Local Graduate Moves Up

Summer internship could lead to dream job.

Ale`a, proud Molokai High School graduate, is spending the summer in Honolulu working at the Kapi`olani Medical Center for Women and Children so that she can move one step closer to becoming an Ultrasound Technologist.

By J. Van Ornum

Ale`a Arce is on her way to her dream job as she works at Hawaii’s premier hospital for pregnant women. After graduating this past Spring from Molokai High School, she is currently participating in an internship at Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu.
 
While working 40 hours per week in the Fetal Diagnostic Center, she is gaining valuable experience towards her chosen profession as an Ultrasound Technologist. After the internship is finished, Ale`a will attend the health science program at Kapi`olani Community College in the fall of 2008.

As Hawaii's only hospital specializing in maternity, Kapi`olani opened the Fetal Diagnostic Center in 1990. It is the state's first obstetrical center providing comprehensive diagnostic services for pregnant women.

The staff is comprised of Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists (physicians with specialized training and experience in the care of pregnant women, including high risk pregnancies), technologists, genetic counselors, and clinical nurses. 

The internship is sponsored by Hawaii Pacific Health (HPH), the state's largest health care system. HPH currently manages four hospitals: Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women and Children, Kapi'olani Medical Center at Pali Momi, Straub Clinic, and Wilcox Memorial Hopsital on Kauai.