MEDIA RELEASE

The East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation welcomes Teana Kahoohanohano as the new administrator of the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home.

Avalon Health Care, Inc., the home’s managing company, appointed Kahoohanohano on July 1.

Teana Kahoohanohano

Most recently, Kahoohanohano led Westgate Manor C.H. in Madera, Calif. to a 5-Star rating, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ highest rating, 2008-2011.

“Kahoohanohano brings an extraordinary level of energy and cultural sensitivity that are essential to meet the needs of Hawaii’s veterans and their families,” said Howard N. Ainsley, East Hawaii Regional CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation. “I look forward to her positive impact on the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home.”

“I really wanted to come home and give back,” said Kahoohanohano about returning to Hawaii. “Growing up on Maui long term care was something we never talked about. My grandparents took care of my great-grandparents. However, the reality now is that financial demands on families make it extremely difficult to care for our kupuna at home.”

“Working on the mainland opened my eyes to the necessity of having long term care homes for kupuna. I want the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home to be the place Hawaii’s veterans are happy to call their home.”

Another one of Kahoohanohano’s goals is accessibility.

“I am enjoying getting to know our residents and staff,” she said. “If I am not in the office, I’m on the floor with my nurses and staff making sure we are meeting our residents’ needs.”

Kahoohanohano participated in Avalon Health Care Inc.’s Administrator-in-Training program from 2007-2008. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from the University of Southern California and her Master’s degree in Health Policy and Administration from Washington State University.

She graduated from Kamehameha Kapalama on Oahu in 2000 and was born and raised on Maui.

The Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo is a 95-bed long-term care facility where more than 120 staff care for residents. In addition, the Center features a medically-based Adult Day Health Care Program to care for 24 participants.

The Center, on the campus of Hilo Medical Center, is named for Yukio Okutsu, a life-long resident of Hilo who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during World War II.

In 1945, when his platoon was halted by the crossfire of three machine guns on Mt. Belvedere, Italy, he single-handedly defeated a dozen entrenched enemy combatants while exposing himself to heavy enemy fire.