Meet the 2024 Hawaiʻi Island Healthcare Conference Speakers

Sylvia Luke

Lieutenant Governor, State of Hawaiʻi

Speaking at:

Opening Remarks

  • Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke is the 16th Lieutenant Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, the third woman to hold the office, and the highest-ranking Korean American official in the U.S. 

    Born in Seoul, South Korea, she immigrated to Honolulu at the age of nine with her family. She attended Queen Kaʻahumanu Elementary School, where she learned English with the help of her 5th-grade teacher. She later graduated from Roosevelt High School and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where she served as one of the few female presidents of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaiʻi, marking her introduction to public service. Following her undergraduate degree, she continued her education at the University of San Francisco School of Law.   

    Sylvia was first elected to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature in 1998, where she served until 2022. During her twenty-four-year tenure in the State House, she had many roles, most notably as Chair of the Finance Committee, where she developed a reputation for bringing transparency and accountability to the state budget for over a decade.  

    Sylvia has long supported gender equity, civil rights, and assistance for seniors and immigrants. As Finance Chair, she played a crucial role in securing essential funding for criminal justice reform for female inmates, tax equity for working families, domestic violence survivor services, and care for the aging population.  

    Throughout her career in public service, Sylvia has been recognized for her advocacy and leadership by many organizations, including Hawaii Women Lawyers, Healthcare Association of Hawaii, Hawaii Technology Trade Association, Korean American Coalition, AARP Hawaii, Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau, Friends of the Library of Hawaii, and Humane Society of the United States.  

    Lieutenant Governor Luke is leading Ready Keiki, the state’s plan to provide universal access to preschool, ensuring all Hawaiʻi children are ready for kindergarten and their futures while creating economic stability for local families. She is also spearheading Connect Kākou, the state’s initiative to expand access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet.    

    Sylvia is a wife, mother, dog mom, and former practicing attorney in Honolulu

Lani Weigert

Emcee

Speaking at:

Pule / Welcome / Kick off

  • Mitchell D. Roth was elected Mayor of Hawaiʻi County in 2020 with a focus on building a sustainable and thriving community for future generations. Since taking office, he has made significant strides in improving infrastructure and expanding housing opportunities. Under his leadership, the county has completely overhauled its building permitting process, drastically reducing wait times and issuing more single-family home permits than any other county in the state. The affordable housing pipeline has also grown substantially, helping to ease the island’s housing shortage.  

    Mayor Roth has prioritized public infrastructure improvements, including key upgrades to roads and parks, with plans for further development. He also launched the county’s largest infrastructure project to modernize Hilo's wastewater system, addressing critical environmental concerns and preparing for future growth.  

    Before becoming Mayor, Roth spent 27 years dedicated to the safety and well-being of Hawai‘i Island residents. As the Prosecuting Attorney of Hawaiʻi County since 2012, he successfully prosecuted cold cases, pioneered one of the first restorative justice programs within a prosecutor's office nationwide, established a specialized sexual assault unit, and initiated community outreach and training efforts.  Mayor Roth holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School. He lives in Hilo with his wife, Noriko Yamada Roth, and they have three adult children, all graduates of Waiākea High School.

  • Inspired and concerned by the events of the last decade that surround Mauna Kea and her future, John (with wife Ginny’s consent) chose to compete for the leadership role as executive director of the newly formed Mauna Kea Stewardship & Oversight Authority (MKSOA). In March 2024, MKSOA’s 12-member board of directors, announced its selection of John to head the new authority.

    The board’s selection of John was informed by a wide range of support and opposition that he received from kupuna, business executives, community leaders, environmentalists, conservationists, Hawaiian cultural practitioners and kiaʻi (protectors); some of whom led the massive July 2019 demonstration and blockade against the commencement of construction for the Thirty Meter Telescope.

    MKSOA was enacted by law in July 2022, within which a five-year transition period was established (July 1, 2023 - July 1, 2028) for the transfer of all management and stewardship responsibilities on the summit, from the University of Hawaiʻi to MKSOA.

    In accepting this challenging assignment, John is aware of and grateful for the complexities that are imbedded in the process of establishing common ground which will honor, care for and protect Mauna Kea as a summit of spirituality and the pinnacle of astronomical research in the world. Effectively, Mauna Kea is a sacred place of cosmological origin and cultural identity for Native Hawaiians while being recognized throughout the world as the pre-eminent, Earth-based portal to the cosmos.

    John currently serves on the boards of Friends of the Future, Astronaut Ellison Onizuka Memorial Committee, Henry Kapono Foundation, and Kualoa Ranch. He was born and raised in Waikīkī and East Oʻahu and a graduate of Punahou School. John and Ginny have resided in Kona for the past 35 years.

Mitch Roth

Mayor, County of Hawai’i

Speaking at:

Pule / Welcome / Kick off

  • Mitchell D. Roth was elected Mayor of Hawaiʻi County in 2020 with a focus on building a sustainable and thriving community for future generations. Since taking office, he has made significant strides in improving infrastructure and expanding housing opportunities. Under his leadership, the county has completely overhauled its building permitting process, drastically reducing wait times and issuing more single-family home permits than any other county in the state. The affordable housing pipeline has also grown substantially, helping to ease the island’s housing shortage.  

    Mayor Roth has prioritized public infrastructure improvements, including key upgrades to roads and parks, with plans for further development. He also launched the county’s largest infrastructure project to modernize Hilo's wastewater system, addressing critical environmental concerns and preparing for future growth.  

    Before becoming Mayor, Roth spent 27 years dedicated to the safety and well-being of Hawai‘i Island residents. As the Prosecuting Attorney of Hawaiʻi County since 2012, he successfully prosecuted cold cases, pioneered one of the first restorative justice programs within a prosecutor's office nationwide, established a specialized sexual assault unit, and initiated community outreach and training efforts.  Mayor Roth holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier Law School. He lives in Hilo with his wife, Noriko Yamada Roth, and they have three adult children, all graduates of Waiākea High School.

Jill Tokuda

U.S. House District 2 Representative

Speaking at:

Lunch

  • Jill Tokuda represents Hawai‘i’s Second Congressional District which includes suburban and rural parts of O‘ahu, the islands of Hawai‘i, Kaua‘i, Maui, Lana‘i, Moloka‘i, Ni‘ihau, Kaho‘olawe, and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Elected in November 2022 to serve in the 118th Congress, Tokuda serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.

    She is a Founding Member and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Rural Health Care Caucus. She has also been selected by her peers to serve as Vice Chair for Communications for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Freshman Representative for the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and Region 2 Whip (includes Hawai`i, Alaska, Northern California, Guam, American Samoa, and The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

    Jill’s family has called Hawai‘i home for four generations since emigrating from Okinawa, living on Hawai‘i Island, Maui, Kaua‘i and on the Windward side of O‘ahu. A proud product of Hawai‘i’s public schools, she was the first in her family to go to college and attended the George Washington University where she earned a BA in international relations with a minor in Japanese studies.

    From 2006-2018, she represented Kaneohe and Kailua in the Hawai‘i State Senate. During her tenure she chaired the Ways and Means, Education and Higher Education, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, and Labor committees. As Ways and Means Chair, Jill balanced the state’s $14 billion budget and approved all fiscal and tax measures at the Hawai‘i State Legislature. She also championed legislation that established the state’s first Executive Office on Early Learning and funded the Hawai‘i Keiki Program to provide access to health services in public schools.

    During the pandemic, Jill was appointed to the Hawai‘i House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness where she worked with the state, counties and nonprofit entities to track the progress of over $21 billion in federal relief that came into Hawai‘i and provide information and analysis to aid in the distribution and management of these resources.

