What is it like to participate in a telehealth session?

We asked our participants to let us know.

Aloha Hawaii,

I hope this post finds you safe, well, and at home. I am enjoying the amount of work that I can get done from home but miss seeing my teammates every day. Watching the rest of the nation get more and more restless as they stay-at-home longer, I am trying to remember that I need to do more than just work. Making sure to exercise, practice stress management, eat well, and staying socially connected are even more important during stressful times like these.

So – this post is part of my stress management! On Tuesday, March 17, we made the decision to transform the ‘Ekahi Ornish and the ‘Ekahi Diabetes programs to virtual telehealth programs to ensure the safety of both our participants and our staff. We needed to continue to be a beacon of hope for our community by helping as many people as possible to life better lifestyles, manage their stress, and boost their immune systems.

Transforming these programs into virtual telehealth programs was not an easy task. The ‘Ekahi Ornish and the ‘Ekahi Diabetes teams are completely amazing people. The have banded together, rolled up their sleeves, and almost instantly continued to provide outstanding programs. Many people ask us though – is it the same? Well we asked an ‘Ekahi Ornish cohort to speak to us about their experience. Their words tell me that the virtual version provides almost everything that the in-person version does. It especially provides the social connection and stress management that we all need so much right now.

Click here to watch. Use ekahi as the password.

I continue to be amazed by the ‘Ekahi Health team and the connections that they make with our participants. They are incredible, innovative, and 150% dedicated to every current and past participant of the ‘Ekahi Ornish and the ‘Ekahi Diabetes programs. I look forward to getting to the other side of COVID-19 and continuing to work hard on innovating health care. Until then, we will continue to post exercise tips, stress management techniques, food recipes, and much more.

A hui hou.

For more information call us at 777-4000 or click ‘Ekahi Ornish Lifestyle Medicine or ‘Ekahi Diabetes Management Program. Call 777-4001 or click Central Medical Clinic for more information on our primary care physicians, team-based care, pediatricians, gynecologists, and surgeons on the Kuakini campus.