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  • HMSA and Wilcox Medical Center donate $75,000

Kaua‘i Community College (KCC) Nursing Program students will have a new 3G simulation manikin this year due to donations from HMSA ($45,000) and Wilcox Medical Center ($30,000). Two other foundations and the KCC Nursing Department also contributed funds. The program’s previous manikin was at the end of its 10 year life and its manufacturer would no longer service it.

"It’s so important for our students to get experience caring for patients, where they can make mistakes and learn from them, before they treat actual patients. This technology will have a ripple effect throughout our community as our graduates go out to area clinics and hospitals,” said Helen A. Cox, KCC chancellor.

“A huge mahalo to our community partners for helping to educate our next generation of nurses − HMSA; Wilcox Medical Center; the Nicholas H. & Margaret H. Carlozzi Charitable Foundation, Inc.; and the D.J. Hirschmann Family Foundation."

Teaching future health care providers demands a wide range of high-quality training tools. The new manikin will help nursing students on Kaua‘i begin their education by offering practical training in realistic situations. After each training scenario, students and their instructors talk about what went well, what didn't go well, and what they’d do differently.  Students learn from these experiences, which helps them to better anticipate and intervene in real clinical situations.

“We’re always looking for ways to support our local residents,” said Michael A. Gold, HMSA’s president and chief executive officer.

“We’re fortunate that the students from the KCC nursing program will support the health care needs of Kaua‘i's community members and we’re honored to be given another opportunity to invest in the health and well-being of Kaua‘i.”

“We are proud to support this initiative and the advanced education and training it will provide for Kaua‘i Community College’s nursing students,” said Jen H. Chahanovich, president and chief executive officer of Wilcox Medical Center.

“Wilcox has had a longstanding partnership with KCC and many of our nurses are KCC graduates. Ultimately, our investment in their education as nursing students will benefit our entire community as they graduate and go on to work in our health care facilities with the skills and abilities needed to provide the best care possible for our patients.”

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About the Kaua‘i Community College Nursing Program
Kaua‘i Community College is part of the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium that offers a B.S. in Nursing pathway from community college to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). In this program, students take their first three years of coursework at a community college then transfer to UHM, either on Oahu or via distance learning for Maui and Kaua‘i students, for their final year.

About Wilcox Medical Center
Wilcox Health, which comprises Wilcox Medical Center and Kaua‘i Medical Clinic, is an affiliate of Hawai‘i Pacific Health, one of the state’s largest health care providers. In addition to Wilcox, Hawai‘i Pacific Health includes three other medical centers – Kapi‘olani, Pali Momi and Straub – as well as over 70 locations statewide.

Founded in 1938, Wilcox Medical Center is a not-for-profit hospital dedicated to providing the Kaua‘i community with accessible, quality health care. The largest medical center on Kaua‘i, it is a state-of-the-art acute care facility with a full suite of services offering 30 specialties and programs including cardiology, emergency, family practice, gastroenterology, health management, internal medicine, neurology, OB-GYN, oncology, orthopedics, pediatrics and urology. Its 20-bed emergency department is the first neighbor island facility to obtain a Level III Trauma designation and serves as the island’s Primary Stroke Center. The medical center also has four birthing suites, seven intensive care beds and 20 same-day surgery beds. The American Heart Association has recognized Wilcox in three areas of excellence: stroke (S) – gold plus award and honor roll elite plus, heart failure (HF) – gold plus award, and atrial fibrillation (AFIB) – gold award. Wilcox has also received the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Award Grade A, the QUEST citation of merit for high-value health care, and is recognized as a Top Performer on Key Quality Measures by The Joint Commission.

Kaua‘i Medical Clinic is the island’s largest clinic and only multispecialty medical group. More than 85 physicians and midlevel providers offer primary and specialty care at clinic locations in ʻEleʻele, Kapaʻa, Kōloa and Līhuʻe. Kaua‘i Medical Clinic also offers an Urgent Care clinic in Līhuʻe that is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday-Sunday. Learn more at WilcoxHealth.org.

About HMSA
Caring for the people of Hawaii is our promise and our privilege. Working together with employers, partners, and physicians and other health care providers, we promote wellness; develop reliable, affordable health plans; and support members with clear, thoughtful guidance.

HMSA is the most experienced health plan in the state, covering more than half of Hawaii’s population. As a recognized leader, we embrace our responsibility to strengthen the health and well-being of our community.

Headquartered on Oahu with centers and offices statewide to serve our members, HMSA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

The University of Hawaiʻi Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawaiʻi System. The mission of the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation is to unite donors' passions with the University of Hawaiʻi’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawaiʻi and our future generations www.uhfoundation.org.