WAILUA — Thirty residents from the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital and six residents from the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital enjoyed their final beach outing of the summer Tuesday at Lydgate Park. Despite cold north winds and a veiled overcast, the
WAILUA — Thirty residents from the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital and six residents from the Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital enjoyed their final beach outing of the summer Tuesday at Lydgate Park.
Despite cold north winds and a veiled overcast, the residents’ beach outing was made more pleasant by 11 students from the Okinawa Prefectural College of Nursing who are in the midst of their two-week study tour at the Kaua‘i Community College, chaperoned by instructors Ken Yamaguchi and Sachiko Takahashi, both first-time visitors to Kaua‘i.
“This is good,” said Brian Yamamoto, a Kaua‘i Community College instructor who was helping chaperone the visiting Okinawa students. “One lady said going to the beach is good and she’s happy.”
Shar Ono of the KCC Nursing Department said she can’t remember when they started the program of having the visiting Okinawa nursing students help with the beach outing, but the event offers invaluable education as the students engage with the residents, help them and get lunch for them.
“They don’t get this kind of experience at home,” Yamamoto, who has traveled to Okinawa on student exchange programs, said. “This is real hands-on.”
Josie Pablo, the recreation director at Mahelona Hospital said the beach outing caps a month-long celebration for the hospital’s 95th anniversary.
“We started with the health fair, we had the bon dance, we hosted the 95th anniversary luncheon, and this beach outing is the final event for the summer,” Pablo, who had just recently chaperoned a busload of residents to the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair, said. “Now, we have to start worrying about the holidays.”
Joining the Mahelona Hospital residents, Maxine Torres, recreation director for KVMH, said she is still new to her position but is lucky she is invited to many of the Mahelona Hospital events so she can learn.
She, too, had four residents visiting the fair, coinciding with the arrival of a group from the Waimea Senior Center, and with the help of Brycen Hiraoka, hosted the hospital’s second bon dance.
The beach outing is a task which requires many hands to accomplish, the biggest help coming from The Kaua‘i Bus who help with paratransit accommodations to get the residents to the beach, Pablo said.
“Alva Blake, Bryson Gonsalves, Shaun McGurn and Ray Baliaris are the bus drivers for this run,” Pablo said. “The drivers work with our staff to get the patients here and the patients are so happy. We really appreciate them.”
In addition, Pablo catalyzes the hospital, getting the different departments involved in the community event, including transporting special beach equipment made possible through the Mahelona Hospital Auxiliary, food and nursing care.
Mahelona Hospital and KVMH are part of the Kaua‘i Region of Hawai‘i Health System Corporation.
Visit www.smmh.hhsc.org for more information on Mahelona Hospital and visit www.kvmh.hhsc.org for more information on the KVMH in Waimea.
