North Hawai‘i Community Hospital blesses new Kaheleaulani clinic
On August 31, the North Hawai‘i Community Hospital celebrated the renovation and re-birth of their Native Hawaiian health clinic, renamed Kaheleaulani. The renovations were made possible in part by a $60,000 grant from the County of Hawai‘i through Mayor Billy Kenoi’s office.
The blessing featured an opening oli by the students of nearby Kanu O Ka ‘Āina school, a blessing by Pastor Sonny Shimaoka, and a performance and blessing by Kumu Micah Kamohoali‘i of Hālau Nā Kīpu‘upu‘u. Speakers included Aunty Ulu Garmon, NHCH CEO Ken Wood, Kaheleaulani director of behavior services Dr. Claren Ku‘ulei Kealoha-Beaudet, Trustee Robert Lindsey of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and Mayor Kenoi.
Also present at the blessing were the Royal Order of Kamehameha and the ‘Ahahui Ka‘ahumanu.
The name of the clinic, Kaheleaulani, was taken from the will of Lucy Kalanikumaikiekie Davis Henriques, great granddaughter of Kamehameha I’s advisor Isaac Davis. Henriques set aside the lands of Makahikilua, given to her by her cousin Lucy Kahiehie Peabody, for a facility to care for the families of Waimea. Makahikilua is the site of the modern-day North Hawai‘i Community Hospital.
“All we want to accomplish, no matter what our kuleana, is to have a healthy, safe community. And the only way we have a healthy, safe community is to have healthy children, strong families, and have access to quality health care so we can live our lives with dignity and aloha,” Mayor Kenoi said in his remarks.
The entrance to the North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea, where the Kaheleaulani Native Hawaiian health clinic is located.