SHINING STARS
Schools lauded for vaccinating students
The state Department of Health recognized its
Public Health Nursing Branch and five schools for participation in the first Protect Hawaii's Keiki: Stop Flu at School immunization program.
Ke Ana La'ahana Public Charter School on the Big Island;
Kualapuu Elementary New Century Public Charter School, and
Maunaloa Elementary on Molokai; and
Sacred Hearts Academy and
Waipahu Elementary on Oahu had either the highest percentages of participation or numbers of students in the program.
The DOH program also received the Immunization Excellence Award for Overall 2007-08 Season Activity by the National Influenza Vaccine Summit. The program provided free vaccinations for more than 60,000 students and more than 9,000 school faculty and staff.
Don Yamauchi, a physical therapist and supervisor of the Hilo Clinic for the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific, was awarded the first Heather Malia Ho Memorial Scholarship.
Yamauchi, who has been with REHAB for 13 years, received recent certification by the Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America. Peter and Michelle Ho established the new REHAB scholarship in memory of Peter's sister Heather, who died at the World Trade Center in New York on Sept. 11, 2001.
Shining Stars appears several times a week in the Star-Bulletin