V. 24 • No. 16 • Apr. 13, 2015
Volunteers Follow in the Footsteps of the Queen
NHCH volunteer Patricia Lewi.
QUEEN EMMA IS RECOGNIZED as our first
volunteer. She would frequently bring
flowers from her own gardens to grace
the wards and liked to spend time among
the patients and their families spreading hope and cheer with a kind word
or a gentle touch. Today, volunteers lift
the spirits of patients and ease the burden of work in almost every department
throughout both Queen’s campuses and
at North Hawai‘i Community Hospital.
April 12 – 18 is National Volunteer Week,
so here is an inside look at just a small
sample of our stalwart helpers.
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital
(NHCH) currently has 70 volunteers in
their program, which, like those at The
Queen’s Medical Centers, includes adults
and students in college and high school.
Just a few of the jobs they perform include
flower delivery, patient escort, visitor
greeting, and office assistance. Waimea
resident Patricia Lewi has been volunteering at NHCH for the past 18 years and is
currently assigned to the gift shop. She
began volunteering after retirement to
help her stay mentally and physically active. The former district court clerk feels
that volunteering is a way to give back to
her community, to contribute in a positive way. “I believe that the North Hawai‘i
Community Hospital is vital to all, and I am
Volunteer sisters
Machi Tsuruya and
Chiye Takitani.
honored to help them in their mission,”
Pat says. She volunteers with other community organizations as well, and heartily
endorses it as a rewarding experience. “I
highly recommend it to all kupuna and retirees—retirement represents another life
phase where one can make a difference.”
At The Queen’s Medical Center, volunteers can sometimes come in multiples, as
in sisters Chiye Takitani and Machi Tsuruya. Chiye has been a volunteer since her
retirement from Castle & Cooke in 1997.
Chiye was the secretary to C & C honcho
Malcolm MacNaughton while he was also
the Chairman of the Board at Queen’s,
and it was his dedication to the Queen’s
mission that pointed her in this direction.
She’s been volunteering at the Surgery
Waiting Room ever since. Once a month,
Chiye also gathers with a group of women
who knit caps for newborn babies. Chiye
enjoys her service at Queen’s so much
that she encouraged her sister Machi to
give it a try when she was ready to retire.
Machi signed on in 2004 when she retired
from being secretary to the Dean of the
University of Hawai‘i’s Hawaiian/Asian/
Pacific Studies. “I worked for a lot of different deans; I outlasted them all,” she said
with a twinkle in her eye. “Volunteering at
Queen’s is for a good cause; it gives me
something to do. I feel like I’m doing some
service, some good, you know,” she said
while adding that she still mows her own
lawn and does the upkeep on her home.
Machi works in Fleet Wing, usually helping
with patient discharges. “I enjoy it because
you get to talk to them a little more.”
Charlene Chase can be found several
days a week at the information desk in the
front lobby of The Queen’s Medical Center–West O‘ahu. She’s a veteran Queen’s
volunteer who first helped out in Honolulu, and before that in her native state of
Washington at Evergreen Medical Center
in Kirkland. “I really believe in hospitals.
They saved my life once and I decided to
give back every chance I get,” Charlene
(Continued on page 2.)
Queen’s Spartans Sprint to Finish as a Team
humbling experience,”
laughed Leslie Alcon, QMC RRT, of
her recent participation in the Spartan
Sprint. Held at Aloha Stadium in March,
the Sprint is an obstacle course challenge race which included: climbing
walls, running stairs, hoisting sand or
water buckets, monkey bars, football
toss, spear throw, rope climb, cargo net,
hands free push ups, and squats. Not
completing a challenge required a penalty: burpees—the killer jumping squat
thrust. Leslie and a group of 18 like
minded QMC RNs and RTs went all out,
proudly completing the race and earning the two-pound medal to prove it.
Spartan Races are held in intervals
throughout the year. The Spartan Sprint
course is three-plus miles long; the Super course is more than 8 miles; and the
Beast is over 12 and includes mud and
water obstacles, something participants
actually look forward to. The Spartan
Race originated in Vermont. First brought
to Hawai‘i in 2013, it was designed to
“bring the excitement of obstacle racing
to spectators and athletes alike.” There is
even an event especially for the kids.
“It was a timed race, but we chose to
all stick together, leaving no one behind,”
related Leslie. “It was the true meaning
of ‘ohana, the way we are when we work
together as a team, as Spartans, and as
caregivers. We plan to conquer the next
Spartan event in August!”
Participant Kevin Matsumoto, RN,
added, “Whether seen as a metaphor
“IT WAS A
for life and getting over life’s obstacles
or simply a fun, social event, the Spartan Race is truly a test of endurance,
strength, and will. Already working closely together as professionals caring for
patients throughout Queen’s conquering
the barriers to health, this team of RTs
and RNs worked together to conquer the
barriers within Sparta!”
Volunteer Week
(Continued from page 1.)
said. She moved to Honolulu and naturally
began volunteering at Queen’s. When it
was time for her to move back to the mainland, she tried to give her volunteer smock
to manager Bev Parker. “Bev wouldn’t take
it. She told me, ‘You never know. You hang
on to it.’” As fate would have it, Charlene
did return to Hawai‘i, this time settling in
Kapolei. She came back to the volunteer
‘ohana and transferred to QMC–West
O‘ahu as soon as they opened. “And,” she
smiled, “I am still wearing that same smock
and I tell you, it’s held up beautifully!”
This week, take the time to notice and
thank those special volunteers around us
who help make each day a little brighter
and our loads a little lighter. The Print Connection sends a personal mahalo to Steve
Takayama, Calvin Tsukamoto, and Meiko
Wada who handle our distribution weekly.
QMC-WO volunteer Charlene Chase
NHCH Data Center to Give Connectivity to QHS
NORTH HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY HOSPITAL (NHCH) just got a new “central ner-
vous system” with the installation of a 275
square foot data center on Monday, March
30. Bob Yap, Director of Information Technologies at NHCH, said the new addition
provides the appropriate foundation to
support future upgraded technologies.
The Premanufactured Data Center
(PMDC) was crane lifted onto the space
between the helipad and the NHCH Annex. It will house servers, virtual desktop
infrastructure, networking equipment, application software, and imaging records.
“Our current server room, located inside the hospital, is unable to meet our
growing needs as we begin to transition
more technologies to mirror Queen’s,” Bob
said. “In addition, the current space has a
water sprinkler system which could be a
substantial liability if triggered. The new
data center is specifically designed to securely and efficiently house electronics.”
The PMDC is an IBM product constructed and tested on the mainland.
Features include: uninterrupted and redundant power supply, hot isle containment to increase cooling and energy effi-
ciency, and a gas fire suppression system
safe for electronics and humans.
“The new data center is a building
block for all future connectivity to Queen’s
technologies and will offer significant savings as we will no longer outsource this
service,” Bob added. “Most importantly,
this is the infrastructure needed to transition to the Queen’s EPIC [CARE•Link]
electronic health record software.”
A blessing for the Data Center was
held on April 7, giving all NHCH staff a
chance to check out the state-of-the-art
technology first hand.
Sue Tomimoto, RN, Serves 40 Years at Queen’s
SUE TOMIMOTO, RN, of IV Therapy, has
served at Queen’s for a total of 40 years
before her recent retirement. She did 7 in
the beginning, left for 4 years, then came
back for the other 33. Originally from Decatur, Illinois, Sue had met a med student
from Hawai‘i while attending the University of Missouri. His talk about Hawai‘i
piqued her interest. After a trip out here,
she decided to come back and work for
a year, but never left.
Sue was meant to be a nurse. As a
candy striper in high school, she volunteered at a Catholic hospital and enjoyed
it. IV Therapy was a good fit for Sue. She
says you get “instant gratification” because the patients are appreciative and
“you really feel like you’ve done something for them.” She also emphasized that
her colleagues are a really good team and
are all on the same page in putting patients first. The permanent day shift hours
were a plus too. “Queen’s has been real
Above: Sandi Kishi, Wendy Rogers, Jan
Akamine, Cindy Kamikawa, Sue Tomimoto,
Paul Okazaki, Scott Gilbert, and Kanani Yojo.
good to me,” she reflected broadly. “It’s
helped me to grow professionally.”
Her coworkers are going to miss her.
They praised her for always smiling and
being focused on the patient, and never
getting rattled. “She’s like everyone’s
mom,” they said, “and so humble.” Be-
sides taking some time to clean out her
house, Sue’s not sure what she’ll do next,
whether it will be working with the elderly
or more travel. “I’ve got to reinvent myself,” she said, indicating she needs some
downtime to figure it out. Looking back,
Sue says the best thing about Queen’s is
the culture, the aloha. “Everyone treats
you like family—and they take the mission
to heart,” she said. “We all work together
to take care of patients and give them the
best care we can.”
Bev Parker a Stellar
Asset to Students
MY AGING EYES, a Speaking of Health
free community lecture, will be presented
on Thursday, April 16, from 6:00 – 7:00
pm in The Queen’s Medical Center –
West O‘ahu lobby. Michael A. McMann,
MD, FAAO, founder and Medical Director
of the McMann Eye Institute, will discuss:
why don’t my eyes focus anymore; what
is a cataract and how is it treated; should
I consider an advanced intraocular lens?
