Kaʻū Rural Health Community Association, Inc.

Governor signs CLEAN AIR BILL, BANNING USE OF E-CIGARETTES WHERE SMOKING IS PROHIBITED

Posted on April 30, 2015

Join Hospice of Hilo in its “Celebration of Life” event – May 2 – Wailoa State Park

Posted on April 23, 2015

AMA Legislative Update: Congress passes bi-partisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act

Posted on April 23, 2015

Dear colleagues, We have achieved an important victory for our Medicare and TRICARE patients. By uniting our voices on Capitol Hill, we got Congress to pass the bipartisan Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act—which at last repeals the so-called “sustainable” growth rate (SGR) payment formula that perennially threatened patients’ access to care. The new legislation removes much of the instability and uncertainty that long has plagued the Medicare payment system so our practices can be here to serve our patients. A huge step in the right direction, the bill also includes several other important improvements for physician practices. (You can read more about these provisions at AMA Wire®.) Thank you for all your efforts to help make SGR repeal a reality. The united voice of the entire medical community is powerful indeed. We celebrate this achievement for our patients. The AMA will continue our work to ensure the sustainability of physician practices and clear roadblocks to improving the health of the nation. Be sure to join us in the journey ahead. Sincerely, Robert M. Wah, MD President, American Medical Association P.S. be sure to stay engaged with the Physicians’ Grassroots Network as we continue to work on important health care issues.

For more information, please visit: AMA Physicians’ Grassroots Network

Violence Action Center – Momʻs are Precious – Celebrates “The Beauty of it All – Flowers for Mom”

Posted on April 17, 2015

Violence Action Center Moms Are Precious …      I am honoring my mom this Mother’s Day. She died in March, and this creates a startling opportunity for me to reflect on all things mom. What an abiding presence, anchor, teacher, and light she was. I feel her absence every day. I have spoken with friends whose moms have been gone for a long time and they say they still feel her missing….aware on Saturday mornings when they used to speak each week that this Saturday they wouldn’t speak. There has been an outpouring of love and tenderness to lift me up as I let my grief flow. I had a phone call from a friend who said to me, “No matter how old you are, it is always too soon to lose your mom.” There is something about that that rings true for me. I had time to prepare myself, see her declining in health and capacity, and still I wasn’t prepared.  I know it is still very fresh, and I imagine the power of my loss will recede some, but my mom was a dynamic part of my life. I hope I made it explicitly clear to my mom that she was a precious force for me. I have long felt that, in general, we do not value mothers enough. I think we take mothers for granted. We have high expectations for moms; expectations that are long lasting.  They vary some, but the universal idea is they (we) should be resourceful, independent, loving, generous, available, tireless, talented,  good listeners, unmeddling, patient,  creative, joyful, solid role models, willing to meet everyone’s needs, and assume responsibility for the household. We strive to be that, and falter a great deal. Is there enough forgiveness for mom’s who are doing the best they can, sometimes under very difficult circumstances, sometimes lacking their own role models and no instruction about how to do the job. My children are adults and still the responsibility I feel for their well-being is abiding and consuming. I have poured so much into my parenting. And always wonder whether it was enough or is enough. The role of a mother is so different than the role of a father. Even in modern times when more dads are active parents and engaged in the work of taking care of children. The cultural imagery and messaging about dads has evolved. But somehow that hasn’t diminished the role or expectations of moms. So, this Mother’s Day, if you are lucky enough to have a mom, or know a mom, celebrate her! The women we work with at the Domestic Violence Action Center who are moms are under enormous stress to get safe, get free, support their children, protect their children, meet the needs of their children, and forge a way forward. We are celebrating them and all the mothers in our community who are making their island families a beauty to behold! Won’t you join us? The Beauty of It All is dedicated to all the loving moms! Please click on this link or the image above to find out more. – Nanci

KRHCAI receives $25,000 from County of Hawaii Human Services and Social Services Committee

Posted on April 17, 2015 Updated on April 17, 2015

HAWAI`I COUNTY COUNCIL’S COMMITTEE on Human Services and Social Services approved distribution of $1.5 million to county nonprofit agencies Tuesday. The committee received 137 eligible applications requesting more than $5.5 million. Last year, 103 organizations requested slightly more, while the budgeted amount was the same.   Ka`u Council member Maile David, who chairs the committee, said, “Although amounts requested by organizations far exceeded recommended award amounts, all applicants expressed their understanding and conveyed their determination to continue providing services to supplement the needs of our island communities and increasing population.
Ka`u nonprofits receiving funds include Boys & Girls Club, $10,000 for Out-of-School Fitness for Life in Pahala; Ho`omalu Ka`u, $3,000 for a native dry-land plants workshop; Ka`u Rural Health Community Association, $25,000 for Ka`u Rural Health Academy; and `O Ka`u Kakou, $20,000 to be divided equally among its Family Fun Fest, Ka`u Coffee Trail Race and `Ohana Day, Ka`u Sanitation Program and Keiki Fishing Tournament at Punalu`u.
Except for Boys & Girls Club, these organizations did not receive grants from this funding source in the past two years.
Other nonprofits with a presence in Ka`u include Bay Clinic, which received $35,000 for its mobile health unit; Big Brothers Big Sisters, $7,000 for one-to-one mentoring; The Food Basket, $20,000 ensuring capacity for East and West Hawai`i; Hawai`i County Economic Opportunity Council, $20,000 for drop-out prevention program and $35,000 for its transportation program; Hawai`i Meth Project, $5,000 for meth prevention youth outreach; and Hui Malama Ola Na `Oiwi, $3,000 for 15th annual Ladies Night Out, $10,000 for its cancer program and $35,000 for Kokua Hali Health transportation.

2015 KA’U TUBERCULIN (TB) SKIN TEST (TST) SCHEDULE

Posted on April 3, 2015

2015 KA’U TST SCHEDULE
Effective April 2015

April 13 (placement) & 15 (read)
May 11 (placement) & 13 (read)
June 8 (placement) & 10 (read)
July 13 (placement) & 15 (read)
August 10 (placement) & 12 (read)
Sept. 14 (placement) & 16 (read)
Oct. 12 (placement) & 14 (read)
Nov. 16 (placement) & 18 (read)
Dec. 14 (placement) & 16 (read)

Kau TST give and read will be the 2nd Monday & Wednesday of the month from 9am-10am, except for November because of the Nov. 11 holiday.
**TB TESTING DONE BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. CALL 939-2400 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT**
PLEASE INQUIRE FURTHER IF NEEDING A 2-STEP.

Another Successful Conference

Posted on April 1, 2015

March 27, 2015, KRHCAI held its 18th Annual Ka’u Rural Health Conference. To their pleasure, the attendees or participants outweighed the registration rooster. Guests and exhibitors were welcomed through Pahala Community Center’s front entrance. They were greeted at the entrance with a view of the stage. The beautiful flowers were donated by Wood Dell Farms and the centerpieces were arranged by Sweetie Grace (a former supervisor of the previous McCall Flower Farms).

“I can’t help but notice the stage. Its gorgeous and matches the layout of this conference” K. Waltjen (HMONO, exhibitor)

Through collaboration including partnerships and long hours that volunteers willingly contributed, the 18th Annual Ka’u Rural Health Conference was a sweet success. It comprised of numerous exhibitors: College of Pharmacy, Hiilei Aloha, LLC, Maui Economic Opportunity, Hawaii Health System Corporation, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Unitedhealthcare, Hui Malama Ola Na Oiwi, Kahuku Ahapua’a, HMSA, ADRC, University of Hawaii Hawaii Community College-Rural Hawaii Business Program, HiClass, University of Hawaii CCES, Department of Public Health, and the Ka’u Community Asthma Project Program.

“We’re happy with the turn out. Actually, I was ecstatic to see many members attend the conference including those who did not register. This conference wasn’t entirely about the association; it’s a meeting to inform our members and others of the resources available through different opportunities. Overall, success comes in different forms and we achieved our own success today.”

H. Grace (KRHCAI, Secretary)

To capture the moments, we have included several shots throughout the event. More photo’s to come…

safeTALK Suicide Prevention and Awareness Efforts Workshop 3/25/15

Posted on March 20, 2015

FREE EBT EQUIPMENT FOR AUTHORIZED FARMERS AND FARMERS MARKETS

Posted on March 13, 2015

Volunteers Needed! Annual Kickball Tournament

Posted on March 7, 2015 Updated on March 7, 2015

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! It’s time to start preparing for our 4th Annual Kickball Tournament to kick child abuse out of Hawaii and we need your help! The tournament will be on Saturday, April 11th at Kaneohe District Park, and shifts start at 6:00am, with the last shift ending at 6pm. Shifts will be in 4 hour increments and volunteers can help with as many shifts as they’d like. Volunteer shift times are as follows: 6:00am-10:00am 10:00am-2:00pm  2:00pm-6:00pm    All volunteers will be provided with light snacks and refreshments throughout the day. Volunteers who are signed up for the 10am-2pm shift will receive lunch. Volunteers will also be provided with a t-shirt. If you’d like to register as a volunteer you can download the Volunteer Contact Form here! Please email completed forms to our Oahu Program Director, Tara Buckley, at tara@hawaiiparents.org or fax them to (808) 247-0447. Any volunteer who would like to receive a letter after the event, detailing their hours and participation, need only to mark this off on the Volunteer Contact Form. Letters will be distributed to all volunteers who request them within one week after the event. If you’re interested in volunteering, or can recommend groups that might be willing to help out at the event, please contact our Oahu Program Director, Tara Buckley, at tara@hawaiiparents.org or (808) 223-5940, for more information. You can also find information about the kickball tournament on our website, click here! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!