A Passion For Community and Kalihi

For some, the path to KKV came easy. But for KKV’s new Chief Clinical Operations Officer Carol Lau, it was an opportunity she never thought she’d get. Her extensive career in healthcare took her across the country, with decades of experience in diverse communities, but she never pictured herself being able to serve the community that she grew up in.  

When asked what her role at KKV entails, Carol laughs and says, “I just help wherever I can.” As the Chief Clinical Operations Officer, Carol wears many hats, which sometimes makes her work hard to describe. “There’s a lot of work that needs to support the work that KKV does,” said Carol. “I’m glad I can be that support system for a lot of people.” Carol works directly with KKV’s Behavioral Health, Maternal Child Health, Pharmacy, Dental, and Quality Control departments. Among many crucial tasks, she oversees staffing, examines the workflow, and even works with organizations outside of KKV, such as insurance companies, to ensure strong support and relationships for our patients who may need those services. “I focus a lot on how we can make things flow better and be more efficient,” said Carol.   

Born and raised on Oʻahu, Carol has fond memories of growing up in Kalihi. She remembers spending time at her grandmother's shop on Gulick Avenue and attending Kamehameha Schools. After graduating from Punahou School, she pursued a bachelor's degree in marketing at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Shortly after, she uprooted her life to move to New York City to join the nursing program at Pace University.

After completing graduate school, she gained a vast range of experience working as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in several cities in New York, like the Bronx, Queens, and Manhattan. During the 70s and 80s, much of her work focused on the AIDS epidemic that swept across the nation. “That was some of the most eye-opening work I did,” said Carol. She also cared for troubled youth in the area and patients with developmental disabilities. “I’m thankful I could gain experience working with such a wide range of patients and healthcare centers,” she explained. Carol eventually settled at Montefoire Health Systems as the Administrative Director and spearheaded medical education there. She is proud to have worked in both clinical and administrative settings throughout her career, which granted her skills to now support and uplift our KKV community in many ways. She spent several decades at Montefoire before retiring in mid 2020 to spend time with her children and grandchildren in New York.  

Although she maintained a robust and busy schedule on the east coast, Carol always made time to fly home to Hawaiʻi to be with family and friends. After she retired, she found herself spending more time in Hawaiʻi to be closer to her mom. She took a leap of faith and permanently moved back to the islands last summer. She made sure to bring her passion for healthcare and serving her community with her. Upon her return, Carol began reaching out to health centers across Oʻahu to talk about the work they are doing for Hawaiʻi. At the time, she had no intention of finding work again. Her first experience with KKV was a visit to Hoʻoulu ʻĀina, where she said, it was love at first sight. She made more connections to KKV staff through mutual friends, and soon found herself with an opportunity to serve the place where she grew up—Kalihi. “I’ve always been committed to service,” said Carol. “This was my chance to do it here in Hawaiʻi, which I never thought could happen.” She enjoys the immense diversity at KKV and in Kalihi, which, she says, makes it such a rich yet challenging environment to work in. Her role at KKV is unique and new to some, but she says she could not be more thankful to be here. “It’s always changing, but I'm used to a lot of change. I'm really happy where I'm at now.”