Seating is limited. Register by calling 6913370 or online at www.queenswestoahu.
org/classes-and-events. Refreshments
will be served and parking is free.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A HEAD AND NECK CANCER SCREENING
event will be held on Friday, April 17, from
12:00 – 3:00 pm in the Naea Courtyard
outside the Queen’s Cancer Center. Register at the event before your free screening to look for early signs and symptoms
of oral, head, and neck cancers. Call 6918984 for more information.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
THE COMMISSION ON CANCER (COC) of
the American College of Surgeons (ACoS)
awarded QMC its Outstanding Achievement Award as a result of surveys performed during 2014. QMC is one of a select group of 75 accredited and newly accredited cancer programs across the U.S.
recognized for cancer programs that strive
for excellence in providing quality care to
cancer patients. The award is granted to
facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with 34 program standards representing four areas of
cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management,
clinical services, and quality improvement.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LAST CALL FOR Nursing Excellence Award
nominations for Leadership, Education,
Performance Improvement, Clinical, and
Research or Evidence-Based Practice
and the Queen Emma Nursing Leadership Award. The deadline is Tuesday, April
14. Download a nomination form from
the Queen’s Intranet under “What’s New”
or call Char at 691-7919 for a hard copy.
Awards will be presented on Friday, May 8,
from 12:00 – 1:00 pm at the Kamehameha
IMAGINE OVER 10 YEARS of mentoring
students by discussing their goals with
them, pairing them with health professionals, and building their confidence. The
effect would be far reaching and incalculable. Well, that’s exactly what Beverly
Parker, Manager of Volunteer Services,
has been doing. Assets School recently
recognized Bev for her selfless efforts
with the Stellar Award at their annual benefit gala at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
Queen’s is an Assets School business
site that accepts student volunteers and
mentors them in the health-related careers they are interested in learning more
about. As a part of their mentorship, Bev
gives students a list of medical terminology
to learn each week, as well as spending
the time to discuss their career goals. The
students learn job requirements and have
an opportunity to interact directly with
professionals in their field of interest. Some
students find that their goals may change
during their time here, but Bev assures
them that everything they do will benefit
Bev Parker accepts award at Assets gala.
them in the future, often in unexpected
ways. “What I notice is the professional
growth of the students,” she reflects.
“They become more confident when they
interact with others.” Bev is grateful to all
the professionals at Queen’s who have
participated in mentoring students and
taking the time to give them real, on-thejob experiences that they will never forget.
Auditorium. All are invited to attend.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NORTH HAWAI‘I COMMUNITY HOSPITAL,
has completed the remodeling of the Kukui Room, their ER bereavement room.
A blessing was held on Monday, April 6.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A BLOOD DRIVE will be held at QMC in Honolulu from 7:00 am – 1:45 pm on Thursday, April 23. To make a donation appointment, call the Blood Bank of Hawai‘i at
848-4770 or go online to bbh.org.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS: How to Save a
Life, a Speaking of Health free community lecture, will be presented on Wednesday, April 29, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the
Queen’s Conference Center in Honolulu.
Join Makoto Ogihara, MD, of the Queen’s
Transplant Center, and actual patients who
will share their stories about the transplant
process. Find out how everyday people
become super heroes, saving lives by becoming kidney donors. Register by calling the Queen’s Referral Line at 691-7117
or go online to eventbrite.com and enter
Speaking of Health Kidney Transplants,
Honolulu, Hawaii in the search box.
The Queen’s Print Connection is published by Creative Services. If you have
news or wish to opine, call 691-7532 or
email [email protected]. The news
deadline is Monday prior to publication.
QHS/QMC Pres. . . . . . . .Art Ushijima
Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Keala Peters
Editor/Writer . . . . . . . . . .Jason Kimura
Assist. Ed./Writer . . . . . Glee Stormont
NHCH Contributor . . .Krista Anderson
The Queen’s Health Systems consists of The
Queen’s Medical Center, The Queen’s Medical
Center – West O’ahu, The Queen’s Health Care
Centers, Queen Emma Land Company, Queen’s
Development Corporation, Queen’s Insurance
Exchange, Inc., Moloka‘i General Hospital and
North Hawai‘i Community Hospital, and has
ownership interests in CareResource Hawai‘i,
Hamamatsu/Queen’s PET Imaging Center, and
Diagnostic Laboratory Services, Inc.
queens.org
The Queen’s Health Systems is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation