Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children

09/11/2025

Mahalo to King Windward Nissan for launching Day 1 of our 2025 Kapiolani Radiothon for Kids with a generous $20,000 gift!🎉

To make the morning even more impactful, King Windward Nissan President Mike Niethammer and his team matched all donations made during the 7 a.m. hour, doubling the difference made for Hawaii's keiki!

Your support, along with theirs, helps Kapiolani, Hawaii’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, continue delivering life-changing care and making medical miracles happen.

📻 Tune in to the Kapiolani Radiothon for Kids, happening Sept. 11-12, 5 a.m.-7 p.m., live on KSSK 92.3!

👉 Donate now:
• Call 808-951-KIDS
• Text KEIKI to 34984
• Or visit Give2Kapiolani.org/Radiothon

Together, we make miracles happen.💙

09/06/2025

🎶✨Our 2025 Kapiolani Radiothon for Kids is happening Sept. 11-12 live on KSSK! Mark your calendars and join local music duo and brothers Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm of Music & Rhythm in supporting Kapiolani.

Tune in to 92.3 KSSK during the Radiothon and donate to help make more miracles happen for our keiki. Every gift – no matter the size – makes a difference for Hawaii's families! 💖

🔗Learn more and donate at Kapiolani.org/Radiothon.

09/03/2025

🌺🧸 Every year, Khloe Jarquio and her family organize a special toy drive to support the keiki at Kapiolani. After all, Khloe is a Kapiolani keiki patient who started her journey at the hospital when she was just six years old. She was featured on the Kapiolani Wall of Hope at the hospital and is currently a sophomore at Waipahu High School enjoying dance and flag football.

After experiencing fainting spells, Khloe was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Hemosiderosis, a rare lung disease where she experienced bleeding in her lungs. She spent the next two weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and two weeks in the pediatric ward. Khloe needed IV treatment every four weeks for six consecutive years. It was rough for Khloe and for the family, but with the love and comfort of the Pediatric Ambulatory Unit and Child Life Specialist teams, Khloe made it through each visit with hope and strength.

The Playroom was always her go-to when she had treatments. It brought this smile that she could enjoy herself for a moment. “As a mother it was a struggle to see her go through this but the emotions she had while in the Playroom are what made it bearable,” recalls Khloe’s mother Tiffanie. “She loved to make slime, do arts and crafts, and even play cards or board games with the staff. The Playroom was like an outlet for these kids. This is why I do this every year. I don’t have a company or organization I do it from the heart because these kids deserve all the happiness and smiles while going through some medical issues.”

Each year, Tiffanie and Khloe run their toy drive to give back to the kids at Kapiolani. Together, with the generosity of family, friends and coworkers, they had a goal to receive 350 toys this year. They were incredibly thrilled to surpass their goal with a donation of 661 items! The family is grateful to the team at Kapiolani and hopes the toys will bring happiness and smiles to hospialized children.

Mahalo, Khloe, Tiffanie and all those who joined forces to generously give back and make hospital stays more joyful for patients. 💙

08/31/2025

Service doesn’t stop at our hospital doors. Our 2025 Employee of the Year Community Stewardship honoree, Valerie Smalley, brings care and compassion into the communities we serve. The words from her nomination show the lasting impact of her outreach.

"This award nomination is for Valerie due to her continued daily demonstration of patient- and family-centered care that helps to improve upon outcomes for patients; her ability to go above and beyond to advocate for the patients and their families; and the continued excellence in care she shows for each patient and family member that she interacts with daily. Valerie takes steps every month to make sure every patient who hears about Kapiolani SmokeFree Families will have the least amount of barriers to success. These are just a few examples of the ways in which Valerie embodies excellence in patient care, patient experience and community stewardship as she continues to help create a healthier Hawaii."

🌺Thank you, Valerie, for embodying our mission beyond the workplace and making our community stronger!

08/30/2025

In 2023, when 5-year-old Tyron Yalsemal fell ill, he and his family left their home in Yap to seek lifesaving care at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children. After two years of traveling back and forth from Hilo to Honolulu, countless treatments and many hardships, Tyron rang the Bell of Hope this April to celebrate completing his chemotherapy for B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

To honor this milestone, Tyron’s parents, Aden and Janet, surrounded by loved ones and the oncology care team, shared not only their joy but also their gratitude. Together with their community, they presented a heartfelt $4,000 donation to the future Martha B. Smith Cancer & Infusion Center at Kapiolani.

“This is everything that our community and family can give to say thank you for saving Tyron,” says Aden.

Tyron’s story represents the resilience of Pacific Island families who travel across the ocean to Kapiolani for specialized care, often sacrificing jobs, housing and time with loved ones. Despite these challenges, the Yalsemal family’s generosity shines as a powerful reminder of the love and hope that connects us all. 💙

08/29/2025

🪅🙌🏼 A fiesta for the people who make it all happen! Earlier this summer, our Kapiolani ohana came together for a vibrant carnival celebration full of fun, flavor and good vibes. Our annual summer carnival is a much-anticipated event, and a chance to pause, recharge and celebrate the joy our team brings every day. 🫶🏼

08/29/2025

Celebrating our 2025 Employee of the Year Professional Advancement honoree, Kazushi Haruyama, who shows us how striving to improve benefits us all. His nomination reflects a commitment to learning and excellence that inspires others.

