Afternoon Breakout Session Speakers

Read more about our morning breakout session speakers.

Strengthening Community Collaboration: Building a Healthier, More Connected Future Through Food as Medicine

Panelists

Carla Belvins

Kerri Okamura

Kahealani Ka’aihili

Stacey Haumea

  • Carla Blevins is the Patient Navigation Program Manager at Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center (HICHC). She leads a team of Patient Navigators who provide whole-person care through care coordination and HICHC's Food as Medicine program. Together, they help patients address the social drivers of health by connecting them with locally grown, culturally relevant foods, nutrition education, and community resources to improve food security and chronic disease outcomes. Carla is passionate about developing innovative, patient-centered programs that advance health equity and strengthen primary care.

  • Kerri Okamura, R.Ph., is the Food Is Medicine Director at The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s food bank, where she helps to lead programs that connect local food systems, healthcare, and community wellness.

    Kerri is passionate about improving health outcomes through prevention, nutrition, and community-based care. A graduate of Purdue University, she also holds certificates in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and the Forks Over Knives Plant-Based Certification program through Rouxbe Online Culinary School.

  • Kahealani Kaaihili is a fourth generation Native Hawaii kalo farmer from Waipio Valley and the owner of Mokuwai Piko Poi, home of the "Poi Pops." Poi from Mokuwai Piko Poi has been a regular staple in The Food Basket's Food Is Medicine boxes. 

  • Stacy Haumea, DrBH, RDN, CDCES is the Nutrition Services Administrator at Hawai‘i Island Community Health Center, a federally qualified health center serving communities across Moku o Keawe. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with a doctorate in behavioral health, Stacy brings together clinical nutrition, lifestyle medicine, culinary nutrition, and community health through programs including WIC, diabetes prevention and education, and primary care.

    Stacy believes that lasting health is strengthened when healthcare and community organizations come together around the needs, strengths, culture, and food traditions of the communities they serve. Her work reflects a simple philosophy: nourish the body with locally grown whole foods, stay active, find balance, and build connections that support well-being.

First, Do No Harm - Then Speak Up: Rural Health Advocacy and Policy in Action

Panelist

Jenn Shrestha, MD

Kanani Dilcher, MD

Kaohimanu Akiona, MD

Elizabeth Ignacio, MD. (Moderator)

  • Kā'ohimanu Dang Akiona MD is a Native Hawaiian, community-focused, Family Medicine Physician, researcher, mother, and advocate for access to rural healthcare. She owns an independent, integrated medical practice serving rural Hawai`i Island and Moloka`i, providing primary care, occupational health, urgent care and telehealth & mobile health services. Her team has used innovative but practical approaches to address disparities in and barriers to access to healthcare across the care continuum and in a range of resource settings, with a special focus on marginalized and vulnerable populations. She is a proud mom to her amazing daughter, `Auli`ikolomanu.

  • Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD FACR FSIR, is an Interventional Radiologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience.  A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, she completed residency in D.C., followed by fellowships in pediatric radiology (Childrens Natl Med Ctr) and interventional radiology (Johns Hopkins Hospital). Dr. Ignacio has held numerous state and national leadership roles with the American College of Radiology (ACR), Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), Hawaiʻi Radiological Society, Hawaiʻi Medical Association (HMA), and American Medical Association. She currently serves on the ACR Board of Chancellors and ACR Commission on Interventional Radiology, chairs SIR’s Small and Rural Practice Committee, and is Immediate Past President of HMA. She also serves on the Hawaiʻi Medical Board and has participated in statewide rural health and healthcare transformation initiatives. An educator, author, and physician advocate, Dr. Ignacio has lectured and published on interventional radiology and broader healthcare issues and is actively engaged in state and federal advocacy focused on healthcare access, physician workforce, health equity, and quality and patient safety.

Continuity as a Lifeline: The Role of Family Medicine Obstetrics in Rural Hawaiʻi

Panelists

E. Kareem Khozaim, MD

Emilie Stickley, MD

Eyita Gaga, CNM

Melissa Robey, MD

Micah Gamble

Lisa Rantz (Moderator)

  • Dr. Emilie Stickley, MD, MPH, MHA, is the Rural Health Clinic Medical Director for East Hawaiʻi Medical Group at Hilo Benioff Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from Northeast Ohio Medical University and completed her OB/GYN residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Dr. Stickley has served the women of Hawaiʻi as an obstetrician-gynecologist since 2005. Dr. Stickley is passionate about improving access to high-quality women's healthcare in rural, medically underserved communities. Her work focuses on developing collaborative care models that strengthen healthcare delivery, improve outcomes, and expand access to specialty services for women across the state.

