| Construction of Fatharai Health Center has Started! (14-Nov-2007) |
The community of Fatharai has begun construction of their island\'s community health center using the materials and tools donated by OCH. The foundation is now being built with the assistance of the entire community. OCH continues to support their efforts with needed supplies, additional tools and materials.
Two containers of construction materials for the health center have arrived in Yap. One was sent to Fatharai on the last field trip ship. The other is scheduled to go in December.
We are all excited about the progress and how the project has brought the entire community of Fatharai together to improve their island\'s health. |
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| Update on Hokule'a/Alingano-Maisu Voyage (27-Mar-2007) |
Oceania Community Health is honored to be a part of the successful voyage of the Hokule'a and Alingano-Maisu to Yap. The canoes spotted Yap early morning on Monday March 26th, 2007.
The last leg of the voyage was especially significant to OCH. It involved a visit to Ulithi Atoll and Fatherai Island where our current health dispensary project was underway.
This visit was special as it represented a return of our Vice President Max Yarawamai and his daughter Ana Yarawamai to their home island. Max grew up on Fatherai Island before moving to Hawaii to go to High School in 1974. Their return to Fatherai was especially emotional. As members of the voyaging canoe Hokule'a they helped re-enforce the importance of Micronesia's cultural knowledge and pride. As members of Oceania Community Health, they emphasized the essential connection between culture and health. OCH feels that a strong sense of culture pride and self awareness is necessary before a community can begin to take control of its own health. Most were moved to tears when witnessing the community's reception of Max and Ana.
A comment about Max Yarawamai from physician and fellow voyager Ben Tamura was especially poignant. "Max, you sighted Rapa Nui through a small break in the clouds in '99. But your vision clearly transcends your two eyes, you see things with your heart." (March 26, 2007)
Please see Ka'iulani Murphy's (one of the Hokule'a Navigators) recent Weblog for more about this visit.
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| OCH in the News (26-Mar-2007) |
| A recent article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin Featured Oceania Community Health and our work in Micronesia. Please visit the Star Bulletin Article to findout more. |
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| Update on Hokule'a/Alingano-Maisu Voyage (20-Mar-2007) |
Oceania Community Health has partnered with the polynesian voyaging to help support their current voyage through Micronesia. OCH has worked to help coordinate the voyage through Yap State and the work of Aloha Medical Mission (AMM). Through OCH, AMM has partnered with the Yap Department of Health Services to help provide filariasis treatment for the outer island community of Fais and assist in school health screening of the outer islands.
This voyage is significant as it involves three of our Hawaii Board members- Max Yarawamai, Nainoa Thompson and Bruce Blankenfeld. Please check the Polynesian Voyaging Society for the most recent update on the voyage. |
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| Fatharai Health Dispensary Update (15-Mar-2007) |
| The Fatharai Dispensary Project is about to begin the construction phase. The community has already received the tools for building their dispensary and a community foreman has been identified. The community began the collection of sand and gravel for the concrete work while they await the shipment of other building supplies from Hawaii. The supplies will be gathered and shipped once our three board members- Max Yarawamai, Nainoa Thompson, and Bruce Blankenfeld return to Hawaii from their recent voyage through Micronesia with the Polynesian Voyaging Society. |
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| OCH Tackles Kidney Disease in Yap (09-Mar-2007) |
| An OCH volunteer has taken on the challenge of addressing the treatment of chronic kidney disease in Yap Memorial Hospital. Per the request of the Yap State Health Department, and in collaboration with Yap physicians Dr. Chris Lindshield has put together a chronic kidney disease clinic protocol for the hospital. We hope this exciting project will help improve the care of those with kidney disease in Yap and thus limit the number of Yapese needing to move elsewhere for dialysis. For more info, please see the Chronic Kidney Disease Clinic project page. |
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| OCH Teams with Polynesian Voyaging Society (16-Dec-2006) |
| OCH is proud to team with the Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS) in their upcoming voyage through Micronesia. The voyage will bring Hokule'a and the newly built Maisu voyaging canoes from Hawaii all the way to Palau. OCH has been working with the Aloha Medical Mission, PVS and the Yap Community to help make the voyage one that can successfully impact the health of Micronesia in the future. |
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| Yap Community Board Adds New Member (15-Nov-2006) |
Denitha Palemar has been elected to serve on Oceania Community Health's Yap Community Board. Her addition now brings up the number of board members to seven.
