Putting Family First
Beth Hoban ‘ s mom ( with the plaid blanket ), the late Elising “ Mamang “ Tunglen , surrounded by grandchildren and great grandchildren .
Beth and Jim Hoban at a Pali Momi Foundation donor event .
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BETH HOBAN ‘ S LIFE HAS ALWAYS REVOLVED AROUND ONE THING : “ FAMILY FIRST , THAT ‘ S VERY IMPORTANT ,“ SHE SAID . Now she is grateful to be able to share that precious responsibility with Pali Momi Medical Center .
Beth is the retired founder , CEO and president of Prime Care Services Hawai ‘ i , a home healthcare agency with a 27-year legacy of helping others in the islands . But one day , it was Beth ‘ s husband who needed the help . “ Jim was having pain in his abdomen and said , ‘ You know , this is not going away ,‘“ Beth said . His primary care physician told him it didn ‘ t look good and referred him to a specialist .
Jim made an appointment with Dr . John Kao for an examination . But the cardiologist quickly realized the pain was a sign of something serious and immediately sent Jim to the Emergency Department to be treated for a heart attack . Doctors in the state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization suite inserted two
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stents before Beth arrived at the medical center .
It is not the first time Dr . Kao ‘ s work has made such an impact on Beth ‘ s life . She was with her mom , Elising “ Mamang “ Tunglen , in the Emergency Department when doctors told the 90-year-old her heart was failing . Dr . Kao inserted five stents and Elising lived for six more years . “ I ‘ m very thankful for that ,“ Beth said . “ For six years she was able to attend many of her grandchildren ‘ s weddings , she ‘ s been able to witness grandchildren and great-grandchildren be born .“
Every emergency has enhanced Beth ‘ s dedication to the medical center as a Pali Momi Foundation board member . “ Pali Momi is amazing ,“ Beth said . “ That was reinforced when my husband had his heart attack . And then to have that quality of care during my own hospitalization — it just exceeded all my expectations .“
During a trip in 2020 to the mainland , she needed emergency surgery for a strangulated umbilical hernia , a condition where blood flow to the intestines is cut off . It went well . But then a few days after returning to Hawai ‘ i , her temperature started rising and she turned to Dr . Mark Grief . The general surgeon took her in for surgery to battle an infection that day . Six days later , she was home .
“ Thanks to Dr . Grief , I received really good care ,“ Beth said .
The care continues . Jim recently had two more stents inserted and is feeling great . But in addition to the lifesaving procedures , he and Beth both say the personal touches made all the difference . Jim ‘ s nurses and other staff made a point of reaching out and reassuring him . While Beth was recuperating from her surgery , she celebrated her birthday . And so did the Pali Momi team . “ The whole staff sang ‘ Happy Birthday ‘ to me , including the maintenance staff ,“ Beth remembered . “ That ‘ s when I really felt like this is family .“
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