First Waianae EMT cohort graduates through Kapiolani CC program

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Fourteen students were celebrated as the first graduates of a new emergency medical technician training program.

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The 12-week, college-credit program was brought to the Leeward Coast through a partnership between Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College – Waianae Moku and the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC).

It marks the first time Kapiolani Community College’s EMT program has been offered in Waianae.

Students completed clinical and field rotations at WCCHC, The Queen’s Medical Center – Punchbowl and Pali Momi Medical Center.

“What makes this program so special is that we brought Kapiolani Community College EMT training directly into the Waianae community, removing barriers like travel and cost,” said Michele Chrissy Kuahine, WCCHC development director of Ka Ike Ola.

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Graduate David Di Martino said the program gave him a path into healthcare after returning home to Hawaii.

“To me, this program was my future, essentially,” Di Martino said. “I just saw this program as sort of my way of getting into healthcare.”

Organizers said the program is part of a broader effort to grow the healthcare workforce in West Oahu by making training opportunities more accessible to local residents.

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