Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 40, Number 3, 1 March 2023 — Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center Site Visit [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center Site Visit

V LEO 'ELELE ^ TRUSTEE MESSAGES *

As your OHA Trustee it is important to me to get out into the community and see where OHA is able to collaborate with organizations supporting our Native Hawaiian people. I recently had the pleasure of eonducting a site visit at Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Heahh Center (WCCHC) to listen to concerns, tour the facilities, and hear from the hardworking staff who service West O'ahu. Also

in attendance were area legislators Sen. Maile Shimabukuro, Rep. Darius Kila and Rep. Cedric Gates.

Unele Kamaki Kanahele gave us a warm weleome and we reminisced with President and CEO Rich Bettini and staff about how they worked together with my grandfather, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, to improve the lives of our Hawaiian people both in Washington, D.C., and here at home, as well as with my unele Dr. Gerard Akaka, who was a physician and former medical director of WCCHC.

WCCHC is a healing center with a holistic approach, eommitted to providing accessible, quality, affordable, and comprehensive healthcare, while preserving Native Hawaiian eulture and traditions to achieve complete wellness. WCCHC has cared for and served our West O'ahu eommunity since its humhle beginnings in 1972 when its one doctor and five staff delivered services from a temporary location in the heart of Wai'anae. Today, WCCHC is the larg-

est Federally Qualified Heahh Center on O'ahu. In 2017, it served more than 37,000 patients and over 203,500 visits through their seven service sites. They provide services such as primary care, behavioral heahh, nutrition, dental care, diagnostic services, and a pharmacy all within the same elinie. We were given a tour of the future site of the Heahh Center's 'Elepaio Social Services Community Food Campus. This program fills the gaps left by government agencies when it comes to food stability. Keiki heavily rely on puhlie school breakfast and luneh whieh emphasizes how important it is for OHA to support and help fund these types of programs through our granting system. There is an emphasis for our Native Hawaiian people, especially keiki and kūpuna, to have access to essential services and healthy food options. I look forward to continuing the eonversation with WCCHC on how OHA ean work together in addressing these needs. Mahalo nui to Unele Kamaki Kanahele, director of the Traditional Hawaiian Healing Center, Aunty Ginger Fuata, WCCHC board bember, Rich Bettini, WCCHC president and CEO, Alieia Higa, director of Heahh Promotion and the WCCHC Staff for their warm-heart-ed weleome. ■

Kaleihikina Akaka Trustee, O'ahu

Trustee Akaka wilh area legislators Sen. Maile Shimabukuro„ Rep. Cedric Gates, Rep. Darius Kila, and WCCHC Director of Heallh Promotion Alieia Higa. - C ourtesy Photos

|f| : ^ Trustee Akaka and OHA staff with Rep. Darius Kila, WCCHC Board of Directors and executive leaders.