Aloha ‘Ohana!

Starting today, Friday, September 10, 2021, Hawaii will launch a SMART Health Card app that will allow residents to store verification of their vaccination status on their phones.

The SMART Health Card is voluntary.

Residents will still be able to show their physical vaccination cards at businesses that require them.

In a news conference, the governor said the SMART Health Card is being built into the state’s Safe Travels website, which is being used for travelers to upload a photo of their vaccination cards.

Starting today, the SMART Health Card will be an option at travel.hawaii.gov.

“Everyone who has a smartphone would be able to pre-verify their status and then anytime they need to prove their vaccination status, they can use their phone instead of using the vaccination card itself,” said Gov. David Ige.

“The vaccine information provided by individuals will automatically be verified against the state vaccination database. This will help prevent the use of fake vaccination cards,” said Ige.

The state’s Information Technology head says businesses will not have access to the person’s private health information and verification should be quick.

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If you haven’t gotten your vaccination yet, please call (808) 293-9231 to make an appointment with our friendly staff. Mahalo!

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#staywell

#stopthespread

Aloha ‘Ohana!

With everything happening in our daily lives, you may have missed this: last month (August 26, 2021) the OIA announced a new tentative fall sports schedule with football beginning Oct. 15, 2021. This includes Kahuku High School football.

All public school sports leagues were forced to push back the start of the fall sports schedule to early October when the Department of Education announced, “all student-athletes, athletic staff, and volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated by Sept. 24 to participate in school-sanctioned athletic activities for the 2021-22 school year. Full vaccination is defined as two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.”

The newest OIA football schedule has the season beginning on Oct. 15 with five games and four more on Oct. 16. There are seven teams for a six-game regular season in the Open Division — Kahuku, Mililani, Campbell, Farrington, Kapolei, Leilehua, Waianae.

The top four seeds in the Open Division will advance to the playoffs beginning on Dec. 3 with the final played on Dec. 10. The top two seeds in Division I will play a championship game on Dec. 11.

The new schedule also notes the first state tournament semifinal in the Open Division will be the weekend of Dec. 17.

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This all means that to participate, coach, or volunteer within our beloved Kahuku Football program, you must be fully vaccinated. Please call (808) 293-9231 to schedule your vaccination appointment with our friendly staff today.

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Click on the link below to view the complete 2021 Kahuku Football Schedule

https://www.maxpreps.com/high-schools/kahuku-red-raiders-(kahuku,hi)/football/schedule.htm

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#bewell

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Coping with COVID Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major effect on our lives. Many of us are facing challenges that can be stressful, overwhelming, and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Public health actions, such as social distancing, are necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but they can make us feel isolated and lonely and can increase stress and anxiety. Learning to cope with stress in a healthy way will make you, the people you care about, and those around you become more resilient.

Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media

• Take care of your body

• Make time to unwind

• Connect with others

• Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations

The best way to cope with COVID-related stress is to get vaccinated if you haven’t already. Please call (808) 293-9231 to schedule your appointment today. 

Mahalo!

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Aloha ‘Ohana, 

While we prefer to keep our posts light and hopeful, sometimes it’s important to show the other side of what’s happening here in our community. 

For those not in medicine or are unvaccinated, please read to spare yourself from preventable heartache. You may think you mean well and are trying to be informed. However, safe and informed looks like the New England Journal of Medicine, randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials, and CDC guidelines based on the work of trained epidemiologists who understand the dynamics of population health. While you may mean well, your hesitancy is causing a ripple effect of pain, that’s a riptide for the fragile network of loved ones we are lucky to have at this moment.

The 7 Stages of COVID

Have you ever wondered what happens to those with severe COVID-19 infections in the hospital? Read through the 7 stages of severe COVID-19 infection to learn about the harrowing hospital stays many patients endure. 

Having one-on-one conversations is the best way to help your loved ones understand the importance of getting vaccinated and to understand how their decision could impact them and their families.  

As of 8/31, 88% of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Hawaii are unvaccinated patients. Help prevent your loved ones from becoming part of this statistic. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent severe COVID-19 infection. 

Call our staff at (808) 293-9231 to schedule your appointment today.

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#bewell

#staywell

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Aloha ‘Ohana

Did you know that our staff gets asked how we remain positive in the face of our constant challenges? The answer is that we are committed to our patients and remain hopeful for a positive future.

So What Is Hope?

Of all the thoughts and notions a person can have, hope is probably closest to trust. When you have hope, you are placing your trust in the potential for something positive to happen.

You are trusting that taking the right actions will make a positive outcome more likely than taking the wrong actions. When you hope for a better future, you are placing trust in yourself to make good choices in life.

When you trust someone, you hope that they will act in a way that embodies that trust.

Why Is Hope So Important?

Hope is a healer.

Hope helps us to see that there are many positive possibilities ahead of us. Hope whispers, “Things will get better.”

Hope shows us how to act.

Hope is a bit like an unseen compass that points us in the direction of something beneficial to our future.

Hope is a motivator.

Hope is a source of energy. It helps us to see something better up ahead and to put one foot in front of the other to move forward.

Hope encourages self-belief.

Hope not only helps you to believe that something better is coming, but it also gives you the belief that you are the person who can make that something better come true.

Hope combats negative thoughts.

It is difficult to have negative thoughts and be hopeful at the same time. Hope allows us to see light at the end of the tunnel and this light acts as a challenge to any unwanted thoughts.

Hope brings inner peace.

As with negative thoughts, hope can help ease negative feelings too. Hope allows joy, enthusiasm, and quiet contentment to grow.

Hope is contagious.

People want to feel hopeful. The more hope we have, the more hope we will inspire in others.

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#hopeisdope

Aloha 'Ohana! Hope you're all having a wonderful Labor Day Sunday. Our team loved this graphic. Take what you need (and we would add to that: Leave some Aloha behind).

Stay safe out there ~ you know what to do

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#essentialism

Aloha Ohana! Some advice from our staff ~ remember, If you want to live peacefully, joyfully, and abundantly, you must practice gratitude.

Hope everyone is having a happy and safe Labor Day weekend.

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#graditude

Aloha Ohana! All of us at Ko’olauloa Health center hope everyone has a happy Labor Day weekend. Remember, if possible please:

• Avoid closed spaces with poor ventilation

• Avoid crowded places with many people

• Avoid close-contact settings

Artwork: John Kelly

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Aloha Ohana!

Labor Day Weekend is coming up and as much as we would love to come together with our family and friends, we all need to do our part to keep our families safe from COVID-19. Protect your keiki and loved ones by postponing parties this weekend. Please wear a mask, stay home if you are sick. If you haven’t already - get vaccinated if you are 12 or older.

Call (808) 293-9231 to schedule your appointment at KHC today.

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#staywell

#ourkuleana

#stopthespread

Aloha Ohana!

The key to getting through this pandemic together is for ALL of us to do our part. This means getting vaccinated, masking up, and keeping a safe distance. Our community is heavily affected by the spread of COVID. It’s important for us all to do what we can.

Did you know that one person can spread the delta variant to as many as 8 people? Please do your part to keep Hawaii safe and STAY HOME IF YOU ARE SICK. If you have symptoms, GET TESTED. If you haven’t already, please call our helpful staff at (808) 291-9231 to make an appointment.

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Aloha Ohana!

Happy Monday. Some of you have been asking for tips on how to stay safe against COVID-19. These are the most important recommendations from our staff:

• Get vaccinated as soon as it’s your turn.

• Wear a mask (even after getting vaccinated).

• Keep a safe distance (even after getting vaccinated).

• Avoid crowds (even after getting vaccinated).

• Clean your hands (even after getting vaccinated).

• Cover coughs and sneezes (even after getting vaccinated).

If you, a family member, or a friend haven’t gotten your vaccination yet - call (808) 293-9231 to schedule your appointment today. 

Mahalo!

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#bewell

#staywell

#stopthespread

Aloha Ohana,

Here is a great re-post from our good friends at the Hawaii Department of Health.

The COVID-19 vaccine offers the best path toward saving lives, safe in-school learning, and getting back to doing what we love. Protect yourself against COVID-19, including the delta variant, by getting a safe, effective, and free vaccine today.

Please call our friendly staff at (808) 293-9231 to make your vaccination appointment today.

Learn more at health.hawaii.gov/coronavirusdisease2019

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Aloha Ohana ~ Happy International Dog Day from the entire staff at KHC!

Founded by Animal Welfare Advocate and Pet Lifestyle Expert Collen Paige, the International Dog Day is celebrated on August 26 annually. International Dog Day celebrates all dogs, mixed breed and pure. Its aim is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, either from public shelters, rescues, and pure breed rescues.

