Collaboration and Growth
Dr. Waipa is no stranger to politics; alongside Dr. Honda, she reaches out to elected leaders to lobby for the children in her care.
“We’re both very passionate about advocacy, and so we try to take things up to the state and policy level and advocate for kiddos in that regard wherever we see gaps,” she says.
One of the major unmet needs at present: mental health care, an issue that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She recently enrolled in a mini-fellowship that provides additional training for pediatricians in mental health.
“When there is a shortage of providers, I will at least be able to get things started, whether it be with medication or being able to monitor them a little bit more confidently,” she says.
Addressing pediatric obesity is also a long-term focus for Keānuenue Pediatrics. Exploring opportunities to teach children how to garden and cook may be one way to boost activity and outdoor time as well as promote healthy eating.
“Dr. Honda specifically is really passionate about nutrition, especially plant-based nutrition and connection with the land,” says Dr. Waipa. “I know that she’s trying to imagine ways to create a program or get funding to create a program that would help especially our Native Hawaiian kids.”
As the practice continues to establish itself in the community, collaboration with Native Hawaiian-owned companies could be one way forward to realize this and other goals.
“There are so many small business owners that are also committed to Native Hawaiian health and wellbeing that I think we could partner with to bring resources to our patients,” she says.
Expansion of the practice’s physical space is also a possibility in the not-too-distant future, allowing better workflow for the three pediatricians as well as room for additional services. Options may include a part-time psychologist or a mental health professional, a nutritionist or potentially a lactation consultant.
One more immediate goal is scaling up the online resources available to patients. With the COVID-19 pandemic still bearing down on the globe, Dr. Waipa sees the development of a web portal for patient education as a priority. The goal is to focus time in the office on the tasks that can only be accomplished in person, like shots and physical exams.
“[The pandemic] has forced us to be creative and resourceful,” she says. “We’re trying to imagine ways to be more efficient and put our patients at less risk if we can help it.”
A rich selection of digital resources would also help families stay connected to the practice in between office visits. Dr. Waipa envisions a video series related to developmental milestones, for example, or different pages devoted to common concerns for parents, like introducing solid food or helping a child deal with separation anxiety. Families could review this information ahead of a visit and come prepared with questions.
“That way, in the office, we can spend the limited time we have together on something that’s really important to the family,” she says.
Ultimately, Dr. Waipa hopes Keānuenue Pediatrics serves as home base for the families they serve, carrying on the tradition of “talk story” for generations to come.
“Our goal always is that this is a long-term relationship,” she says. “We see kiddos until they’re hopefully done with college, until they’re 21. We want it to be a longitudinal journey where we get to be with them every step of the way through all of the ups and downs and the milestones that they’re going to experience as a family.”
