Our Island,
Our Community,
Our Health
Healthcare is caring for health not treating disease. Only a community can make this paradigm shift.
Community First Founder
The Late Barry Taniguchi
Why Community First?
Barry Taniguchi founded Community First to help our community come together to make this shift and to find solutions based on the common good.
He had 3 Principles:
- Only Together
- Make the Invisible, Visible
- Try, and don’t expect to get it right the first time
Guiding Principles
Only Together
There is no way to transform healthcare & achieve a sutainable system without coming together. If West, North, and East Hawaii come together, we can build a County-wide system of health governed by each community to best address their needs while leveraging information technology and payment models which require scale.
Make the Invisible, Visible
My son Toby once said, “We value harmony more than truth.” Sometimes for the sake of harmony we make the visible invisible in order to get along. But in the long term, harmony can only come from truth so we must make the invisible, visible. Truth is the basis of the trust needed for collaboration and transformation.
Try, and don’t expect to get it right the first time
The house is burning. We need to act, recognizing that we can’t figure it all out through the creation of binders of plans, and that we will need to make adjustments as we move forward. But we will make these adjustments collaboratively and in the best interests of the community. Only by acting can we innovate.
Vision
A community where we not only take personal responsibility for our own health, but help each other care for our mutual well-being.
Mission
A sustainable medical and social service system which provides quality care for all the people of Hawai’i Island.
Want to Help?
Become Involved, Find Solutions
Latest Insights
Mom Knows Her End Of Life Wishes Will Be Respected By Amy Hamane
“Community First’s workshop was just what we needed! Mom listened attentively and we all learned why an AHCD is so important, not just for Mom but for all of us. “…said daughter Puna Azevedo. Our next workshop will be from 3-4 p.m. on Aug. 13, and we encourage families like the Robert’s family to gather in their homes in a special Sunday afternoon Zoom workshop from 3-4 p.m. on Sept. 20. To register, go online to CommunityFirstHawaii.org/registration or call Amy Hamane at 935-1500 or Rosemary Burnett at 987-4405.
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