    Jill is married to Kyle Michibata. They have two sons, Aden and Matt, who attend the same public schools their parents graduated from – King Intermediate and James B. Castle High School.

    U.S. Representative Jill Tokuda is driven by the goal of making sure Hawai‘i is a place where her sons and all of our children can see a future for themselves in this place we call home.

John De Fries

Executive Director, Maunakea Stewardship &

Oversight Authority

Speaking at:

Facing Our Future Together

Randy Kurohara

Executive Director, Community First

Speaking at:

Pule / Welcome / Kick off

Mahalo

Randy is the Executive Director of Community First and is responsible for carrying out our strategic vision and mission. He served for 8 years with Mayor Kenoi in various roles at the County of Hawaiʻi including Director of the Department of Research & Development, Deputy Managing Director, and Managing Director. He is a long-time Hawaiʻi Island small business owner of Creative Arts Hawaii and Aloha Grown. He graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in Marketing. He is the current President of the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce; member and past President of the Rotary Club of South Hilo; director and past President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaiʻi; board member of the Hawaiʻi Health System Corporation’s East Hawaiʻi Regional Board, the Salvation Army, Keahole Center for Sustainability, and emeritus board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Big Island.

Eric Shell, CPA, MBA

Board Chair, Stroudwater Associates

Speaking at:

Navigating our Healthcare Future Together

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

With a dedication to improving rural communities, Eric Shell is an industry leader in supporting healthcare in its transition to population health. For his nearly 30 years in healthcare financial management and consulting, Eric’s passion for sustainable and accessible healthcare has driven him help hundreds of rural and community health systems achieve improved financial and operational performance. As healthcare transitions from fee-for-service reimbursement towards value-based payment, Eric and his team provide vital strategic, financial and operational improvement services to ensure that community health systems continue to provide local, high-quality, and accessible patient care.

A noted speaker with a commitment to education, Eric is often featured at conferences nationwide, presenting on the future of healthcare, hospital financial and reimbursement topics, and hospital performance improvement. He has assisted in the development of a national program for rural hospital performance improvement and performance measurement. Further, he helped develop new demonstration payment programs for frontier clinics and hospitals. Eric has served on the National Rural Health Association’s Rural Health Congress and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy’s Rural Hospital Issues Group.

Before joining Stroudwater, Eric was the director of finance and administration for Rochester Community Individual Practice Association, Inc., where he provided leadership and financial management to a 2,500-provider community-based IPA. He has also practiced as a CPA at Arthur Andersen & Co. and at a local accounting firm.

Judy Mohr Peterson, PhD

Hawaiʻi State Medicaid Director, Med-QUEST, Department of Human Services

Speaking at:

The AHEAD Grant: Transforming Healthcare in Hawaiʻi for a Sustainable Future

Judy Mohr Peterson, PhD, has been the Medicaid Director for Hawaii since 2015, where she has led nationally recognized healthcare system and Medicaid policy innovations. She served as president of the board of the National Association of Medicaid Directors from 2017-2019. She began her career with Oregon’s Medicaid program in 1997 and served as Oregon’s Medicaid Director from 2009 to 2015. Before working for the Oregon Medicaid program, Dr. Mohr Peterson received her doctoral degree in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Clayton McGhan

CEO, West Hawaiʻi Region

Community First Board Member

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Clayton is the West Hawaiʻi Regional Chief Executive Officer of Kona Community Hospital. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Aliʻi Health Center. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce. Clayton earned a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and Management from Grand Canyon University.

Stephany Vaioleti

CEO, Queen’s North Hawaiʻi

Community First Board Member

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Stephany is the President of Queen's North Hawaiʻi Community Hospital. She holds a juris doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law and a master's and bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa.

Dionicia Lagapa, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

VP Ambulatory Care & Clinical Services, Hawaiʻi Market, Kaiser Health Systems

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Daniel ‘Daniela’ Kanikina Akaka, Jr.