  • Eyita Gaga, CNM is a doctoral prepared Certified Nurse Midwife with experience working

    in a wide range of national and international settings. Since deciding to become a CNM in

    2016, she has dedicated herself to understanding the traumatic root causes of the racial

    and social disparities that exist in women’s and maternal healthcare and the role that

    mental health plays in the experience of pregnancy and motherhood. Eyita is a strong

    advocate of a trauma informed midwifery model of healthcare and hopes to see culturally

    congruent maternal healthcare provided in more perinatal and birth settings.

  • Dr. Melissa Robey, MD, FAAFP, NABBLM-C, IBCLC, dipABLM is board certified in Family Medicine, Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine and Lifestyle Medicine. She completed her undergraduate studies and medical school at the University of Florida before her journey led to the Pacific Northwest for residency training at Peace Health Southwest Washington. She practices full scope Family Medicine including surgical obstetrics and inpatient medicine on the faculty for Hawai’i Island Family Medicine Residency Program at Hilo Benioff Medical Center, where she also serves as Associate Program Director and Chair of the Division of OB/GYN. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at JABSOM and is honored to be training the next generation of Family Physicians.  She is passionate about supporting families on their journey through pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting and loves spending time outdoors with her husband and their 2 young children.

  • Dr. Micah Gamble, MD was born and raised in Houston, Texas. He completed his undergraduate degree at Baylor University, where he studied medical humanities and had fun writing his honors thesis in Spanish literature. He completed medical school at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and then headed west for residency at Ventura County Medical Center in Ventura, California. He stayed an extra year in Ventura after his residency to complete a fellowship in high risk/surgical obstetrics, where he also discovered his passion for teaching. He then moved to the Big Island in 2025 to join the Hawaii Island Family Medicine Residency faculty! His obstetrical teaching interests include educating new learners on the fundamentals of labor and delivery management, preparing for obstetrical emergencies, and trauma informed care. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time outside with his wife, newborn son and two dogs, freediving, surfing, participating in triathlon, and meeting new friends in Hilo.

  • Lisa Rantz, MPH is the Executive Director of the Hilo Benioff Medical Center Foundation and Director of the Hawai’i Island Area Health Education Center (AHEC), where she leads innovative initiatives to strengthen Hawai’i’s rural healthcare workforce and improve access to care across the state. She serves on the Hawai’i Health Systems Corporation Board of Directors and the National Rural Health Association Board of Trustees, and currently oversees the HOME RUN Rural Health Workforce Investment Program, a statewide initiative designed to recruit, retain, and support healthcare professionals serving Hawai’i’s rural communities.

Addressing Native Hawaiian Health on Hawai`i Island

Panelists

Liana Honda

Leila Ryusaki

David 'Kanekoa' Ness

  • Liana K. Iaea Honda works for the Native Hawaiian Health Department at The Queen's Health Systems - North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital. For nearly ten years, she has worked to advance Native Hawaiian health and wellbeing through culturally grounded programs, community partnerships, patient advocacy, and workforce education. Her work focuses on integrating Hawaiian values, language, and traditional perspectives into health care settings to improve health outcomes and create more culturally responsive and safe systems of care. Raised in Mākaha and now residing in Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi, Liana is passionate about strengthening connections between health, culture, and community throughout Hawaiʻi.

  • Born and nurtured in Hilo, Leila Ryusaki is a Native Hawaiian Perinatal Health Educator specializing in culturally grounded prenatal and postpartum education, and breastfeeding support. With more than 15 years of experience in community health outreach and maternal health, she serves as Program Coordinator & Instructor for the Healthy Hāpai Perinatal Program at Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi. Since 2017, she has helped develop and lead perinatal initiatives focused on improving birth outcomes, addressing health disparities, increasing breastfeeding rates, and advancing health equity. Leila has extensive experience providing education and support through classes, workshops, community outreach, and educational programs, and has served as a presenter and educator for healthcare providers and community audiences. She frequently collaborates with physicians, midwives, nurses, and community organizers to help improve support for all families across Hawai’i.

