Celebrating the Contributions of Others
Aloha!
Throughout history, God has used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. He uses those who are faithful and trust Him to do great things through their lives. They have been careful to not get in the way, lift themselves up, or get ahead of God.
St. Francis Healthcare System is able to continue the legacy of caring that began with Saint Marianne Cope and the Sisters of St. Francis because of people who are committed to living Franciscan values. Every year, St. Francis Healthcare System has the opportunity to recognize those right in our midst who are doing great things, but often prefer not to be publicly recognized.
This year, at our annual Saint Marianne Awards Recognition Luncheon, we recognized employees who are celebrating service anniversaries with St. Francis as well as three individuals for their outstanding contributions. They were Rochelle Takata, who oversees our preschool and adult day program at the St. Francis Intergenerational Center in Ewa Villages; Angie Ronduen, a bright light in our hospice program; and Tracy Wong, President and owner of Insurance Solutions, who serves on the Cancer Center of Hawaii board of directors and has been a faithful supporter of St. Francis Healthcare System. These individuals have all made lasting contributions in the lives of our patients and their families.
At this year’s luncheon, we also presented the very first St. Francis Momentum Award for Advancing Catholic Health Care in Hawaii to Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF. Sister Be previously served as CEO of St. Francis Healthcare System, and now serves as President of Our Lady of Kea`au, where she continues to reach out to Native Hawaiians, one of the most vulnerable populations in our islands. Like Saint Marianne, Sister Be has been courageous and tenacious in advancing the work done at St. Francis. She reminds us of the beauty of the simplicity of unwavering faith.
I truly appreciate all of these individuals and all of the other St. Francis Healthcare System employees, volunteers and partners who are helping St. Francis to move forward. Please take a few moments to read about these individuals in this issue of Healthy Communities, and join me in expressing our appreciation for them!
Jerry Correa
President & CEO
St. Francis Healthcare System