Kahu Hānai

Speaking at:

Pule / Welcome / Kick off

Jack Lewin, MD

Administrator, Hawaiʻi State Health Planning and Development Agency

Speaking at:

The AHEAD Grant: Transforming Healthcare in Hawaiʻi for a Sustainable Future

Jack Lewin was appointed Administrator of the State Health Planning and Development Agency by Governor Josh Green MD in 2023, and is charged with helping him design and implement his “Hawaiʻi the Health State” vision for the future of healthcare here. Lewin is a physician, former Hawaiʻi Director of Health, and in recent years he was CEO of the California Medical Association, CEO of the American College of Cardiology (DC), President/CEO of the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (NYC), and advisor to two US Presidents.  

Dan Brinkman

CEO, East Hawaiʻi Region

Community First Board Member

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Dan is the East Hawaiʻi Regional Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, overseeing Hilo Medical Center, Hale Hoʻola Hamakua, Kaʻu Hospital, the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, and the East Hawaiʻi Health Clinics. He earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, an Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Augusta State University.

Susan Mochizuki

Executive Director, Big Island Docs

Community First Board Member

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Susan Mochizuki has served as Executive Director of Big Island Docs since 2014. Established in 1994 as East Hawaii Independent Physicians Association, Big Island Docs is a membership organization of MD’s, DO’s, APRN’s and PA’s on Hawai`i Island. Ms. Mochizuki is also the Manager of Big Island Healthcare Primary Care Clinic (BIHC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Island Docs and serves as a Community First Board member. Before moving to Hilo, Susan held leadership positions in Honolulu and Seattle, Washington for skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and other nonprofit organizations. She holds an MBA from Temple University and a BA from Yale University and is fluent in Japanese.

Speaking at:

The Future of Hawaiʻi Island Rural Healthcare

Richard serves as Vice President of Community First’s board. He is the CEO of West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center, a role he’s held since 2005. He also serves on the Board of Directors of HMSA Foundation. He is a graduate of Allegheny College and the University of New Mexico.

Richard Taaffe

CEO, Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center

Community First Board Member

Breakout Session Speakers

Strengthening Hawaiʻi’s Healthcare Workforce

  • Marshall joined the Good Jobs Hawaii, UHCC team in August 2023 to lead the Resilient Hawaii: Good Jobs Challenge grant, a $16.3 million initiative funded by the Economic Development Administration. His professional practice has focused on linking government, business, education and nonprofit organizations through innovative programming for social impact and workforce solutions throughout Hawaii; specializing in career technical education.

  • Jordan Fickess joined the Human Resources ‘ohana at Hilo Benioff Medical Center and the East Hawaii Region of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation in February 2022. As Assistant Director of Human Resources, he has undertaken several key initiatives to address hard-to-fill vacancies and enhance the recruitment experience for candidates and hiring managers. Prior to his current role, Jordan previously worked with the nonprofits Common Threads and Johnson & Wales University in Miami in human resources, operations and marketing communications roles. Hawaii has been his “favorite happy place” since his first visit in 2005 and he is thrilled to live and work on the Big Island. 

  • Lindsay is the Good Jobs Hawaiʻi Navigator for Hawaiʻi Island where she supports participants to successfully complete their trainings and secure employment. Lindsay has been with the UH System for 2 years supporting student success, local workforce development, and community resilience. She specializes in the healthcare and skilled trades sectors, and she is located on the Hawaiʻi Community College Manono campus in Hilo.

  • Janna Hoshide is the AVP of Workforce Development at the Healthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH), representing 170 healthcare organizations across the continuum of care.  The workforce development role was created in 2020 as a product of HAH’s Healthcare Workforce Initiative, a collaboration of leaders in healthcare, education, and business communities working to meet the workforce needs of healthcare providers.  As the lead of HAH’s Workforce Initiative and the Healthcare Sector Partnership Collaborative, she has developed innovative workforce programs for high school students and adults across the state. Janna has more than 19 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including strategic management and execution, human resources, and organizational development. She also has a strong passion for developing Hawaii’s healthcare workforce.

