program for elinieal support staff is being developed." Oneha, a 30-year nursing veteran, oversees all operations of the heahh center whh a focus on the needs of Native Hawaiians and the medically underserved, while improving the heahh and wellness of individuals and their 'ohana regardless of their ability to pay. "The emphasis in heahh care is changing to value and away from volume," she said. The center serves 4,000 patients annually, whh 22,275 visits for medical, dental and behavioral services for both children and adults. The culturally and linguistically diverse client families intensify the complexity of caring for clients, with the majority being Hawaiian, Caucasian, Filipino and Paeihe Islanders, such as Samoan, Chuukese and Micronesian. As a youngster living in Waile'e on 0'ahu's rural North Shore in the 1950s, Oneha watched her mother don her nursing uniform for her job at Kahuku Hospital. Oneha's childhood perception was that nursing meant helping people. Ironically,

Oneha's mother, thinking her daughter was too shy, discouraged her from pursuing a career in a fast-paced hospital environment. Beneath Oneha's shy exterior, however, lay an iron determination. Resolved to pursue her dream, Oneha heeame a candy striper, nurse aide and eventually entered the University of Hawai'i's nursing program. Her mother heeame Oneha's loyal cheerleader. Oneha brings a weahh of experienee to her new leadership position. After graduating from UH with a bachelor's of science in nursing, Oneha worked at Kapi'olani Medieal Center for Women and Children. To quench a desire for new experiences, Oneha moved to Ohio and worked at Akron Children's Hospital, and later at Seattle Children's Hospital, a premier pediatric center, in Washington state. While working a demanding full-time nursing job, Oneha took classes toward her master's degree. After only two years, she completed her master's of nursing at the University of Washington. When Oneha returned to Hawai'i,

she found a niehe at Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Heahh Center in the community-based research programs as director of quality and performance. Oneha was determined to implement changes in the community and participated in establishing groups such as the Consortium for Heahh and Safety and Support to address intimatepartner violence issues through a culturally appropriate, community participatory and gender-focused puhlie heahh systems approach. Oneha loved her job but wanted to further her education. "Today heahh care is different from when I started in nursing," she says. "Now heahh care is a multidisciplinary approach and technology is part of the therapeuhe environment." She enrolled in a part-time doctoral program at University of Colorado. With a supportive employer, family and friends, Oneha took summer classes for four years. After two more years of doctoral study in Hawai'i, Oneha heeame Dr. Oneha. Following her own philosophy, whieh is - do what you ean, then do more - meant that Oneha set aside time to serve on community boards, such as the Hawai'i State Board of Nursing, whieh oversees the licensing and education of Hawai'i's nurses, and the interim Hawai'i Heahh Connector board, whieh established Hawai'i's heahh insuranee exchange. Currently, Oneha is a member of the Chaminade University School of Nursing advisory board, Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā Native Hawaiian Heahh Consortium, and the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu. Oneha, together with her Waimānalo health-care team, is determined to help people. "We all have kuleana in heahh care, so if eaeh of us takes individual responsibility, change will happen," said Oneha. ■ Cheryl Corbiell is an Instructor at the University ofHawai'i Maui College-Moloka'i anel a reading tutor at Kaunakakai Elementary School.

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Mary Oneha is the new executive director of Waimānalo Health Center. - Courtesy: Waimānalo Heallh Center