Providing care for Hawaii’s veteran kupuna is both a responsibility and a privilege. At our 95-bed Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo, we serve long-term care residents whose lives reflect decades of service, sacrifice and community connection.
Our mission is to ensure our country’s bravest receive the highest standard of care, grounded in trust and cultural respect.
Since the home became part of the East Hawaii Region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation in 2021, we have focused on strengthening leadership, staff collaboration and organizational culture. Trust, one of our main values, has been central to these efforts. By fostering an environment of mutual support among staff and leadership, we have laid a stronger foundation for quality care. With our staff operating in alignment and a clear purpose, our residents truly benefit.
Workforce challenges continue to affect long-term care facilities across the state, including in Hilo. One of the most pressing issues is a shortage of certified nurse assistants, or CNAs. These professionals are essential to delivering daily, hands-on care for our kupuna.
To address workforce challenges, we have implemented two workforce development initiatives. The first is our partnership with Waiakea High School and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii’s Glidepath Program. This initiative enables high school seniors to graduate with CNA certification, demonstrating how early training can create viable local career pathways.
The second is our paid CNA Training Program. Trainees receive hourly pay during the course of the program, along with support and mentorship from experienced staff. Upon completion, they transition into CNA roles with competitive compensation. This creative approach has lowered barriers to entry and helped us grow a more stable, committed workforce.
Each cohort brings new energy and strengthens our ability to provide consistent, culturally responsive care. More importantly, these programs invest in local residents, many of whom have personal connections to the veteran community.
Over the last two years, these two workforce initiatives produced 13 CNAs. This month, we started our fourth training cohort with six trainees. As of today, we have met this year’s staffing goal of 46 CNAs to open up 80 beds. This summer, we are slated to do a fifth training cohort that will allow us meet our ultimate staffing goal of 53 CNAs to open all 95 beds to care for more veteran kupuna.
As we strengthen the culture at our veterans home, our goal is for trust to extend outward — to the veterans we serve and the families who rely on us. We want our community to feel confident that their loved ones are in compassionate, capable hands. That confidence is built not only through care practices but through communication, accountability and shared values.
Memorial Day reminds us of the extraordinary contributions veterans have made to our country and communities. Honoring
them means more than ceremony — it means ensuring they are cared for with dignity and respect in their later years.
At Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home, we remain committed to that mission. By investing in people, partnerships and trust, we are working to meet the evolving long-term care needs of Hawaii’s veteran kupuna today and into the future.
Kaui Chartrand is administrator of Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home. This editorial is brought to you by Community First Hawaii, a nonprofit serving as a convener and catalyst for solutions to improve health and access to health care. For more information, please visit our website at www.communityfirsthawaii.org or Facebook and Instagram pages at @communityfirsthawaii.