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  • Cee Cee is a Community Health Worker currently partnered with the Hawaii State Rural Health Association, where she leads the execution of the USDA-Funded REACH (Rural Equity for Advancing Community Health) grant. Based on the East side of the Big Island, she works closely with rural and underserved populations to enhance digital literacy and telehealth access. Born and raised in Hawaii, Cee Cee is deeply connected to the local communities she serves. She is passionate about closing the digital divide and expanding access to telehealth across the islands. 

Bridging the Healthcare Gap Through Telehealth

  • Christina Higa, PhD, is an Associate Faculty Specialist with the Social Science Research Institute at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and Co-Director of the Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center (PBTRC), one of fourteen HRSA-funded centers in the U.S. PBTRC provides technical assistance and program support to enhance telehealth services in Hawai'i and the Pacific Basin. Born and raised on O'ahu and her parents are from Kekaha, Kaua'i, her work focuses on leveraging technology to address healthcare disparities in underserved communities across the region.

  •  Riley is currently with the County of Hawai’i, Research and Development Department, in the couple of roles, as the Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director in the last 6 years.   This is his first time in his multi-faceted career working in a public service organization.     A graduate from the University of Hawaii, Manoa with a BA. from the School of Travel Industry Management and from 2004 focused on Hawaii’s clean energy future.

  • Cynthia Garza Moore is the Telehealth Navigator Coordinator for the Big Island of Hawaii at the Research Corporation of The University of Hawaii (RCUH). She is a nationally awarded STEM educator with her Master’s in Education (MA. Ed) and is certified as a Community Health Worker (CHW). Cynthia is dedicated to expanding telehealth services and digital literacy in underserved communities, making healthcare access easier for all.

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  • Dr. Grosskreutz did his internship at the University of Hawai’i, and radiology residency at the Naval Hospital San Diego.  He has served as a Commander in the U.S. Navy, Chief of  staff at Hilo Medical Center, and President of the Hawai’i Radiological Society. As a breast cancer specialist, Honolulu Magazine has named him as one of Hawaii’s top doctors for the past decade.  He worked on patient access to care challenges for 30 years on Hawai’i Island.

  • Dr. Okamoto has been in healthcare for over 45 years, practicing medical rehabilitation and carrying out various administrative roles.  In 2012, he joined AlohaCare, moving from the provider world to the health plan world but concluding that we’re all in the same world that serves members and their communities.  He’s a graduate of Roosevelt High School, University of Hawaii, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, and University of Washington School of Public Health.

Key Legislative Priorities to Improve Healthcare in Hawaiʻi

  • Dr. Esther Yu Smith has been a primary care physician at Dr. Smith Family Medicine in Kealakekua for the last five years. She is now the founder of Mohala Health, a nonprofit multispecialty group integrating primary care, addiction treatment, pain management, oncology, and psychiatry. A dedicated advocate for healthcare reform, she serves on the boards of the Hawaii Academy of Family Physicians and the Hawaii Provider Shortage Crisis Task Force, focusing on sustainable payment models and prior authorization reform to improve access to care.

  • Senator San Buenaventura was first elected as a Hawaii State Representative in 2014. Then elected to the Hawaii State Senate, District 2 in 2020. She is the Chair of the Senate committee on Health and Human Services. As Chair of Health and Human Services, she oversees state policies that affect healthcare, medicaid, SNAP benefits, homelessness, and other issues that affect families and providers. In 2019 she received the Healthcare Association of Hawaii's Legislator of the Year Award. In 2021, she was awarded the Women of Excellence award from the National Foundation for Women Legislators and the Legislative Champions Award from Mental Health America.