The first International Dog Day was celebrated on 26 August 2004. The date 26 August was chosen because it was the date when Paige's family adopted their first dog 'Sheltie' when he was 10 years old.

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Aloha Ohana,

This week, the FDA gave full authorization to Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

However, much of the population Ko’olauloa area is still unvaccinated, and the delta variant is continuing to surge. The reasons some are reluctant to get vaccinated are varied — but we know that getting vaccinated is the number one way we will get ourselves out of this pandemic and ensure a healthy society for decades to come.

Our staff at @koolauloa.health.center has shared a few tips for having conversations with loved ones in your life who may be hesitant to get vaccinated. Swipe right to read our team’s suggestions.

Call our friendly staff at (808) 293-9231 to make an appointment for a friend or family member.

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#bewell

#staywell

#stopthespread

Aloha Ohana!

Great news! The Pfizer vaccine, which was previously under Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), is now fully approved! Full FDA approval incorporates additional safety testing and allows the vaccine to be distributed after the public health emergency ends.

What does the FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine mean?

✓ It’s the most thorough review of a vaccine the FDA does

✓ 340K+ pages of research have been reviewed—all showing high levels of safety & effectiveness

If you’ve been waiting for the FDA to fully approve the COVID-19 vaccines, the time to get vaccinated is now. Find a vaccine clinic near you: hawaiicovid19.com/vaccine

View more information at:

1) https://publichealthcollaborative.org/faq/#FDA-Approval

2) https://www.fda.gov/.../fda-approves-first-covid-19-vaccine

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Aloha Ohana!

Happy Sunday. Here is a cute video that shows how our COVID vaccines work.

If a friend or a member of your family is still unvaccinated, call (808) 293-9231 to schedule an appointment with our friendly staff.

Mahalo piha and have a beautiful weekend!

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#staywell

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Aloha Ohana!

Sending Love & Aloha to you and your loved ones this Saturday.

If a member of your family (or a loved one) is still unvaccinated, call (808) 293-9231 to schedule an appointment with our friendly staff.

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#bewell

#staywell

#stopthespread

Aloha Ohana,

As you all know in our culture kūpuna are highly respected grandparents, ancestors, and honored elders. Our kūpuna are living links and keepers of priceless ancestral knowledge. If your kūpuna haven’t been vaccinated yet, please help them by setting up an appointment with our friendly staff at KHC. 

Kindly call (808) 293-9231 to schedule an appointment for your kūpuna today.

If you are interested in a beautiful community initiative that supports our kūpuna, please visit our friends at www.ourkupuna.com. 

Photo Credit: Jonathan Canlis / @jonathancanlas

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Aloha Ohana!

Our friends at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) are promoting #wellchildwednesday and we're proud to support them.

Back to School is right around the corner! Are your kids ready? Now's the time to get your kids caught up on well-child visits & vaccinations. Schedule a visit with our pediatrician at KHC if you need immunizations and physicals. Don’t forget about a trip to our KHC dentist too!

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#wellchildwednesday

#stopthespread

#bewell

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Aloha Ohana!

Here is a repost from our friends at the Department of Health regarding the release of the cool AlohaSafe Alert mobile app.

The AlohaSafe Alert App is a private and secure way of getting instant notifications that let you know if you have been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Download the app from your app store or play store today! Learn more about the AlohaSafe Alert App at https://www.alohasafealert.org/

If you do get notified that you were exposed to an individual who contracted COVID-19, make sure to get tested. 

FULLY VACCINATED:

• If you are NOT experiencing symptoms, you do not need to quarantine. Get tested 3-5 days after your date of exposure. If your results come back positive, isolate for 10 days. Keep track of your symptoms to see if they are improving. If they have improved by day 10 and you do not have a fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing meds), you can end isolation.

• If you are experiencing symtpoms, get tested 3-5 days after the date you were exposed to COVID-19. Quarantine until you receive your test results. If your results come back positive, isolate for 10 days. Keep track of your symptoms to see if they are improving. If they have improved by day 10 and you do not have a fever for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing meds), you can end isolation.

UNVACCINATED:

• If you are not fully vaccinated, get tested immediately and quarantine for 10 days after your last contact with the person who tested positive, regardless of your COVID-19 infection status (positive or negative).

Whether you are vaccinated or not, watch for symptoms for 14 days after your last contact with the person with COVID-19 infection. If you develop symptoms, immediately self-isolate and contact your health care provider.