"Kazu has been a great help to the PICU! With his skillset as a transport RT, he has been crucial when needing to bring our sickest patients in and out of the ICU. When transporting patients to MRI or CT, Kazu never hesitates to set up the transport ventilator to help. Kazu also responds to any pediatric rapid response when they are available in house. Kazu is efficient and timely, always double-checking what we need and using closed-loop communication when confirming timing for transports."

Congratulations, Kazu, on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you the work you do every day to help create a healthier Hawaii. 💙

08/27/2025

Every year, 4,000 children fall from buildings in the U.S., and 70 percent of them fall from second- or third-story windows. Always practice window safety to prevent falls with these important tips.

• Teach children about window safety. “Screens keep bugs out; they do not keep kids in.”
• Teach children to play a safe distance from windows and enforce this rule in your home. For example, “We play two two big steps away from windows.”
• Keep furniture or anything a child can climb on away from windows.
• Keep windows closed and locked when not in use.
• Only allow windows to open 4 inches and install a window stop that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to keep children from opening them further. (Be sure an adult can open them in an emergency.)
• If you open windows wider than 4 inches, install window guards that meet ASTM standards and can be removed by an adult in an emergency.
• Share this information with grandparents, child care providers, friends and neighbors who may have children visit their home.
• Have an emergency fire escape plan for your family.

For more window safety and other injury prevention tips, visit Kapiolani.org/InjuryPrevention.

08/27/2025

🌟Our 2025 Employee of the Year Exemplary Mentor awardee, Ashley Uyeno, invests in people, sharing knowledge and encouragement every step of the way. Here’s an excerpt from one nomination that highlights this gift.

"As a dedicated employee relations manager, Ashley has exemplified exceptional leadership, guidance and support, making a profound impact on both employees and managers. With a deep understanding of workplace dynamics, Ashley has gone above and beyond in mentoring new managers and new HR colleagues to navigate complex workplace challenges while fostering a culture of trust, fairness and professional growth. In the true spirit of mentorship, demonstrating empathy, integrity and a genuine investment in the success of others, Ashley has fostered an environment where everyone feels supported."

Ashley, we thank you for lifting others as you rise and for shaping the next generation of caregivers to help create a healthier Hawaii! 💙🙌🏼

08/22/2025

Expecting a baby?🤰🏻There's still time to register for our upcoming Prepared Childbirth class at Pali Momi Medical Center! Get ready for the big day with expert guidance from experienced Kapiolani Medical Center childbirth educators. This 2-part class is designed for expectant parents in their last trimester of pregnancy. Each session is tailored to your needs and covers:

• Pre-labor and labor signs
• Phases of labor
• Comfort measures
• Pain management options
• Your partner's role.. and more!

🤰🏽 Prepared Childbirth Class
📅 Monday, Aug. 25, and Tuesday, Aug. 26
🕠 5:30-9 p.m.
📍 Pali Momi Medical Center, Diamond Head Conference Room
Cost: $125 per couple

Learn what to expect, ask questions and feel confident as you prepare to welcome your little one.👶🏽🍼

Register today: https://bit.ly/2YTvoIu

Excited about the big day? Not sure what to expect? This class series is designed for expectant parents in their final trimester of pregnancy. Over the course of two or three days, this class will cover: Female anatomy. Warning signs. Pre-labor and labor signs. Phases of labor. Timing contractions.....

08/21/2025

🌟 It's time to shine the spotlight on Michael Chibana, recipient of the 2025 Employee of the Year, Excellence in Patient-Centered Care and Patient Experience award! Michael knows outstanding patient care goes beyond medicine – it's also about listening, understanding and connecting. Michael does all that and more. The excerpt from this nomination helps sum it up:

"Due to Michael's outstanding leadership, we are highly capable of working to fulfill not only our HPH mission, but also to do so in a style that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and very patient-centered. One specific example of many is his connection of Kapiolani SmokeFree Families to referral of lung screening patients for CT lung screen so that there would be continuity of care and chance for making change through their entire health care process here in Hawaii. This may seem like a simple connection, but due to Mike's diligence as a leader, it is a connection that now having been made can save lives."

Mike, this award is just one way to honor the countless ways you elevate our mission to create a healthier Hawaii every day. Thank you for the superb work you do! 💙

08/19/2025

🥇 Expertise, skill and heart – that's what defines our 2025 Employee of the Year Mari Nomura, recipient of the Clinical Excellence award. From complex cases to everyday care, Mari delivers exceptional outcomes with compassion and professionalism. As shared in one of her nominations, this excerpt reflects why this recognition is so well deserved.

"Mari is an example of a team player who always has the patient's safety and care at the highest priority. She is knowledgeable in her role as a respiratory therapist while showing true compassion and care to her patients. She collaborates with the nurses to ensure that care is clustered to allow the patient to rest between interventions. Although she may be done with her job of providing respiratory therapy treatment, she never leaves the bedside until her patient is comfortable and resting. She creates a memorable patient experience and is a true example of demonstrating excellence in patient-centered care."

Mari, we're grateful for the care you bring every day – congratulations on this well-deserved honor and thank you for creating a healthier Hawaii!