Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center disaster relief response

Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center, in partnership with the Maui District Health Office, activated early on Wednesday, Aug. 9 2023, to set up the first coordinated medical stations at the War Memorial and Maui High School shelters.

As a federally qualified health center (FQHC) operating under the federal Bureau of Primary Healthcare, Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center has served Maui County by providing primary medical, dental and behavioral health access for 30 years.

From Wednesday Aug. 9, through Friday Aug. 11, the health center immediately partnered with Mauliola Pharmacy to help people needing care related to fire-related injuries, assist with refills for chronic medications lost in the fire and for other urgent care conditions.

“As more partners arrived to bolster efforts, Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center especially appreciates the support and efforts of Minit Medical and our Kaiser partners, who ably continue to support the War Memorial Shelter site for ongoing medical care,” according to CEO of Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center, Dr. John Vaz , MD.

According to the organization, Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center will focus on supporting access to Lahaina and the community in West Maui. In partnership with the Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Mauliola Pharmacy, Maui Medical Group and the Maui District Health Office, Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center will provide outpatient access from the Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center.

“We have also received an immense outpouring of support from our sister FQHCs across the state of Hawaiʻi in terms of staffing support for the Lahaina Comprehensive Health Center,” the organization reports.

In moving forward with a coordinated healthcare response to support the community through this tragedy, Mālama I Ke Ola Health Center reports it will continue to work with the State Department of Health, Maui District Health Office, Hui No Ke Ola Pono, Maui Health Systems, Kaiser Permanente, Maui Medical Group, Maui VA clinic, Kīhei-Wailea Medical Center, Hawaiʻi Independent Physicians Alliance, Hospice Maui, Hale Makua and Mauliola Pharmacy.