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Health

Can Molokai’s Medical Future be Home Grown?

Wednesday, July 19th, 2023

Can Molokai’s Medical Future be Home Grown?

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter

Most are familiar with the dire healthcare landscape on Molokai. With the passing of doctors Emmett Aluli and William Thomas in the past year, many Molokai residents were left without permanent primary care physicians. Help has come in the form of interim doctors flown over for relatively short periods. More long-term solutions have manifested in the recently opened Molokai Urgent and Family Care Clinic, operated by Dr. Ka‘ohimanu Dang Akiona with Aluli’s former staff. But the root of the problem remains unsolved: how to have more full-time, community-engaged doctors on Molokai. 

Pono Castanera wants to be one piece of solving that puzzle. …

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Study Proves Benefits of Paddling

Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

By Jack Kiyonaga, Reporter

A three-year study conducted by the University of Hawaii has determined what many in Hawaii already know — outrigger canoe paddling is both popular and beneficial to the health of the Native Hawaiian community. 

The study was conducted by the UH Office of Public Health Studies and surveyed over 13,500 Hawaiian residents. The results revealed that while 20 percent of Hawaii residents have paddled, over 40 percent of Native Hawaiians have participated in outrigger canoe paddling. 

Paddling, and other culturally relevant physical activities like hula, can offer insight into “chronic disease prevention and management” in the Native Hawaiian population, according to the study.  …

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Citrus Yellow Dragon Disease

Wednesday, June 14th, 2023

Community Contributed

By Glenn I. Teves, County Extension Agent, UH CTAHR Molokai 

Citrus Greening disease, a bacteria, is one of the greatest threats to citrus worldwide and it has been spreading in the U.S. First reported in Florida in 2005, over 60 percent of the citrus crop has been impacted with over 7000 jobs and $4 billion in revenues lost. Since then, it has spread to Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, California, Texas, and Georgia. In 2015, the disease was found in Guam, and it’s just a matter of time before it reaches Hawaii. It’s important to keep this disease off of Molokai.…

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Molokai General Named Among Top Critical Access Hospitals

Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

Queen’s Health System News Release 

The top 20 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) nationwide, including Molokai General Hospital, scored best among CAHs as determined by the Chartis Center for Rural Health for Best Practice in Quality. The rankings were recently announced by the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). An awards ceremony will be held during NRHA’s Critical Access Hospital Conference in September in Kansas City, Mo. 

The top 20 CAHs have achieved success in overall performance based on a composite rating from eight indices of strength: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and finance. This group was selected from the Chartis Center for Rural Health’s 2022 top 100 CAH list, which was released earlier this year.…

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PTSD and COVID-19: A Silent Sickness

Wednesday, May 31st, 2023

Community Contributed

Opinion by Aaron Mitchell, MS, MHC

While the world may be saying, “We’re back to life as normal,” many of us are saying to ourselves, “Um, this doesn’t feel right.”  We remember when things were “normal” and then COVID-19 hit.  We remember what happened and we remember what we went through.  We have a new level of caution.  An uncle here on Molokai has expressed his concern about the traumatic impacts of COVID on this community.  

Whenever we go through something big and it creates a lot of change in our life, there is the potential for trauma.  In the case of COVID-19, that change was world-wide. …

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New Medical Clinic

Wednesday, May 24th, 2023

By Jack Kiyonaga | Reporter 

With the May 15 opening of the Molokai Family and Urgent Care Clinic, Molokai residents have a much-needed, new option for medical care. Led by Dr. Kaohimanu Dang Akiona, the clinic is located in the same location as the late Dr. Noa Emmett Aluli’s Molokai Family Health Center, and is supported by Aluli’s clinical staff. 

“The focus for us has always been access to care. Not just primary care, but good care,” said Dang Akiona. 

Dang Akiona, owner of the Kohala Coast Urgent Clinic, explained that heath care shouldn’t be reliant on zip code. 

“[Molokai residents] don’t actually have what we would consider reasonable standards of care anymore,” said Akiona.…

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Anti-Vaping Campaign Youth Contest

Wednesday, April 5th, 2023

MEO News Release

The deadline for ‘Imi Pono: The Greatest Challenge, which this year calls on high school and intermediate youth to develop an anti-vaping media campaign, has been extended to April 20.

The prize money for the top three places in the high school and intermediate divisions also have increased. The first place prize in each division has grown to $1,000; second place to $750; and third place to $500.

The contest is open to youth in public, private and home school on Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Campaigns must include three components: a slogan, a poster/brochure and a short public service announcement video.…

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Resident Raises Awareness for Early Cancer Screenings

Wednesday, March 29th, 2023

UH Cancer Center News Release 

Molokai resident Nancy Swartz noticed redness and a lump on her right breast. Having breast cancer in her family and a husband with prostate cancer, Swartz took these symptoms seriously. If your husband is also dealing with prostate cancer, I recommend you to find out here a great supplement that can offer many health benefits.

To continue, she consulted her primary care physician who found her symptoms to be consistent with Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). IBC is a rare form of breast cancer that gets its name from symptoms appearing swollen and red, or inflamed. IBC can present different symptoms than other types of breast cancer, such as rapid change in breast size or shape, redness or rash on the breast or nipple, pain or tenderness in the breast, nipple retraction or discharge, and enlarged lymph nodes under the arm or collarbone.…

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Taxes for Health Insurance Marketplace Consumers

Wednesday, March 15th, 2023

Legal Aid Society News Release

Molokai consumers enrolled in 2022 Marketplace health insurance must file their federal taxes by April 18. Most consumers received advanced premium tax credits based on their estimated income in 2022 to lower their insurance costs. Consumers must reconcile their estimated income with their actual income in 2022 by filing federal taxes. Any difference between the advanced premium tax credits and actual tax credits may impact their refunds or taxes owed.

The Legal Aid Society of Hawaii wants to remind Molokai consumers four things:

Get your 1095A: Get your 1095A from the mail or log into your Marketplace account and print.…
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Building Mental Health

Wednesday, March 1st, 2023

By Sage Yamashita, Intern Reporter

Many people may not realize they must care for their mental health. Aaron Mitchell, a mental health counselor, wants to ensure Molokai’s community has his services to care for theirs. 

“Many don’t get help until their circumstances become dire,” said Mitchell. “Since the beginning of time, youth have been going to their elders with their problems. They didn’t wait. Why do we wait today?”

Mitchell is the owner of Molokai Mental Health, where psychological tools that span across cultures are taught. A good psychologist like this Mitchell understands the importance of cultural competence in therapy and emphasizes the need for practitioners to adapt their approaches to meet the diverse needs of their clients.…

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