About Us

Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ× (HRP) was founded in 1982 through the efforts of advocates, community, and health organizations. These founding members created HRP to provide better medical care for the people of Hawai‘i by the advancement of medical education and training for medical residents in the State of Hawai‘i. Over time, HRP has expanded to include 17 ACGME-accredited residency and fellowship programs on O‘ahu with some programs offering clinical rotation experiences on the neighbor islands.

History

Prior to the creation of HRP, the residency programs in Hawai‘i operated independently, each with its own affiliation agreements with the University of Hawai‘i and various hospitals. HRP began in 1982 using a consortium organizational model, as a way to bring together these individual residency programs and their resources, to solve problems and share financial and legal risks and education in the most cost-efficient way, so that in turn, HRP could give residents the best possible education and success. As healthcare delivery, graduate medical education, and laws have evolved, so too has Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×. HRP and UH JABSOM remain separate, independent entities but share the duties, responsibilities and risks of GME governance in accordance with the UH HRP First Amended Agreement signed in December 2012.

Mission & Purpose

Our mission is to support the advancement of medical education and training for medical residents in Hawai‘i, coordinate the administration of the residency programs, and act as a liaison between the residency programs and the affiliated hospitals/healthcare systems. Our purpose is to provide better medical care for the people of Hawai‘i by producing quality physicians, convening with Hawai‘i’s health partners as we advance medical education and training for medical residents in the state of Hawai‘i.

Board of Directors

Raymond P Vara, Jr.
Hawaii Pacific Health
HRP Vice President

Gregg Oishi
Kuakini Medical Center
HRP Secretary/Treasurer

Picture of Jason Chang with trees in background

Jason Chang
The Queen’s Health System
HRP Board Director

JABSOM Dean of Academic Affairs picture in front of greenery

Thomas Samuel “Sam” Shomaker, MD, JD
Dean of the John A. Burns School of Medicine
HRP Board Director

Susan Steinemann, MD
John A. Burns School of Medicine
HRP Board Director

Program Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×amp; Program Administrators

Program Directors (PDs) and Program Administrators (PAs) are the cornerstones of our residency and fellowship programs. PDs are responsible for the approved curricula components of education, clinical knowledge and skills, scholarly development and other pertinent areas for their respective residency programs.

PAs provide administrative support to the PDs in the day-to-day operations of their residency program. Our PAs at Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ× bring extensive experience to graduate medical education; six have been with HRP for more than 20 years and nine have advanced degrees. This is a true testament to HRP’s commitment to support the advancement of medical education and training for medical residents in Hawai‘i.

Program Administrators have access to operational documents and commonly used templates via Sharepoint


(Curriculum Resources are password protected; access provided to each Program’s leadership)

Residents as Researchers

Congratulations to our 2021 Awardee!

David Shimizu, MD
Program Director
Pathology Residency Program

Dr. Shimizu has been the Program Director for Pathology during two separate terms–2006 to 2016 and 2019 to 2021. He was also a past recipient of this Program Director award in 2010 and 2014. In addition to Program leadership, Dr. Shimizu has been a Pathologist at The Queen’s Medical Center for nearly 30 years, including his service as Chief of Pathology from 1988-1992. Our residents have expressed appreciation for his great dedication to their well-being and his mentorship in career planning. With his door always open, residents have truly felt his caring leadership. With his profound experience and knowledge in Pathology, he has brought immense depth to the curriculum and research activities within the program that our residents and faculty are beneficiaries of.

Who was Peter C. -P. Char?

Peter C. -P. Char was a highly respected attorney who represented residents and fellows in medical liability issues for over 15 years. Mr. Char was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. He received his B.A. degree from Yale College and his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. Mr. Char dedicated much of his practice to the defense and education of medical residents in the areas of risk management and medical malpractice. His memorial fund has been designated to honor residency program directors who exhibit excellence in teaching and dedication to graduate medical education, as Mr. Char did for most of his professional life. A $1,000 award will be given to a program director nominated by his or her colleagues and trainees and selected by the HRP Board of Directors.

Past Recipients

2020
None

2019
None

2018
Reid Ikeda, M.D., Internal Medicine Residency Program
Andrew Nichols, M.D., Sports Medicine Fellowship Program

2017
Samuel Evans, M.D., Transitional Year Residency Program

2016
Robert Hong, M.D., Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program

2015
Shilpa J. Patel, M.D., Pediatric Residency Program

2014
Mark Hiraoka, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program
David Shimizu, M.D., Pathology Residency Program

2013
Robert Hong, M.D., Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program

2012
Courtenay Matsu, M.D., Psychiatry Residency Program

2011
None

2010
David Shimizu, M.D., Pathology Residency Program

2009
None

2008
Kamal Masaki, M.D., Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program

2007
Erlaine Bello, M.D., Internal Medicine Residency Program

2006
John Hardman, M.D., Pathology Residency Program

2005
D. Christian Derauf, M.D., Pediatric Residency Program

2004
Tod Aeby, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

  • The nominee has been a program director for at least one year as of May 1st
  • The program is fully accredited by the ACGME
  • The residents/fellows in the program support the nomination
  • The Department Chair supports the nomination
  • There is evidence of dedication and effectiveness in teaching residents/fellows
  • The nominee exhibits behaviors that are value-based and highly principled
  • The nominee is an exemplary role model
  • The nominee participates in a national program directors’ association, if there is one for the specialty
  • The nominee has not been a recipient of the award in the past two years

To Nominate a Program Director

Nomination Materials Required

  • Completed application form
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Letters of support that state reasons for the nominee’s selection and include a brief summary of the nominee’s significant contributions to graduate medical education in: (a) curriculum and teaching; (b) leadership; (c) mentorship; (d) patient care and safety; (e) program development and improvement; (f) research; (g) resident and faculty development.
    • Letters of support should be from at least two of the following:
      • Department Chairperson 
      • Residents/Fellows (highly recommended) 
      • Faculty member(s) 
      • Others

Please send completed application form, support letters and curriculum vitae to:

Å·ÃÀÊìÅ®ÂÒÂ×, Inc.
1356 Lusitana Street, Suite 507
Honolulu, HI 96813

Telephone: (808) 586-2890
Fax: (808) 586-2947
Email: mkeawe@hawaiiresidency.org

The deadline to submit nominations is March 1.

Central Administration

Executive Director
Natalie K.H. Talamoa


Deputy Executive Director
Auli’i Dudoit
adudoit@hawaiiresidency.org

GME Operations Director
Marlene Keawe
mkeawe@hawaiiresidency.org

Finance Director
Jamil Hussein, PH: (808) 586-2893
jhussein@hawaiiresidency.org

Human Resources Director
Rick Kinigson, PH: (808) 586-2891
rkinigson@hawaiiresidency.org

Executive Administrator
Avi Gonzalez, PH (808)-586-2895
agonzalez@hawaiiresidency.org

GME Program Manager
Patty Carlson, PH: (808) 586-2890
pcarlson@hawaiiresidency.org

GME Administrative Assistant
Alaina Albaiz, PH: (808) 586-2890
aalbaiz@hawaiiresidency.org

Staff Accountant
Connie Tu, PH: (808) 586-2892
ctu@hawaiiresidency.org

Human Resources Specialist
Casey Clutter, PH: (808) 586-2889
cclutter@hawaiiresidency.org