Waianae Coast’s mobile health clinic unveiled today
COURTESY WAIANAE COAST COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTER
The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center today unveiled its new, start-of-the-art mobile health clinic. This is the view inside of the mobile clinic.
COURTESY WAIANAE COAST COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CENTER
The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center today unveiled its new, start-of-the-art mobile health clinic.
The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center today held a blessing for its new, start-of-the-art mobile health clinic.
The clinic is equipped with two exam rooms, a triage area, a bathroom, storage, and advanced technology. It will be staffed by a team of health care professionals, including a medical provider, two registered nurses, and a social worker or case manager.
With the new mobile clinic, WCCHC aims to increase access to quality health care for the vulnerable, particularly those facing complex forms of homelessness on the island’s West side — from Kapolei to Makua.
“The launch of our mobile clinic is an exciting milestone in our continuous journey to improve healthcare access,” said WCCHC President & CEO Rich Bettini in a statement. “It builds upon our 51-year commitment to the health and well-being of our community in West Oahu.”
The new clinic will offer walk-in services for acute and chronic conditions, preventive care, wound care, immunizations, and follow-up care, along with referrals to medical specialists.
Also, the clinic will screen patients and connect them to community resources for mental health, substance abuse support, transportation, and housing.
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The mobile clinic will also serve as a platform for field-based outreach and medical care without barriers, the health center said.
During today’s blessing ceremony, it was revealed that WCCHC’s Kupuna Council officially approved the name “Kukui O Keolalani” (The light of life) for the new mobile clinic.
The name honors the pioneering vision of licensed practical nurse Evalani Galariada-Rosa — a 45-year veteran at WCCHC now working as its community relations and special projects coordinator — whose name “Eva” means life.
She initiated the homeless outreach program for the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in the early 1990s, alongside Helen O’Connor. In the first two years of the program, she used her personal van to support outreach efforts before securing a grant for the first mobile outreach vehicle.
“Eva’s dedication and unwavering commitment to serving those in need continue to inspire us all,” said WCCHC, Hawaii’s largest federally qualified health care center, in a news release, “and that legacy is now empowered with the Kukui O Keolalani mobile health clinic.”
