West Oahu’s public health crisis: ‘Sustained violence’

WAIANAE, Hawaii (KHON2) — Health officials in West Oahu are calling the recent rise in violence in a public health emergency.

The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) asked elected officials to recognize and help them address the problem through a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Officials at WCCHC said enough is enough after several recent violent crimes in West Oahu.

“This is very personal for me,” said Alicia Higa, WCCHC chief health equity officer, “I was born and raised on this coast and what has unfolded in our community has broken my heart.”

“Treat this as a crisis, not as the new normal or this is just a one off. This is sustained violence,” said WCCHC executive vice president Nicholas Hughey. “That, in essence, makes it a crisis and when we’re in a crisis, then all the conventional sort of approach ahs to go out and we have to approach it as a crisis.”

WCCHC put forth a roadmap with a focus on mental health trauma and resilience counseling training and requested $500,000 from the City and State to support the initiative.

“We’ve tried to fill the gap as a community health center, but we need more concerted and collaborative effort from city and state entities to be able to do that,” said WCCHC chief medical officer Dr. Stephen Bradley.

Rep. Darius Kila lives along Farrington Highway and said he definitely feels an emotional toll.

“Every single night and especially in, when it’s after nine and I hear more than three sirens, I just start to brace for whatever that could be,” said the Honokai Hale, Nānākuli and Mā‘ili representative.

Health officials at WCCHC said the violence on the west side is clearly a crisis to them, but impressing that on State and County officials has been a challenge.

“It’s not understood downtown. You can send an email. You can say this is happening, but unless you actually see it and feel it and talk to our staff, you’re not going to realize the the nature of this public health emergency,” said WCCHC president & CEO Richard Bettini.

“When we’re going into the next legislative session. Like I think Maui was a huge ask. And I think now it’s my turn to ask my colleagues how they can be supportive of 96792,” Rep. Kila said.

WCCHC offers support for depression, anxiety, problems, sleeping, anger or trauma from the recent events and can be reached at 808-697-3469.

KHON2 asked the City and County of Honolulu and the State Department of Health if they agree that there is an ongoing health crisis in West Oahu, neither gave a direct answer but their responses can be found below:

“The Waianae area of Oahu is a federally designated medically underserved area. (This is one of many reasons the WCCHC is so important as a healthcare provider in the area).

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Dr. Jim Ireland, Honolulu Emergency Medical Services director

“Firearms violence, specifically the recent incidents in Waianae, is certainly of high concern to DOH. In response to your specific question about whether or not the West Oahu firearm violence should be called an ongoing public health crisis, DOH believes the situation is one that necessitates a robust government-supported community-based response.”

Dr. Kenneth Fink, Hawaii State Department of Health director