HANALEI — Physicians, providers, staff and families from the Kaiser Permanente Lihu‘e Clinic spent time at the Waipa ahupua‘a on Friday as part of the organization’s statewide annual Day of Service.
HANALEI — Physicians, providers, staff and families from the Kaiser Permanente Lihu‘e Clinic spent time at the Waipa ahupua‘a on Friday as part of the organization’s statewide annual Day of Service.
This day was the fourth time employees from the KP Lihu‘e Clinic worked with the Waipa Foundation to complete restoration projects such as clearning weeds and roots from lo‘i (taro fields), and removing invasive plants from the banks of the Waipa Stream.
“The medical care we provide in our Kaiser Permanente facilities across the state is just a small part of what helps communities stay healthy,” said Dr. Todd Kuwaye, assistant area medical director of primary care operations, Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i, in a release.
“Our staff is excited to return for our fourth year of service at the Waipa ahupua‘a and help in whatever ways we can. We have witnessed the area transform over the years, and we are proud of our role in supporting that change.”
The Kaua‘i volunteer project done on the Kamehameha Day Holiday is part of a larger community service effort by more than 500 Kaiser Permanente Hawai‘i physicians, staff, families and community organizations statewide, everyone volunteering simultaneously on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island and Kaua‘i.
Kaiser Permanente’s annual Day of Service was canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19, and postponed earlier this year due to the omicron variant surge in January. During the outing, Kaiser Permanente employed several COVID-19 measures to ensure the safety of volunteers engaged in the outdoor service activity.
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
