Inspire Magazine Annual Report 2020 | Page 34

shared with the HPH community . May this just be the start of a place that continues to grow and serve the people of Hawai ‘ i with compassion and exceptional medical care .“
This special recognition was celebrated the same week as the blessing for the third and final phase of the cancer center . The Pali Momi Multispecialty Clinic is a new collaborative work space where clinicians from different disciplines can come together for customized treatment . Specially designed exam rooms offer features for specific types of cancer and procedures . There is also a dedicated room for telehealth visits , where providers can conduct private video visits
with patients , including those on neighbor islands . The facility makes it easier for multiple specialists to coordinate care together , which results in more efficient care and better outcomes . These were collaborations Dr . Kakuda strongly supported through his leadership at Pali Momi .
“ James had this sparkle in his eyes when talking about big surgical cases ,“ said fellow surgeon and beloved friend Dr . Mark Grief . “ Surgical oncology is usually the most difficult and challenging of operations . It also takes a sharp mind to understand it ‘ s not a solo undertaking . It almost always requires other specialties like radiation oncology , medical oncology and sometimes other surgical specialists , depending on the location of the cancer . You have to work well with a lot of other people to achieve the best results . James worked well with everyone .“
For Doctor ‘ s Day on March 30 , 2021 , Pali Momi physicians paid tribute to Dr . Kakuda ‘ s countless contributions by posthumously presenting him with the Dr . Joseph Nishimoto Distinguished Service Award . The physicians also donated in memory of him with the new naming of the cancer center .
Other major donors to the Dr . James T . Kakuda Cancer Center include : his parents , Roy and Ruth Ann Kakuda , and family ; Schuler Family Foundation ; Joseph and Vera Long Foundation ; Bank of Hawai ‘ i ; First Hawaiian Bank ; Tanioka ‘ s Charitable Foundation ; Gentry Homes ; Craig , Emily and Grant Kuraoka ; Steven and Stephanie Saito ; and Joanne Abe , in honor of her parents , Robert and Janet Abe . These gifts will help Pali Momi develop its cancer treatment programs . As the work continues under the spirit of Dr . Kakuda — who was a big advocate of technology and progress — his own words to donors remain at the heart of the cancer center ‘ s mission . “ We work for and stand by West O ‘ ahu . Your gift to the Foundation helps improve our community ‘ s health , happiness and hope .“
Caitlyn Kakuda and Dr . Michelle Miyashiro .
18 INSPIRE | 2021