She is currently the director of maternal and child health in the Yap Department of Health. She is from Chuuk, but has lived in Yap for many years after marrying a man from Fais. Her active participation in health, especially in women's and children's health issues makes her an invaluable addition to the board. We are grateful that she agreed to serve her community through OCH. Please check our leadership page for her soon to be posted picture. |
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| OCH Adds New Member to Board of Directors (20-Oct-2006) |
The OCH Board of Directors is Happy to announce the addition of Dr. A. Mark Durand to its Hawaii Board of Directors. Dr. Durand has spent many years serving the communities of the Western Pacific as a physician and health administrator. His most recent work was as the Director of Health Services of Yap State, FSM. We are honored to have his expertise as part of our board.
Please check back soon to our leadership page for a photo and short bio.
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| Health Dispensary Project Update (02-Jun-2006) |
The health dispensary project continues to make progress.
The blueprints for the Fatharai Dispensary have been completed by Greg Warner. Max Yarawamai will deliver the completed plans to the Yap community for their review on June 4th.
In addition, a shipping container full of construction supplies has been sent. It is due to arrive in Yap around June 6th. While in Yap, Max Yarawamai will facilitate the delivery of the tools/supplies to the community.
The next steps for the project involve obtaining the remaining building materials and determining the best time for the community to initiate construction. |
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| OCH President to Serve in Micronesia as Physician (31-May-2006) |
| Thane Hancock, current president of Oceania Community Health, will start employment in the Western Pacific at the Wa'ab Community Health Center in Yap. He will soon complete his residency in Family Medicine at University of Hawaii and will begin serving the Yap community in August 2006. |
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| Health Dispensary Update- A Call for Donations (01-May-2006) |
Our dispensary project to rebuild Fatharai Island's Health Center in Ulithi Atoll has reached an exciting point.
As the final touches are put on the health dispensary design by architect Greg Warner, Max Yarawamai has started the next step. He will begin collecting donated construction tools for the Ulithi Community to build their dispensary. These tools will then be shipped to Yap via a shipping container.
Our goal is to provide:
-Cement mixers
-Generators
-Skill Saws
-Rebar cutter
-Shovels
-Picks
-Hoes
-Concrete finishing tools
-Hoses
-Wheelbarrows
-Extension cords
-Ladders
If you have an item that you would like to donate, please contact us via e-mail (info@oceaniahealth.org) or phone (808 386 2266).
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| Laboratory Machine Received by Yap (19-Apr-2006) |
A Celldyne hematology analyzer that was generously donated by Wahiawa General Hospital was shipped to the Yap Memorial Hospital in Yap Sate, Federated States of Micronesia. This machine will provide complete blood counts and analysis that will help with the diagnosis of diseases such as anemia, leukemia and infections.
On April 19th, we received word from Maria Marfel, the Yap Memorial Hospital Laboratory Director that it had arrived. We are waiting for it to clear customs.
Please visit our project page to findout more about the medical supplies we have provided to Pacific Communities. |
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| Health Dispensary Design Update (16-Feb-2006) |
Our dispensary project to rebuild Fatharai Island's Health Center in Ulithi Atoll continues.
On February 13th, after receiving the design updates from the Ulithi Community, members of the Hawaii board met with Greg Warner of Walker-Warner Architects. Mr. Warner is the architect who has graciously volunteered his expertise to translate the Ulithi Community's vision for their dispensary into blue-prints. It is expected that over the next few weeks the design will be completed and submitted to the community for final approval.
Through the work of the Ulithi Community and Greg Warner, we hope to create a design that might influence future health dispensaries in the rural Pacific. |
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| New Website Up and Running! (20-Jan-2006) |
| Thanks to the gracious help of Julian Apatu, our new website is up and running! Julian spent hours to help us complete the beautiful site originally designed for us by Dagny Prieto. We very appreciate the help from both. Please let us know what you think about the site. Send Website Feed Back |
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| OCH Aid Station wins Spirit Award at Kona Ironman (15-Oct-2005) |
This past October, Oceania Community Health sponsored an aid station at the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. This was done when members of the Micronesian Community living in Hawaii identified it as a way to show appreciation to the people of Hawaii.
The Oceania Community Health station won the Spirit Award for most enthusiastic encouragement of the competitors.
It was a privilege to provide a venue where the Micronesian Community could come together and give back to others.
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