Support for
preschool
I am writing in support of Kim Pierce and her struggle to establish Kalamapi‘i — a preschool that focuses on the recovery of children who have been exposed to trauma.
I have known Kim for over 20 years and can attest to her character and desire to be a positive and contributing member of our community. Kim’s successful career as a mental health therapist exposed her to the plight of young children who have experienced traumatic experiences, and she wanted to do something to help them.
I first became exposed to her vision when asked to do a soft blessing for their site. When I saw their facility, met their staff, saw how much they had invested in this and their passion for children, I was very excited.
My experience working with first responders makes me very aware of how much violent incidents there are on our island on a daily basis. I have often wondered what happens to the 2-year-old that saw daddy kill mommy or was in a very bad car accident. Who helps them recover? Where are the resources to address this segment of our community?
So, it has been with great disappointment that I have watched all the obstacles she has faced in getting this preschool open. We all know that there is a child care crisis that is having a huge negative impact on our community.
I applaud Judge Peter Kubota, who ordered the state and Kim to together to get this worked out.
I am by no means knowledgeable of all the requirements to get a preschool licensed, but I do hope that the powers that be will work hard at making them realistic and attainable that we can get more quality preschools like this one open and running to address this community need.
Renee Godoy
Hilo
Bad for veterans
Veterans in Hawaii and across the country experience numerous barriers to health care, and a new change being considered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs could leave them without access to lifesaving care.
The VA’s proposal to cut its reimbursement rate for emergency air medical services would force air ambulance bases to close, causing devastating loss of critical medical care for veterans, particularly in rural communities.
The air medical industry plays an important role in Hawaii — where there are over 112,000 veterans — connecting those without direct access to a trauma center to the nearest medically appropriate facility.
These air ambulance transports take place within what trauma doctors call the “golden hour,” the first window after a traumatic injury when the right kind of medical care received can lead to vastly better patient outcomes. Without the high level of care provided by air ambulances, the lives of veterans and rural Americans are at risk.
The VA is considering cutting its reimbursement rate to equal the Medicare rate. However, Medicare hasn’t updated its air ambulance rate in over 20 years and only covers around 50% of the cost to transport a patient.
That’s why we all need to urge the VA not to cut its reimbursement rate for air ambulances and to preserve access to this lifesaving care. We must protect our veterans just like they protected us.
PJ Amartey
Washington, D.C.
