Appreciating Our Medical Assistants

Countless hands contribute to the success of KKV everyday. A huge part of that success in our medical departments is KKV’s Medical Assistants. Also known as MA’s, these individuals play a central and direct role in patient and community healing. Their day-to-day tasks include taking a patient’s vital signs, administering injections, phones calls, referrals, and so much more. Their job is crucial in making sure the departments they’re apart of run smoothly and efficiently. Currently, KKV employs 43 MA’s who work in Medical, Optometry, Behavioral Health and Obstetrics and Gynecology departments.  

As you can imagine, MA’s often have a full plate on their hands. “It’s a lot of work,” says Director of Nursing Toni Agustin. “Our MA’s do a lot more compared to MA’s at other clinics.” Toni explained how KKV currently does not have enough staff to complete certain tasks in different departments, so MA’s often wear many hats. Toni knows firsthand how difficult it can be to make sure each department gets the help they need, as she is in charge of scheduling all the MA’s and nurses. The goal is to have two MA’s assigned to each physician permanently, but they are often pulled in different directions to cover where help is needed. “It’s hard to reach our goal because once we hire one MA, another one leaves. It’s a constant cycle,” says Registered Nurse Angie Balbuena. Toni and Angie believe that keeping the MA’s in the same department everyday will help them to create relationships with the physicians and patients. “Some patients ask for specific MA’s because they are only comfortable with them,” says Toni. “We want to be able to keep that connection between KKV and its patients.”  

For veteran Medical Assistant Merlyn Dela Cruz, the path to joining KKV didn’t come easy. After earning her associate degree in Clinic Medical Assisting in 2006, she says she was lucky enough to intern at KKV. Unfortunately, she could not find a full-time position at the time, so she left for the Philippines to support her family. Upon returning to Hawaiʻi, she felt a calling to apply as an MA at KKV. She joined the KKV ʻohana in June 2021. “I applied for other clinics, but I knew in my heart I wanted to return to KKV,” she says. “It’s like a family here. When we’re not working, we hang out and go to dinner. We’re always bonding.”  Merlyn is a “floating” MA, which means she is with a different department everyday. She says it can be hard not knowing where you will be working each day, but she enjoys being able to learn all aspects of the different departments. She stresses the importance of flexibility and time management in the medical field. 

Ok Engichy says she was inspired to become a Medical Assistant after caring for her parents. “They both got sick, and I was there to take care of them. Then I realized, hey I like doing this and helping people,” she says. After earning her associate degree in science in 2020, she worked at other health centers, but eventually found her way to KKV through connections she made in the medical field. She celebrated one year with the KKV ʻohana earlier this month. “I love the environment at KKV. Everyone was so welcoming, and I feel so settled here,” she says. Ok is one of many staff members that wears many hats. She also lends her non-medical talents to KKV as a Chuukese interpreter. “It’s hard because we only have two Chuukese interpreters, and so many of our patients speak Chuukese. I help as much as I can.” Ok says she is proud to bring her culture into her work. She knows Chuukese from speaking with her parents, and they are the reason she decided to join the medical field.

“Family” is a term often heard throughout KKV’s medical department. Even through all the hustle and bustle of each day, staff members are always sure to be there for each other when support is needed. That support would not be possible without our MA’s. We want to say a big mahalo to all our Medical Assistants for the amazing work that they do to keep KKV thriving! 

If you are interested in becoming a Medical Assistant, KKV is recruiting another cohort for the National Institute of Medical Assistant Advancement, or NIMAA. The 29-week program consists of online classes, plus in-clinic experience at KKV. Applications for the spring 2024 cohort are now open. Contact Joel Tome at jtome@kkv.net for more information.