HMSA’s Board of Directors have the right combination of experience, knowledge, and decision-making skills to move health care in Hawaii forward. It’s a diverse group of community leaders who come with fresh, new ideas to benefit HMSA members. We sat down with HMSA’s newest Board members to find out who they are and what they do.
Retired business executive
Photo by Rae Huo
What’s your background?
I was born in Boston, but grew up in the Philippines, where my father worked. After graduating high school in the Philippines, I moved back to the U.S. for college and majored in Asian Studies with an emphasis on Chinese. I got my master of business administration from the University of Southern California and worked for Xerox then later Mattel, among other companies.
What made you move to Kauai?
I first came to Kauai in the 1970s. Ever since that first visit, it was my goal to live here. My husband and I were looking at moving here, but then Hurricane Iniki hit. Then, we returned to Kauai about 12 years ago. That vacation turned into a house-hunting trip. We found a nice house and now we’re retired here. The people here are so friendly. They say, “Hello, Aunty” when they see me. I’m known as Aunty Francesca. It feels like home. It’s the emotional tie and connectiveness. I live in a very special community where we all know each other and help each other out.
Is it hard to stay connected to your family on the Mainland?
Family is extremely important to me. I don’t have children, but I have 11 nieces and nephews. I travel quite a bit to the Mainland to celebrate their life events like graduations and weddings. And family members visit me often here.
Photo by Rae Huo
What made you want to serve on the HMSA Board?
Throughout my business career, I never joined a company or served on a board that I wasn’t passionate about. And I’ve been an HMSA member for quite some time now. I really believe in its mission to provide affordable, quality care for people in Hawaii. Living on Kauai, I’m aware of the issues of getting access to care. I’d like to bring ideas to the table and find solutions to some of the challenges, such as how to attract more doctors to the Neighbor Islands and also get them to stay there. I would like to try to be part of the solution.
What makes you so passionate about the health care system?
When my mother was in her late 70s, she got ovarian cancer. I’d take her to her doctor appointments. Although my mom had all her mental capacities, the doctor would be talking to me as if I was the patient when my mother was sitting right next to me. Furthermore, my mother was a nurse, so she knew what was going on. Ever since then, I knew I had to be an advocate for patients to be treated with the respect they deserve. And when she got really sick, she had at-home hospice because it was her wish not to die in a hospital. I want to make sure our health care system is designed to give older adults that choice of where they’d like to live out their last days.
Professor of Health Policy and Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Photo courtesy Eric Sucar
What made you want to serve on the HMSA Board?
In addition to being a physician, I’m also a health economist. So, alongside my work with seeing patients, I also work at trying to improve the efficiency and quality of health care and the doctor-patient relationship. I’ve been working with HMSA since 2015 on a project that focused on improving the primary care system in Hawaii through payment transformation. Being on the Board is an opportunity to continue to be part of this mission-driven organization.
I’d see patients about every 10 minutes. It can feel like a treadmill. It doesn’t give you a chance to stop and breathe to really take the time to sit down and talk to a patient. But now I can focus more on patients who really need my time. It also allows the flexibility of visits by phone or telehealth in a way that wasn’t possible before.
I have a patient with many chronic conditions, including kidney disease, diabetes, and heart issues. He was a very diligent patient. But then he started being late to appointments. I knew he must have been facing some challenges. When I asked him about it, he said he had to change buses twice to make his appointments, taking him almost two hours. So, we figured out a way for me to still see him through telehealth when it wasn’t necessary for him to come in person.
What made you want to become a doctor?
I really like interacting with people. It may sound trite, but I enjoy finding ways to help people in a way that’s based on science and evidence. It’s fulfilling to know you’re a partner in helping them feel better. And I felt like I could do something for society.
Photo courtesy Eric Sucar
Check out these inspirational stories of HMSA helping members and improving the community.
- blue cross blue shield: supporting maui’s young leaders
- hmsa and cvs bring heart health education to the community
- hmsa is with you in your time of need
- hmsa sponsors award-winning play to raise mental health awareness
- hmsa supports hawaii department of health during mental health month
- teen health camp: supporting careers of hawaii’s future health care heroes
