Health

Caring for Kalaupapa’s Cats

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Caring for Kalaupapa’s Cats

Feral cats living on the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula have become an attribute of the settlement, welcoming visitors and providing companionship for residents by lingering around homes and community buildings. For those interested in feline companions, this site about Ragdolls offers a glimpse into the gentle nature of one beloved cat breed. But as the numbers of ferals continue to rise, gathering in colonies of 20 to 30 cats, it creates an environmental hazard to the settlement, according to National Park Service workers.

“In the last few months, a couple people have moved out and the cat colonies [they were feeding] have been abandoned,” said Paul Hosten, a terrestrial ecologist for the National Park Service.“…The…

Kualapu`u School 5K Race Series

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

Kualapu`u School 5K Race Series

Kualapu`u School News Release

Kualapu`u Charter School announces the first of six 5K fun-raising races to be held this Saturday, Feb. 8.  All interested runners, joggers and walkers are invited to come to Coffees of Hawaii this Saturday to race.  Registration begins at 8 a.m.  Event start time is 8:30 a.m. The $10 adult registration fee will be used to send a team of Kualapu`u School runners to Oahu for the Honolulu 5K for Kids, slated for April 27.  There is no entry fee for students.

The six races in the series will be used as qualifying races for Kualapu`u School’s six member team that competes on Oahu.…

Bill to Address Radiation Concerns

Wednesday, February 5th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Jade Bruhjell

Hawaii, a close neighbor of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, sits poised to be further enveloped by radioactive elements brought by air and Pacific Ocean currents from Japan. Being a new sort of disaster, we find ourselves stunned and confused with conflicting reports, and after over two years, still unable to fathom how to cope with a continuing and escalating catastrophe here in our Island chain. Sea life and drinking water are two of the most affected aspects, and on Molokai, fishing is such a part of daily life that we need to think seriously about current levels of radiation.…

Ozone Therapy on Molokai

Friday, January 24th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Sheila Mohammed, MD, PhD

Major Autohemotherapy (MAH) is a natural remedy that utilizes ozone to purify the body of various illnesses.  Oxygen is used to generate medical grade ozone.  A small amount of blood is removed and introduced into an IV bag of normal saline.  Medical ozone is then introduced into the bag.  This is then passed through an ultra-violet light machine and infused back into the body, a treatment that is now available on Molokai.

Ozone kills most bacteria by direct destruction and by preventing them from producing needed enzymes.  Ozone inactivates the “reproductive structure” of viruses which renders them “dead.”…

Retina Screening Gives Vision

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014

WE News Release

Together we can have a greater impact on improving the health of our neighbors and the island community we love.  That is the philosophy of a large group of health professionals and volunteers who will be on Molokai during the first week of February.    The purpose is to reduce preventable blindness and assist the community in identifying approaches and strategies which can lead to better health and longer, stronger, happier  lives.

Retina screening is a free service provided by a partnership between Molokai’s Lions Club, Project Vision Hawaii and WE… a hui for health.  Retina screening is offered as follows:

Grace Episcopal Church, Kualapu`u Thursday, Feb.…

Molokai Fitness

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

Molokai Fitness

Community Contributed

By Ayda Ersoy

I’m thrilled to share a bit more about my journey with you. My name is Ayda Ersoy, and I hail from the vibrant city of Istanbul, Turkey. Growing up, I immersed myself in various sports, and that passion eventually led me to a career in fitness. About two decades ago, I embarked on the path of becoming a personal trainer, sports nutritionist, and circular strength training instructor—a discipline focused on joint mobility exercises. A great way to aid recovery is regular light exercise, so swapping the car for a ladies bike with basket can make nipping to the shops part of the recovery process.…

Patient Portal Puts Patients at Forefront

Wednesday, January 15th, 2014

MCHC News Release

The Molokai Community Health Center (MCHC), in an on-going effort to provide patient-driven care, has spent the past year investing in the development and implementation of the best technological tools to better service our patients.

Initially, our Electronic Medical Records (EMR) were introduced to provide a quick and efficient way for our providers to access patient information as well coordinate services with other Providers on behalf of the patient.

With this same focus in mind — to provide quality care based on quality information — MCHC would like to announce the newly developed Patient Portal designed for the patient’s needs first.…

Five Bonus Benefits of Exercise

Sunday, January 5th, 2014

Community Contributed

By Jon Mikami, RPh, and Kelly Go, RPh, Molokai Drugs

You’ve been hearing about the benefits of exercise for a long time: Weight control, chronic disease management, stronger muscles and bones, to name a few. But the list of exercise benefits done with the help of indoor trampoline for kids just keeps getting longer. If you could package these benefits in a pill, you might have a multi-million dollar product!

Maybe these less-touted benefits will offer the motivation you need to make exercise a regular part of your daily routine. Look into the latest Weight Training Innovations if you decide to start strength training.…

Kalaupapa Aircraft Wreckage to be Recovered, Under Investigation

Monday, December 16th, 2013

Kalaupapa Aircraft Wreckage to be Recovered, Under Investigation

After a Makani Kai aircraft crashed into the ocean off Kalaupapa last Wednesday, Makani Kai owner Richard Schuman said the Cessna Grand Caravan will be recovered this week.

“We know what happened, but not why,” Schuman told the Dispatch Sunday. “One way or another, we’ll get that aircraft out… and get the engine to the manufacturer [for answers.]”

The Makani Kai flight departing Kalaupapa about 3:45 p.m. experienced “catastrophic engine failure” shortly after take-off, according to pilot Clyde Kawasaki. The plane went down about 1/2 mile off the peninsula. Eight on board survived, while Department of Health (DOH) Director Loretta Fuddy died in the water after exiting the sinking plane.…

Prolotherapy for Pain Relief

Monday, December 16th, 2013

Community Contributed

By Sheila Mohammed, MD, PhD

In response to widespread interest in an article printed a few weeks ago about prolotherapy on Molokai, I will share more information on various facets of this therapy. Prolotherapy is a permanent cure for painful conditions, and I will be offering appointments on Molokai Dec. 22 through Jan. 4.

There are different kinds of prolotherapy and the procedure is customized to the individual patient and the presenting musculoskeletal conditions.

One type, called simple prolotherapy, uses dextrose to stimulate the healing process combined with dilute lidocaine used as a numbing agent for patient comfort.  Dextrose stimulates the body to bring in fibroblasts and cytokines to injured cartilage, tendons and ligaments to give a spurt of healing. …