Honolulu, HI — On February 16th, 2018, the Central Medical Clinic (CMC) team celebrated their history with the release of their legacy book. The gathering was held at Natsunoya Tea House, with live music performed by Imua Garza. Guests included CMC physicians, staff, retirees, supporters, long-time patients, and community partners, all gathering to celebrate the past, present, and future of the clinic.
“It was so amazing to see members of CMC’s past come back to honor the legacy of the founders,” explains Dr. Myron Shirasu, President and internist at CMC. “This book not only honors the founders and preserves the history of CMC since our beginnings in 1949, but it also encapsulates the heart, dedication, and loyalty from our team and our patients.”
PIONEERS OF MEDICINE IN HAWAII
The Central Medical Clinic legacy books
In the late 1940s, a large portion of the population received medical care in their own closed systems. There was a drive to get out of the plantations, which inspired locals to work in the healthcare industry—many being first and second generation Japanese Americans.
“CMC goes a long way back with doctors who were pioneers of medicine in Hawaii, like our founders: Drs. Isami Umaki, Thomas Fujiwara, and Goonzo Yamashita,” explains Dr. Michael Nagoshi, internist at CMC. “They all had to go to the mainland for training and came back as a minority in Honolulu.”
OUR FAMILY CARING FOR YOURS
In 1979, CMC established their official motto: “Our Family Caring for Yours,” with the now famous dark blue logo created shortly thereafter.
“In the center of our logo is our patient, and the hearts around it are the people looking after that patient, which would be us,” explains Dr. Shirasu. “And I think the physicians, nurses, staff, and patients can truly see and feel that we are a family caring for their family. We serve our patients from the cradle to the grave—we have generations of patients on our care list.”
Over the years, Central Medical Clinic has become the preeminent primary care clinic in Honolulu, consistently ranking at the top in measures of quality care and patient satisfaction surveys. Many families who started with Drs. Umaki, Fujiwara, and Yamashita now have fourth and even fifth generations attending the clinic.
“Our doctors are amazing…extremely caring,” explains Keith Katano, former CMC administrator. “Our staff is loyal, very family oriented. It’s just amazing how CMC takes care of their patients. That’s why I’m still a patient of the clinic!”
Vicky Say (former CMC nurse, joined in 1965 & retired in 2017) and Marc Sim (CMC Administrator, joined in 2017).
PARTNERING TO LEAD HEALTHCARE INTO THE FUTURE
In August 2015, Central Medical Clinic joined the `Ekahi Health family, allowing for enhanced resources, growth and improvements in the future of care, assuring that CMC will continue to provide the highest quality of care to their patients for decades to come.
“CMC is the only independent physician group of its size in Hawaii to survive into the current decade and is poised to continue its success moving forward,” explains Dr. Nagoshi.
“`Ekahi Health and the `ike family of companies are grateful to have Central Medical Clinic as a part of our ohana of leaders, innovators, and champions of the greater good for the people of Hawaii,” says Dean Hirata, CEO of ‘Ekahi Health. “Through our empowered patient-centric philosophy—what we call the “CMC Experience” —we are positioning CMC to continue to be innovators in healthcare for years to come.
“We are grateful and humbled for our past, but are truly hopeful and excited for our future.”
Marc Sim (CMC Administrator), Dr. Robert Kagawa (CMC internist), Dr. Derrick Kida (CMC pediatrician), and Dr. Myron Shirasu (CMC internist)
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About Central Medical Clinic
Central Medical Clinic (CMC) is the largest, highest quality, multi-specialty group on Oahu. Founded in 1949, CMC is a family oriented, primary care focused group practice that promotes wellness for the entire family, delivers outstanding patient care, and provides a progressive and incomparable healthcare experience. CMC joined the `Ekahi Health family in August 2015. `Ekahi Health is part of the ‘ike family of companies which was established in 1975 with its founding member, DataHouse. Other ‘ike companies include TeamPraxis, Sagely, and Pacific Hi-Tech. For more information about Central Medical Clinic, visit www.cmchawaii.com.