150 years ago, Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV faced an almost insurmountable challenge; their people were dying at an alarming rate. The King and Queen went door to door to solicit funds for a new hospital and because of their vision, Queen’s Hospital opened in 1859. A century and a half later, this tradition of aloha for Hawaii’s people is still thriving at Queen’s, now known as The Queen’s Medical Center. Join Emme Tomimbang as she turns her unique and personal camera lens on the sprawling complex which is Queen’s as only she can do, in a one-hour special celebrating the first hospital in the Pacific islands, its creation, growth, and medical milestones over the past 150 years of serving the people of Hawaii.

Highlights of “The Queen’s Medical Center: 150 Years of Moments” include:

  150 Years Ago in Hawaii
  Through never before seen photos and footage, learn the story of a King and Queen’s vision
  for their people during a time of desperation.
 ·Native Hawaiians were dying from common diseases, including vitamin deficiencies and
  smallpox. In just over 75 years, the number of Native Hawaiians had dropped from over 350,000
  to less than 70,000.
 ·The story of how Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV met at the Royal School, married in
  1856, and accepted their kuleana--their duty-- to care for their people by establishing the
  Queen’s Hospital.
 ·Horse driven ambulances served the people of Hawaii.

  Moments and Milestones
  Heartwarming and inspirational stories of the individuals who are The Queen’s Medical Center
  ‘ohana, or family, today.
 ·Queen’s Hospital as the site of many medical “firsts” including the first blood test, first x-ray,
  and first school for nurses.
 ·Jesse Gamiao, a former member of the “Fabulous Krush” and a former Queen’s Medical Center
  patient whose smiling face greets patients at the valet stand.
 ·The Queen’s Medical Center staff members Ruth Honda and Paula Yoshioka who have new
  perspectives on their jobs since being patients at Queen’s.
 ·The story of recovering cancer patient Patti Milburn, and why she still goes back to Queen’s
  for a special purpose.
 ·Eric Keawe, the son of Hawaiian icon Aunty Genoa Keawe, shares reflections of her final days
  and the aloha spirit she and her family received at The Queen’s Medical Center.

  Healthcare in Hawaii – Keeping the Queen’s Vision
  Carrying the vision of their founding ali‘i in their hearts, The Queen’s Medical Center ‘ohana
  looks toward the next 150 years.
 ·A visit to the ground-breaking Research Department on the cusp of discovering exciting cures
  to chronic illnesses including cancer and diabetes.
 ·Young Hawaiian physicians-to-be who look to their personal upbringing in Hawaii’s diverse
  culture to shape their philosophy of patient treatment.
 ·The spirit of Queen Emma lives on as The Queen’s Medical Center melds traditional Hawaiian
  healing and 21st century state-of-the-art Western medicine.

From doctors and nurses, to groundskeepers and security staff; from greeters and volunteers, to lab techs and patients, you’ll come away with a new appreciation of what it takes to steer a mammoth health care organization toward the future, and why remembering the past and The Queen’s Medical Center’s roots is so important to the future of healthcare in Hawaii.

Join us for “Queen’s Medical Center: 150 Years of Moments” with Emme Tomimbang,
co-written and co-produced by Lynne Waters.

This television special is brought to you in part by Kamehameha Schools, AlohaCare,
and Humana of Hawaii, with support from City Mill. Closed captioning provided
by Diagnostic Laboratory Services.