Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 10, 1 October 2023 — Mending the Community Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mending the Community Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center

V MALAMA I KOU ICINO ^ CARE FOR YOUR BODY *

By Jodi Leslie Matsuo, DrPH What does health care look like to you? That is a question health care workers and administrators on

Maui are asking themselves. I had the privilege of talking story with Risa Mamalias, programs director at Hui No Ke Ola Pono, who shared first-hand, on-the-ground experiences of the heahh care situation on Maui. The work that is being done there is simply inspirational. While devastating, the Maui fires have brought together people with the shared goal of helping the Lahaina community. The new Lahaina Comprehensive Heahh Center is one of those initiatives, made possible through the leadership of Heidi Taogoshi, Dr. Gerard Livaudais, and John Oliver. Stafhng, services, and support involves a partnership that includes Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Mauliola Pharmacy, Mālama I Ke Ola Heahh Center, Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Heahh Center, Hawai'i Island Community Heahh Center, the Maui District Office, and other volunteer heahh care workers. The Lahaina Comprehensive Heahh Center is the realization of every patient's dream - a one-stop heahh center, providing acute medical and behavioral heahh care, podiatry, dentistry, phlebotomy, optometry, and case management. Medical outreach teams canvas neighborhoods and shelters to assess and meet the needs of survivors - from arranging transportation for people to get to the elinie, having prescriptions filled and delivered, helping people apply for SNAP benefits, and providing basic medical check-ups. Loeal chefs are also working together to fill gaps, providing hot meals three times a day while loeal hubs throughout the community provide non-perishable food items so no one is going hungry. As the weeks passed, another vital but under-looked component of heahh care was realized - the need for traditional Hawaiian heahh services. Very few Native Hawaiians were accessing the mental heahh services. Ihen lomilomi prac-

titioners started visiting people where they were staying. While being worked on, people began sharing their worries, feelings, and prayers. One patient, after talking story with a lomilomi practitioner said, "I didn't realize I had so mueh to say." The idea of using lomilomi practitioners as care coordinators is being explored and makes good sense. As was shared with me, our people are often uncomfortable sitting and talking to a stranger. They don't often even realize they need any help. Experiencing the prayers, aloha, and compassionate healing touch of lomilomi practitioners, in a manner that resonates with their na'au, opens emotional and spiritual doors and allows healing to take plaee - something that may never have happened otherwise. The addition of lā'au lapa'au services and cultural education workshops are also being explored to reach and help more Native Hawaiians. In the process of helping others, the Lahaina Comprehensive Heahh Center partners are helping themselves. For the first time, heahh clinics are communicating and sharing hnaneial and manpower resources. There is a growing realization among these partners that they ean do more for the heahh of the community when working together than by working separately. They are demonstrating to themselves and others what a coordinated and eomprehensive heahh care system looks like. A heahh center that was built whh the patient in mind - easy to navigate and simple to access. No waiting for your appointment or worrying about missing an appointment. No need to wait for approvals or complete or lot of paperwork. Affordable heahh care and that recognizes and incorporates social service needs. This is what heahh care should look like. ■ Born and raised in Kona, Hawai'i, Dr. Jodi Leslie Matsuo is a Native Hawaiian registered dietician and certified diabetes educator, with training in integrative and functional nutrition. Follow her on Facebook @DrJodiLeslieMatsuo, Instagram @ drlesliematsuo and on Twitter @DrLeslieMatsuo.