Awards

Advertiser Staff

Kaiser doctor recognized

The Arthritis Foundation has awarded the National Arthritis Hero Award to Dr. James McKoy, chief of rheumatology at Kaiser Permanente Moanalua.

Considered one of the country's experts on arthritis and rheumatology, McKoy was recently a visiting professor at Stanford University and has been sought after by medical professionals from various countries, China included.

The son of tobacco farmers in South Carolina, what McKoy saw of the medical system during the deaths of his parents and four brothers led him on a mission to give patients the kind of care he wishes his family had received.

"I practice integrated medicine combining traditional and alternative therapies to treat chronic diseases," he said.

Health official new president

Alvin Onaka, state registrar and chief of the Office of Health Status Monitoring for the Hawaii Department of Health, has been elected president of the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems.

Onaka is the first to be NAPHSIS president from Hawai'i in the organization's 69-year history. Under his leadership, the group will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a meeting in New York City next year focusing on international cooperation in health and vital statistics. He will be working with Canada, Mexico, the United Nations and the U.S. government to re-engineer national and international health statistics systems in preparation for threats of international terrorism, identity fraud and electronic registration of births and deaths.

Onaka is an Iolani School graduate on the affiliate graduate faculty of the Population Studies Program at the University of Hawai'i -Manoa. He also serves on the Health Science Advisory Committee of the Hawaii Chapter of the American Cancer Society.

Hospice Hawaii board named

Hospice Hawaii has elected new board members:

• Chairman, Glen Sueyoshi of Cap Gemini Ernst & Young.
• Secretary, Rose Ann Poyzer, vice president of Home Care and Hospice, one of Hospice Hawaii's founders.
• Vice-chair of the Marketing and Development Committee, Cheryl Nishita, marketing and planning manager of AIG Hawaii Insurance Co.
• Vice-chair of assessment, James Walsh, vice president of provider services at HMSA.
• Member at large, Willow Morton of Kapi'olani Medical Center.
• President, Stephen Kula, administrator of Hospice Hawaii.
• Treasurer, Kerry Yoneshige, a taxation services administrator for the Department of Taxation.
• Board members Howard Hoddick, senior project manager, Audio Visual Headquarters; Neal Okabayashi, vice president of First Hawaiian Bank's legal department; Mark Yamakawa, president and CEO of Queen's Development Corporation; Toby Clairmont, assistant hospital administrator, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program; Dr. Reginald Ho, oncologist, Straub Clinic & Hospital; Milton Sagon, vice president, Development & Community Relations, Wahiawa General Hospital; the Rev. Jan Youth, Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin, Honolulu Temple; and Gretchen Neal, CEO of the American Cancer Society.

Hospice Hawaii is a community-based nonprofit organization that provides care for people with terminal illness as well as support for their families, caregivers and loved ones. For information on hospice services, call 924-9255.