  • Kanekoa Ness is a Grants Manager based in Waimea, Hawaiʻi, with nine years of experience in information technology and business analysis. Drawing on this technical background, Kanekoa brings a practical, analytical, and detail-oriented approach to strengthening grant processes, supporting program goals, and improving service delivery to meet community needs.

Value Beyond Referrals: How Unite Us Enhances Case Management at Queen's Health System

Panelists

Erika Nielsen

Kourtnei 'Kai' Krishok

Mailani Lim

Martha Rodysill

Thanh-Thanh Young

Mercy Nakayama

Mia Taylor (Moderator)

  • Erika Nielsen drives Customer Success for Hawai'i at Unite Us, where she partners with health plans, community organizations, and health systems to help them get the most out of the platform and see measurable impact for the people they serve. She brings a hands-on approach to every partnership, working closely with organizations to strengthen adoption, troubleshoot challenges, and turn coordinated social care technology into real outcomes for Hawai'i communities.

  • Kourtnei "Kai" Krishok, RN, BSN, PCCN, serves as the Operations Nurse Manager for the Nā Pua Kaiona Program at The Queen’s Medical Center – West O‘ahu. Bringing 14 years of diverse nursing expertise to her leadership role, Kai assisted in the expansion of the Nā Pua Kaiona Program –a program that embodies holistic navigation and collaborates with the wound care clinic to deliver patient-centered healthcare to Native Hawaiian adults.  Rooted in the vision of E Ola ka ʻOiwi (Healthy and well are the Hawaiians), her work focuses on addressing psycho-social needs and supporting chronic disease management by removing systemic barriers, improving care navigation, and building long-term community resilience. When she is not advocating for patient health, Kai loves family-time and enjoys sitting on the sidelines cheering on her 3 keiki at soccer, baseball, and hula events.

  • Mailani Lim was born and raised in the Hawaiian Homestead of Keaukaha on Hawai'i Island. Starting her career on O'ahu, she always planned to return home to use her clinical experience to give back to the Big Island community.  This eventually led to her current role managing Kahu a Ola, the Native Hawaiian Health clinical program at Queen's North Hawai'i Community Hospital.

  • Martha leads Network Strategy and Development for Hawaii at Unite Us, where she partners with state and local government, health systems, and community organizations to build accountable care networks that connect people to the resources they need. Over her four years with Unite Us, she has seen firsthand how coordinated social care technology can strengthen communities, and loves working with organizations to improve community health. 

  • Mercy Nakayama serves as the Special Projects Director for The Food Basket, Hawaiʻi Island’s food bank. Her role includes SNAP Outreach Program Manager, a vital program that actively brings SNAP resources directly to the community to streamline enrollment and handle localized information dissemination across Hawaii Island, and DA BUX Double Up Food Bux Finance Manager, a statewide program that expands access to healthy, nutritious, locally sourced produce for SNAP participants. Since joining the organization in 2013, she has remained deeply committed to addressing critical community needs, with a primary focus on reducing food insecurity and expanding access to healthy, nutritious food.

  • Thanh-Thanh Young, RN, is the Operations Manager for the Transitional Case Management Program (TCMP) at The Queen's Medical Center. She has been with TCMP since 2018 and brings experience in care coordination, transitions of care, and population health initiatives. Together with her team, she collaborates with interdisciplinary partners to improve patient outcomes and support individuals as they navigate complex healthcare needs.

  • Mia is a Family Nurse Practitioner with over 40 years of nursing and leadership experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings including oncology, critical care, infectious diseases, home infusion, care management, hospice and palliative care.

    Mia’s time at The Queens Health Systems has been devoted to development of community based clinical programs as part of The Queens Clinically Integrated Physician Network and Queens MSSP ACO.

     Her current role as Director of The Queen’s Physician Network and MSSP ACO including community & post-acute care services has allowed her to help develop an ambulatory continuum of care that fosters community partnerships to improve patient access to timely high-quality care.

Looking Back and Moving Forward: Healthcare Workforce Development

Marshall Norman MEd

  • " Marshall Norman serves as Program Manager for the University of Hawaiʻi Community Colleges system, where he leads the Good Jobs Challenge grant within the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi initiative. He brings close to two decades of experience supporting workforce development and social impact initiatives across Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Basin. His work focuses on building partnerships among employers, education providers, and community organizations to strengthen career pathways, expand access to training, and address critical workforce needs, including in healthcare. Based on Maui, Marshall holds a Master of Education in Adult Learning and Global Change from the University of British Columbia.