HELCO launches energy gifting program
With Hawaiian Electric Co.’s new Ohana Energy Gift Program, customers may make payments toward the energy bills of their friends and family or help those in need.
The recipient will receive an acknowledgement letter once the gift amount has been applied to his or her account. Gift givers will receive a confirmation letter once the designated recipient’s account information has been verified and the gift amount has been applied. The gifts may be anonymous, or the gift giver may choose to send an acknowledgement card with a personalized message. Gifts are not tax deductible donations.
If a recipient is not designated, the energy gift will be given to individuals and families in need.
Application forms may be downloaded at hawaiielectriclight.com/gift or picked up at any of the company’s customer service centers.
Nurse practitioners honored this week
More than 171,000 nurse practitioners provide high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered care to patients across the U.S.
NPs are licensed, expert clinicians with advanced education and extensive clinical preparation who provide primary, acute, and specialty health care services. In addition to providing a full range of services, NPs work as partners with their patients, guiding them to make educated health care decisions and healthy lifestyle choices. The confidence that patients have in NP-delivered care is evidenced by the more than 916 million visits made to NPs every year.
National Nurse Practitioner Week began Sunday and runs through Saturday.
Public radio returns to Ka‘u
Hawaii Public Radio initiated broadcast Wednesday of its HPR-2 programming stream on KAHU-FM 91.7, serving the southernmost district of Hawaii Island. KAHU had gone off the air earlier this year and ownership of the broadcast license for this community radio station was transferred to Hawaii Public Radio in August. The recent resumption of service also returns to the communities of Pahala and Naalehu critical access to emergency information.
Initially, KAHU will only be heard in Ka‘u, but plans are underway to incrementally rebuild and expand the station’s coverage until it reaches all of East Hawaii.
Photography, yoga classes offered
Malama i ka Ola Holistic Health Center will host an in-depth Ashtanga yoga class from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. The cost is $80 per month. Interested participants may call Don at 640-4921 for information.
Two second level photography classes include a 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday workshop that will help photographers slow down water and movement through the use of graduated filters. Cost is $25, which includes a $25 gift certificate toward Formatt/Hitech filter products. For information, call 326-7355.
The second photography class, an introduction to Lightroom 5, will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 20. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop loaded with Lightroom 5. This class will demonstrate how to use the software to streamline work flow, edit, and store images. Cost is $29. For more information call 326-7355.
Classes are held at Malama i ka Ola Holistic Health Center at 76-5914 Mamalahoa Highway in Holualoa.
Weight loss seminar offered Nov. 18
The Kona Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Center will hold a free seminar 6:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 18 at the West Hawaii Civic Center, Community Meeting Hale, Building G. The seminar is free and open to the public.
The Kona Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery team will give an informative overview of their new, comprehensive weight loss program. There will be time for questions and answers following the lecture. The Kona Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery program is a multidisciplinary collaborative effort between Kona Community Hospital and Alii Health Center.
Seating is limited; call 747-8321 to register or for more information.
Mitchell speaking to networking group
Alex Mitchell, top shopper at The Kona Shopper, a grocery shopping and delivery service for vacationers, will deliver a five-minute presentation about the importance of the story behind your business to increase sales on Wednesday.
The event is hosted by the Alii Networkers Chapter of Business Networking International that meets at Island Naturals on Kaiwi Street. The event is from noon to 1:30 p.m. and visitors are welcome. There is no fee to attend.
For information or to reserve a seat, call Mitchell at (917) 496-7256.
Kaiser awarded for commitment to stroke patients
Kaiser Permanente’s Moanalua Medical Center has received the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The award recognizes Kaiser Permanente’s commitment and success in ensuring that stroke patients receive a high standard of care according to nationally accepted guidelines.
This marks the sixth year in a row that Moanalua Medical Center has been recognized with a Quality Achievement Award.
—MILESTONES—
Publisher retiring at Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Ted Dixon, publisher of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald since 2003, has announced he is retiring at the end of the month.
“After a 40-plus year career in the newspaper industry, I think it is time to start on my ‘bucket list,’” Dixon told his staff last week.
Mike Fer-guson, president and chief executive officer of Stephens Media, owners of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald and West Hawaii Today, said “I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Ted for many years. He is among the very best newspaper executives I have known in the 40 years I have been in this business.”
Stephens Media Hawaii News Director/Editor David Bock will assume the publisher’s position effective Dec. 1, according to Ferguson.
Ferguson also announced that Dixon has agreed to remain with the company for an undisclosed period of time as a consultant. “Ted will help David transition into his new position and at the same time, help us in evaluating all of our publications on the island of Hawaii. This has been a difficult time for newspapers, and keeping Ted on board, if even for a short time, will help us to position the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, West Hawaii Today and our weekly publications to take advantage of new technology and reach a larger audience than we have in print alone.”
Stephens Media LLC is a nationwide newspaper publisher with operations from North Carolina to Hawaii. It owns West Hawaii Today, North Hawaii News, Big Island Weekly and an interest in hawaii.com, in addition to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald.
—MOVERS & SHAKERS—
Life Care Center of Kona hires new executive director
David Pettijohn has been named the new executive director of Life Care Center of Kona.
Originally from Aberdeen, Wash., Pettijohn lived in Hawaii for several years, attending Kealakehe Intermediate School and Konawaena High School. He recently moved back to Hawaii from Washington with his family.
Pettijohn most recently worked at Linden Grove Health Care Center in Puyallup, Wash., serving as executive director. He has 12 years of experience in long-term care, starting his career as a certified nursing assistant. A member of the American College of Health Care Administrators, Pettijohn has a bachelor’s degree in health care administration and gerontology and a master’s degree in business administration.
Life Care Center of Kona, located at 78-6957 Kamehameha III Road, is one of four skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities in Hawaii operated or managed by Life Care Centers of America.
By local sources