Our Origin

Hokulani Porter, a nurse practitioner and the owner of the Hopena Kūloli Medical Training Institute, is bringing about a monumental change by starting a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) school in the Ocean View Town Center. The institute aims to provide people with the chance to learn new skills and work in the community, while also addressing the need for healthcare professionals in rural areas.

As a single mother, Hokulani started her journey in nursing by signing up for a certified nurse assistant course that changed her life. She began making a living wage, which was just above the minimum wage standard, and helped her get her head above water. After working in several long-term care homes, she climbed the nursing ladder and became a licensed practical nurse (LPN), then a registered nurse (RN), and finally a nurse practitioner (NP), a position she has held for the past 11 years.

Hokulani received a scholarship called 'Ike Ao Pono, which supported part Hawaiian students to enter the professional nursing field at the University of Hawaii, Mānoa, and bring more health practitioners to rural communities. During her clinical study hours, she was sent to Ka'u Hospital, where she found herself greatly enjoying the people and community of Ka'u, a town from which her great-grandmother came. She realized then how dire the need for healthcare was and started laying the foundation to change that paradigm.

Almost a decade later, while working as a personal care provider for patients at Ka'u Wellness Clinic, Hokulani found that health resources had become even scarcer, particularly access to home health services that assist the elderly. She was also frustrated that our community lacks jobs near our homes, with most employment being over an hour's drive away, costing valuable time away from family as well as hundreds of dollars in gas. The Hopena Kūloli Medical Training Institute aims to address these issues by providing training opportunities and employment in the community.