     
    Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura of District 2, Puna is a product of the Hawaii public school system. She attended Lunalilo Elementary School, Washington Intermediate School and graduated from McKinley High School. She then received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

    Prior to being a legislator, she was honored to have taken three of her clients' cases to the highest court in the State of Hawaii, the Hawaii Supreme Court; and won all three petitions for writ of certiorari. Senator San Buenaventura volunteers her time helping the public's access to the courts through the Judiciary's Self-Help Center.

  •  Riley is currently with the County of Hawai’i, Research and Development Department, in the couple of roles, as the Energy Specialist and the Deputy Director in the last 6 years.   This is his first time in his multi-faceted career working in a public service organization.     A graduate from the University of Hawaii, Manoa with a BA. from the School of Travel Industry Management and from 2004 focused on Hawaii’s clean energy future.

  • D. Michiko Fried, DNP, APRN-Rx, FNP-BC, is the Director of Health Services for HOPE Services Hawaii, overseeing the innovative integration of comprehensive healthcare into the operations of an organization long-dedicated to housing individuals experiencing homelessness. She is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner whose experience includes Critical Care/ICU nursing, comprehensive chronic disease management, healthcare quality improvement, health equity advocacy, primary care clinic administration, and nursing education. She is often seen with her certified therapy dog Koa Maluhia who is experienced in providing comfort and entertainment to people of all ages, but with a focus on those with cognitive impairment and mental health disorders. She is dedicated to expanding and enriching the healthcare experience in our community by supporting a culture of mutual trust and respect, understanding each person's unique journey, and helping them to achieve their best possible health. 

  • As a former Sharp Healthcare Senior Vice President and CEO of Sharp Rees Stealy Medical Centers, Donna J. Mills lead a staff of more than 1,800 employees who were dedicated to supporting the 450 physician multi-specialty medical group practice. Sharp Rees-Stealy is nationally known for superior clinical practices and efficient care delivery models.  They care for more than 1 million patients annually at 22 locations throughout San Diego. Sharp Rees-Stealy is part of Sharp HealthCare, San Diego’s most comprehensive health-care delivery system with many accolades including being a 2007 Malcolm Baldrige recipient. 

    Prior to joining Sharp Rees-Stealy in 1998, Mills had a successful career in medical group practice leadership and currently draws on those core competencies as a respected healthcare consultant.

  • Susan McGovern was born and raised in Honolulu and graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  She has been a NAMI volunteer since 2019 and is the Designated Affiliate Leader (DAL) for NAMI Big Island.  She is a certified Family Support Group (FSG) facilitator and teaches Family-to-Family (F2F), NAMI's signature 8-week program for family members.  She also gives free Family & Friends presentations (F&F) to the general public.   Every October, she coordinates the annual NAMIWalks community event in Hilo.  She is also involved in the Big Island Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training.  She and her husband Rob have lived in Volcano since 1985. It is an honor to be here with the pillars of our Big Island mental health community. 

  • Solo primary care medical practice since 1987. Brought on another family practice physician and as APRN for the past several years as Hawaii Island Healthcare, Inc.  Interest in healthcare administration, value based medical care and challenges facing private practice especially in primary care services.  

  •  Rodney has been working in the Behavioral Health for over 25 years. He has experience with National & State non-profit and for-profit social services agencies; as well as having worked in the Adult Mental Health, the University of Hawaii mental health research division, and has extensive clinical experience with Medicaid and Medicare from both a managed care & community provider perspective. He has served on local non-profit boards and is active in National, State, and County initiatives on advancing primary care through behavioral health integration.  Rodney is of Pacific Island heritage and he resides in Hilo with his partner of 27 years.

Re-imagining Mental Health Crisis Care in Hawaiʻi County

The Vital Role of Private Practice Providers in Rural Hawaiʻi

  • Dr. Murayama is Executive Vice President and Chief Health Officer for the Hawai`i Medical Services Association (HMSA).  In his role he oversees the Health Services Division which has responsibility for provider relationships, provider network and contracting, integrated health management, pharmacy services, and community health equity.  As a retired provider in the local medical community, Dr. Murayama understands the importance of all providers to patients and the community.

  • Dr. Knezek May is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, and Tobacco Treatment Specialist.  Dr. Knezek May currently works as the Director of Behavioral Health at Hawai’i Island Community Health Center (HICHC). In her time at HICHC Dr. Knezek May has worked to expand services for mental health and substance use disorders, both for patients of HICHC as well as in Hawaii County. Dr. Knezek May is originally from the UK and has lived in Hawai’i for 14 years.  She completed her undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Substance Misuse from the University of Sussex. Dr. Knezek May received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Surrey, UK, where she specialized in substance use disorder.   Dr. Knezek May serves on the Board of the Friends of Big Island Drug Court and is passionate about improving outcomes to individuals, families, and communities impacted by mental health and substance use.


    Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura of District 2, Puna is a product of the Hawaii public school system. She attended Lunalilo Elementary School, Washington Intermediate School and graduated from McKinley High School. She then received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

    Prior to being a legislator, she was honored to have taken three of her clients' cases to the highest court in the State of Hawaii, the Hawaii Supreme Court; and won all three petitions for writ of certiorari. Senator San Buenaventura volunteers her time helping the public's access to the courts through the Judiciary's Self-Help Center.

  • Jessica Stevens is from Nanakuli, Oahu and a graduate of the University of Arizona – School of Nursing with a Master of Science Degree in Clinical Systems Leadership. Ms. Stevens has held nurse leader roles at the State of Nevada, Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital, Department of Veteran Affairs – Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, State of Hawaii, DOH, Adult Mental Health Division - Community Mental Health Clinics, and Hilo Benioff Medical Center. On October 7th 2020, Ms. Stevens was honored and presented with the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses in the care of a patient suffering from severe mental illness.

  • Dr. Knezek May is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor, and Tobacco Treatment Specialist.  Dr. Knezek May currently works as the Director of Behavioral Health at Hawai’i Island Community Health Center (HICHC). In her time at HICHC Dr. Knezek May has worked to expand services for mental health and substance use disorders, both for patients of HICHC as well as in Hawaii County. Dr. Knezek May is originally from the UK and has lived in Hawai’i for 14 years.  She completed her undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Master of Science degree in Substance Misuse from the University of Sussex. Dr. Knezek May received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Surrey, UK, where she specialized in substance use disorder.   Dr. Knezek May serves on the Board of the Friends of Big Island Drug Court and is passionate about improving outcomes to individuals, families, and communities impacted by mental health and substance use.


    Senator Joy A. San Buenaventura of District 2, Puna is a product of the Hawaii public school system. She attended Lunalilo Elementary School, Washington Intermediate School and graduated from McKinley High School. She then received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

    Prior to being a legislator, she was honored to have taken three of her clients' cases to the highest court in the State of Hawaii, the Hawaii Supreme Court; and won all three petitions for writ of certiorari. Senator San Buenaventura volunteers her time helping the public's access to the courts through the Judiciary's Self-Help Center.

  • Lynda M Dolan MD FAAFP  is  a Family Physician in private practice at The Family  Medicine Center(FMC) in East Hawaii for the past 27 years.  FMC provides a team based model of care and is a teaching site for various learners- medical students and residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, college and high school students. 

    Dr. Dolan has a passion for providing comprehensive healthcare to the community with an eye on improvement strategies to ease the administrative burden to physicians while engaging patients more in their own healthcare and creating collaborative relationships with various healthcare stakeholders.

    She is active as the President of the East Hawaii Independent Physician Association/Big Island Docs, board member of Queens Clinically Integrated Physician Network ( QCIPN)  and volunteers on various non- profits boards. She is the medical director at Hawaii Care Choices that  provides hospice and palliative care services to our community.