Ka Hale A Ke Ola’s medical respite program earns national certification

Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers, the Maui nonprofit that has provided emergency shelter and homeless services on the island for more than 40 years, is one of three Hawaiʻi organizations whose medical respite care programs have earned certification from the National Institute for Medical Respite Care, according to the organizations. It is the first time agencies in Hawaiʻi have received the designation.

Ka Hale A Ke Ola shares the certification with HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, Inc., which serves Hawaiʻi Island, and Project Vision Hawaiʻi, a statewide nonprofit. The National Institute for Medical Respite Care is a program of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council.

The certification framework agreement was finalized this summer and signed by HOPE Services Hawaiʻi Chief Executive Officer Brandee Menino, Ka Hale A Ke Ola Executive Director Sue Sadecki, Project Vision Hawaiʻi Executive Director Darrah Kauhane and National Health Care for the Homeless Council Chief Executive Officer Bobby Watts, the organizations said.

Medical respite care, sometimes called recuperative care, provides a place for people experiencing homelessness to rest and recover after a hospital stay when they no longer need inpatient care but are not yet well enough to be discharged to the street.

Sadecki said the certification reflects the collaborative work of her staff and community partners. Ka Hale A Ke Ola was founded more than 40 years ago to serve Maui’s community, and earning the national certification demonstrates the program meets best-practice standards, she said.

D. Michiko Fried, an advanced practice registered nurse and director of health services at HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, said the certification process helped the organization identify strengths and areas for improvement, and will help it draw further support for its work.

Teri Kiresuk, a nurse practitioner and medical director for Project Vision Hawaiʻi, said the achievement affirms the three organizations’ standards of care and credited the Institute for Human Services for helping train providers and build capacity across the neighbor islands.

The certification is granted for a three-year term, and the organizations will need to complete recertification requirements to maintain it, according to the institute.

More information on the certification framework and the programs’ directory listings is available on the National Institute for Medical Respite Care website.

Ka Hale A Ke Ola Homeless Resource Centers Inc. is a Maui nonprofit that has operated for more than 40 years, offering emergency shelter, children’s services, medical respite services and affordable housing.