Representative Kirstin Kahaloa understands the importance of health and wellness, from access to health care services to availability of healthy local food.

As a daughter, mother, partner, granddaughter and caregiver, Kirstin has experienced the impacts of Hawaiʻi Island’s doctor shortage and challenges with access to health care services. Her work with the Blue Zones Project lead grassroots advocacy and engagement with government to make the healthy choice the easy choice, resulting in strong partnerships and enduring policy changes. Working with the Kamehameha Schools, a significant steward of Hawaiʻi’s agricultural lands, she worked to increase the viability and security of Hawaiʻi-grown foods by supporting farmers and local businesses.

PRIORITIES FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS

• Build a new hospital in Kona.
  The population of Kona has grown significantly and its center has shifted geographically since Kona Community Hospital was built. The time has come for a new, modern hospital to care for West Hawaiʻi’s people. We must work closely with private sector partners to leverage all available public resources to make this a reality.
  
  

• Support community health efforts to meet people where they are.
  In our rural communities, there is no one answer to delivering the health care services people need. A combination of projecting resources into communities, offering transportation to facilities, and embracing telehealth is needed.
  
  

• Attract and retain more doctors and healthcare professionals in Kona and rural communities across Hawaiʻi.
  
  

• Commit to at least 50% local food in our public school cafeterias.
  Our children should be eating the best food we can grow. What kids eat at an early age makes all the difference for their future. Hawaiʻi needs to prioritize sourcing more local ingredients for our school cafeterias, collectively the largest restaurant in the state.
  
  

• Connect veterans and veteran caregivers with the resources they need.
  Hawaiʻi Island’s nearly 14,000 military veterans – including Kirstin’s father-in-law – face unique health situations associated with military service. These challenges range from visible wounds, to the effects of toxic exposures and traumatic brain injuries, to the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress disorder. Veteran caregivers face challenges with their own mental health too. Federal, state, and non-governmental resources exist to help, but often face challenges connecting with vets, especially in rural areas.