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Health

Mobile Clinic Offers Accessible Medical Services

Wednesday, July 6th, 2022

Mobile Clinic Offers Accessible Medical Services

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A new, mobile clinic, launched by the Molokai Community Health Center, will help increase access to telehealth services for Molokai residents with no internet, lack of mobility or other access challenges.  The Mana Mobile Medical Clinic has an exam room, a restroom, vaccine refrigeration, a blood draw station and other medical integration. The clinic also has the technology and equipment to connect patients virtually through video appointments to off-island specialists – something MCHC CEO Helen Kekalia Wescoatt said became especially important during the pandemic.  “At the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare providers across the nation quickly adopted or expanded telehealth into the primary care setting, many for the first time ever,” she explained, via email. …

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Molokai Gains a New Doctor

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022

Molokai Gains a New Doctor

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

“’Doctor’ was never in my life plan,” said Dr. Randi Olds, MD, who has moved to Molokai from Kauai to serve the island’s rural community at the Molokai General Hospital Outpatient Clinic. 

Her ‘life plan’ changed, however, when she attended community college in Las Vegas after graduating from Kamehameha Schools, initially majoring in business. 

“I always liked chemistry,” she said. “My organic chemistry teacher mentored me and asked me if I ever thought about going into medicine. ‘Like a nurse?’” she asked. “’No, a doctor,’” he told her. “It was the first time I ever thought about it.”…

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COVID Slowly on the Decline

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022

COVID Slowly on the Decline

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

COVID trends are back on the decline statewide after sharp increases in May and early June. 

Daily average cases statewide are hovering at just below 1000, with an 18.9 percent positivity rate over the last week as of last Wednesday. That’s down from a daily average of more than 1200 at the end of May. 

On Molokai, the week between Wednesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 15 brought 10 new cases, with 23 positive cases the previous week. Officials suggest multiplying the number of officially reported cases by a factor of five or six to account for home tests, which are not reported to the Dept.…

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Newly Graduated MD from Molokai

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2022

Newly Graduated MD from Molokai

UH JABSOM News Release 

The University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (UH JABSOM) recently graduated 69 doctors including many minorities as well as those from rural communities on the neighbor islands. The new crop of physicians include 16 that identify as being of Filipinx or mixed Filipinx descent, four Native Hawaiians and 10 with neighbor island roots. One is from Molokai. 

Six out of the 16 physicians of Filipinx descent participated in the UH Manoa Filgrad Ceremony, a celebration of Filipinx students’ heritage, identity and community. Four Native Hawaiian kauka ʻopio (young physicians) were honored in the Annual Kihei Ceremony sponsored by the ʻAhahui o na Kauka and JABSOM Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence.…

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Tracking COVID Trends

Thursday, June 2nd, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai logged 18 new COVID cases in the week between May 18 and May 25, according to the Dept. of Health. That’s down from 26 the previous week, and 40 the week before that, May 4-11. However, officials suggest that the tally is likely five to seven times what’s officially reported, due to the influx of home COVID tests, which go unreported. By that calculation, last week’s Molokai cases probably range between 90 and 126 new cases. 

Between May 17 and May 26, Molokai Middle School reported eight new COVID cases and Molokai High School had two, according to the DOE weekly COVID report.…

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COVID Cases on the Rise

Thursday, May 19th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai logged 40 new COVID-19 cases in the week between Wednesday, May 4 and Wednesday, May 11, bringing the island total to 1,017 since the pandemic began. However, that number may be significantly lower than the actual number of recent positive cases because of the increased accessibility to home tests, the results of which aren’t reported to the state, according to health officials. 

Dr. Libby Char, Hawaii Dept. of Health director, said with the rise in prevalence of home COVID tests, it’s likely that more people are taking tests at home than at testing facilities.…

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Health Center Grant to Expand Dental Care

Thursday, May 19th, 2022

Health Center Grant to Expand Dental Care

MCHC News Release

Molokai Community Health Center has received a generous grant totaling $149,988 from the Hawaii Dental Service (HDS) Foundation for the expansion of its dental services to improve the oral health of Molokai families. Similarly, a skilled Riverside Orthodontist can help enhance oral health in the community by offering specialized orthodontic treatments tailored to individual needs. These services not only improve the alignment of teeth but also contribute to better overall dental health and confidence.

Funds will be used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment including an intraoral scanner, computed tomography x-ray and motorized dental handpieces that will provide advanced dental care access to underserved residents on Molokai, while addressing the overwhelming increase in demand for oral hygiene and dentistry services island wide.…

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COVID Surge Causes School Cancellations

Wednesday, May 11th, 2022

COVID Surge Causes School Cancellations

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

A recent surge in COVID cases on Molokai has caused a disruption to some school classes and sports competitions. The Dept. of Health now only provides reporting on COVID case counts weekly on Wednesdays, with nine new cases reported for Molokai between Wednesday, April 17 and Wednesday, May 4, community reports suggest last week’s case numbers on Molokai were much higher. DOH officials did not respond to requests for updated Molokai counts. 

Last Sunday night, Molokai Middle School announced school closure this week, with cancellation of classes on Monday, May 10, followed by distance learning the rest of the week due to “the high number of cases among staff and students.”…

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Inspected Meat Remains Safe as bTB Outbreak Continues

Thursday, May 5th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

With concern about bovine tuberculosis (bTB), which has rapidly spread across livestock herds in central and west Molokai this year, some residents have wondered, is it safe to eat meat slaughtered on Molokai? The answer is yes. 

“The Molokai Livestock Cooperative would like to assure you, our community, that the procedures of how we handle every single animal, whether it be cattle, hogs, deer or sheep, must go through a stringent inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also known as the USDA,” wrote Randy Cabreros, interim manager of Molokai’s slaughterhouse, in a social media post last week.…

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Molokai TB Crisis Causes Statewide Concern

Wednesday, April 20th, 2022

By Catherine Cluett Pactol | Editor

Molokai is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in decades, according to officials, and they’re worried it could spread across the state, causing a massive hit to the ranching industry. 

It has already had a huge impact on Molokai’s cattle and pig populations, and officials are still trying to determine how far it’s spread. Of four infected herds from west and central Molokai, more than 100 pigs and 60 cattle have already been depopulated, and testing is ongoing, according to the Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture. More than 400 more cattle have been exposed, Jason Moniz, veterinary program manager for the animal disease control branch of the state DOA, told KHON2 last week.…

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