Volume 24 Issue No.17 - April 20, 2015

V. 24 • No. 17 • Apr. 20, 2015
Oasis Blossoms on QMC – West O‘ahu Campus
AS WE EASE OuR WAY towards the first
anniversary of the opening of The Queen’s
Medical Center–West O‘ahu on May 20,
it’s a good time to look back at what
was there then and what is there now in
terms of the grounds themselves. D. Mark
Gwinner, Manager of Landscape Design
and Development, recalls first setting foot
on the property three years ago, just before the ownership transfer became final.
The 17 acres were a dry and barren sight;
the irrigation systems had been turned off
for several years, so nothing was thriving.
In contrast, the Honolulu campus is located in the historical downtown area anchored by trees dating back to the founding over 150 years ago. The challenge was
to “make it feel like Queen’s.”
“My idea was to make it look restful,
healthy and clean,” Mark related. “You
can’t match what exists in Honolulu, so I
wanted to capture the essence.” He took
careful consideration of his location. “I
looked to the Leeward coast’s bright sun,
open sky, and I wanted to somehow reflect that,” Mark explained. He chose xeric,
less thirsty plants that would do well under
the typical harsh conditions of relentless
sun and wind found on the Ewa plain.
Incorporating native plants whenever possible, Mark has created a perceived lushness by intermixing ornamentals throughout the campus. “One of the
Before (top left) and after transformation of what visitors see upon entering QMC–WO.
reasons the landscaping is successful is
because it was planned by a gardener, not
an architect,” Mark admitted. “The plant
choices can take the full sun and blowing
wind. It’s been an exciting transformation.”
Mark created interest and detail
throughout the property, adding shady
seating areas like those familiar to Honolulu staff, patients, and visitors. He
committed to using as many available
resources as possible, such as roof tiles,
rocks and other detritus from the demolition of the former site.
A Mother’s Garden and gazebo are
prominently situated outside the chapel
near the front entrance. It’s a special spot
for reflective healing featuring all white
flowers and foliage.
up next is a community collaboration
garden focusing on sustainability. It will
be created and maintained with support from neighbors university of Hawai‘i
West O‘ahu and Ma‘o farms. Look for
more information on this exciting venture
in the weeks to come as it unfolds.
Before and After: Area between hospital
and Clinical Services Center (CSC).
(See more before & after photos on page 2.)
OTs Celebrate a Profession of a Lifetime
QMC–West O‘ahu OTs:
(l-r) Kristen Chow,
Norma Pershing, and
Lynnette Lwin.
Honolulu OTs and COTAs: (front, l-r) Alison Nakata, COTA, Fran Imamura, OT, Allison Shuler,
OT, Caitlin Silangcruz, OT, Pamela Anderson, COTA; (middle) Wendy Tsutsui, OT, Brandi Fulwider, OT, Wendy Johnston, OT, Erika Librizzi, OT, Kendra Seger, OT, Chelsie Agena, COTA;
(back) Matt Dery, OTA student, Glenn Nishimura, COTA, Kendra Hatae, OT. There were many
other OTs and COTAs who were not able to be present for the photo.
CELEBRATED IN APRIL, Occupational Therapy Month recognizes professionals who
help people across the human lifespan
from children to seniors. OT practitioners
enable people to do the things they want
and need to do through the therapeutic
use of daily activities (occupations). They
work with people to live life to its fullest by
promoting health and by preventing or living better with injury, illness, or disability.
Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with
disabilities to participate fully in school
and social situations, helping people recovering from injuries to regain skills, and
providing support for older adults with
physical and cognitive challenges.
Across The Queen’s Health Systems,
occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs) work with inpatients as well as
outpatients, and in almost every unit of
the hospital. They are a tight bunch that
shows their collaborative spirit by gathering each year for a photo and participating in community activities. This year,
Queen’s OTs and COTAs are offering
“Carfit–A Mature Driver Safety Educational Program.” The free event will be
held on Saturday, May 2, from 8:00 am to
12:00 pm at Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, located at 1822 keeaumoku Street. Carfit
is a 20-minute, 12-point checklist to “fit” a
car and driver for optimal safety. Call 5274777 for reservations, or email Pamela
k. Anderson, COTA, at panderson@
queens.org for more information.
Oasis Blooms at West
(Continued from page 1.)
Mother’s Garden
NHCH OTs and COTAs: (l-r) Laura Lindberg,
OT, Kathy Goo, COTA, and Sharnell Sumic,
OT. Missing: June Kaniko, OT.
Both Fun & Decorum at Doctor’s Day Celebration
Decorum may not have been the order of the day, but joy and celebration
certainly were. Doctor’s Day at Queen’s
was celebrated on Friday, April 10, with a
nod of thanks to all of the physicians who
have served at QMC over the years and
a very special personal look at the 2015
Ke Kauka Po‘okela winners Erlaine Bello,
MD, and Kuo-Chian Lian, MD, the Physicians of the Year. As emcee Shari Kogan,
MD, and past Ke Kauka awardee stated,
“If you want to know just how great these
doctors are, and they are really great,
read the Print Connection. You will be as
amazed at their accolades as I was.”
But while the Harkness Courtyard celebration and awards ceremony acknowledges that greatness, it has also come
to be known as a time of year to just cut
loose, relax, and have a few laughs, possibly at the expense of the esteemed
award winners, who take it all in stride. Dr.
Bello, the Outstanding Community-Based
Physician of the Year, was well noted for
scaring the heck out of everyone, from
her students all the way up to QHS/QMC
President & CEO Art Ushijima. But it’s the
good kind of scary—the kind where her
standards are just so high, you really have
to stay on your toes to meet them.
As champion of infection control, Dr.
Bello was serenaded by a rag tag chorus
of Infection Prevention & Control staffers dressed as cockroaches and noxious
germs or sporting fly swatters. She was
proclaimed Princess Ebolani and given
a beauty queen-style banner to prove it.
Dr. Lian, the Hospital-Based Physician
of the Year, was called on stage to be part
of telling his own life story. He played himself perfectly and gamely went along with
every silly prop or costume his hospitalists
presented, even when his wife Melissa
was enacted by Jonathan Kaufmann, MD,
on his knees and wearing lipstick and a
dress. Melissa, forgive him. From tutus
to tiaras and all points in between, the
hospitalists didn’t hold back, and Dr. Lian
read and adlibbed his lines well. A favorite, “Sleep is for babies!!,” spoken with the
coffee IV prominently attached to his arm.
Art gamely tried to restore dignity to
the event for the official presentation of
plaques and checks. Dr. Bello donated the
monetary portion of her award to the ‘Iolani
School Science Olympiad team for which
she is a coach, and Dr. Lian donated his to
the University of Hawai‘i Internal Medicine
Program. Dr. Bello thanked her many mentors throughout the years, as well as her
family for their continued support. Dr. Lian
said that he sees this as more of an MVP
award: “It’s really about gratitude throughout my whole life. It is truly a pleasure to
be part of this team that makes me look so
good and is so much fun to be a part of.”
A Blood Drive will be held on Thurs-
day, April 23, from 7:00 am – 1:45 pm at
QMC in Honolulu. The Bank of Hawai‘i
Bloodmobile will be parked in the old ER
turnaround area. Make an appointment
online at bbh.org or by calling 848-4770.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Due to decreasing influenza (flu)
activity in Hawai‘i, employees, physicians,
and other health care personnel who did
not receive this season’s flu vaccine may
discontinue routinely wearing masks during patient contact/interactions, and handling patient foods, medications, supplies,
and equipment. This will remain in effect
until the next increase in flu activity is announced. Please be aware that Hawai‘i
experiences flu activity year round due
to visitors that come from the northern
and southern hemisphere, as well as the
southern hemisphere where flu activity
occurs at a different time of the year.
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Work on Wellness (WOW) workshops
are now scheduled through August. Attendance at a WOW sponsored Health
Education Workshop counts towards one
of the Wellness Activity requirements for
the 2015 Work on Wellness Program. The
requirements must be fulfilled by August
31, 2015 to qualify for a cost share incentive on 2016 medical premiums. A list of
the WOW sessions held at QMC in Honolulu and QMC - West O‘ahu can be
found on the Queen’s Intranet under the
Human Resources, Wellness Program
links (http://eww/queens.org/hr/index/
html). You will also find links for scheduling Biometric Screenings, which begin
in May, and other essential information.
Another FitBit Challenge will run May 4
– June 14, so if you don’t already own a
FitBit, order yours soon.
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Support the March of Dimes by purchasing a $1 pin-up card this week in
the Harkness Dining Room. Every donation counts! The March of Dimes Walk
for Babies will be held on Saturday, April
25 at 7:30 am at Kapi‘olani Park. Reg-
ister to walk or donate at www.marchforbabies.org/, followed by a Queen’s
team captain’s name. Captains linked on
the site will read: hongmin, ericbarsatan,
qmcwokeith, debbyt, itsSiah, tutoa64 or
QueensRunners. (Example www.marchforbabies.org/hongmin).
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Shereen Johnson is now the Manager
of Environment of Care and Safety at
QMC in Honolulu. Bryan Berry has added
the role of CTS Manager to his current
responsibilities as Director of Environmental Services. Bryan is also a member
of Queen’s Ebola Task Force and a certified Language of Caring trainer.
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“Improving the Health Response to
Domestic Violence: Advocacy, Dynamics and Patient Safety,” a Project Connect session presented by the Native
Hawaiian Health Program & Futures
Without Violence, will be held on Tuesday, April 28, from 12:30 – 4:30 pm in
the Kamehameha Auditorium. The session will cover: how domestic and sexual
violence affects health outcomes; how
cultural trauma impacts health care delivery; and ways to apply best practices
to clinical settings, including the use of
“safety cards.” This activity is designated
for 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.TM
Space is limited. To RSVP contact Kalani
Kaanaana at 691-7010 or at [email protected]. Attendees may bring
their own lunches.
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“Kidney Transplants: How to Save a
Life,” a free Speaking of Health 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, along with 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 online at www.
queens.org (click “Attend a Class”).
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“Genetics & Genomics,” the Oncology
Nursing Society O‘ahu Chapter Conference, will be held on Friday, August 21,
from 7:45 am – 4:30 pm at the Hilton
Hawaiian Village. The event also includes
a silent auction fundraiser. Registration
begins June 1.
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The Hawaiian Islands Trauma Symposium will be held on Friday and Sat-
urday, July 10 and 11 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village; mark your calendar and
save the date.
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A new session of “Tai chi: Moving for
Better Balance,” taught by Jerry Punzal,
begins on Wednesday, April 22 and runs
weekly through May 27. The class is
held from 8:00 - 9:00 am in the Women’s Health Center classroom at QMC in
Honolulu. The fee for the six sessions is
$66. To register, call the Queen’s Referral Line at 691-7117.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
yoga basics will be taught by Kahea Bencke on Tuesdays from 5:30
- 6:30 pm, April 21 - May 26. Learn
correct breathing methods, alignment,
and technique while restoring the body,
mind, and spirit. Bring a yoga mat and a
towel. Sessions wil be held in the Women’s Health Center classroom at QMC in
Honolulu. The six-session fee is $66. Call
691-7117 to register.
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