My grandmother flew from Maui to Oahu sick and scared, paying the price for a procedure that went wrong.

An understaffed and under-resourced system had failed her. One that lacked the specialists and expertise to make it right.

She recovered, and our family is grateful. But I keep thinking about all the people who don’t have this same outcome.

This is the reality for too many neighbor island residents living under a healthcare system stretched too thin. Doctors are leaving the state, and a bill that would have raised insurance reimbursements to retain primary care physicians on neighbor islands failed to pass this session.

Gov. Josh Green and state legislators must make neighbor island healthcare a priority through reimbursement reform, expanded telehealth, and investment in rural medical infrastructure.

Where you live in Hawaii should never determine the quality of care you receive.

Kalina Hotema
Honors Biology Student, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa