A new dedicated home in Kahului is making clinical training on Maui accessible for more medical students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).
Located just minutes from Maui Memorial Medical Center, the four-bedroom, three-bath home provides stable, rent-free housing for students completing clinical rotations on the Valley Isle. The project is a partnership between Maui County, Maui Health, Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente and JABSOM.
“Before, it was a patchwork system,” said Felicitas Livaudais, a Maui-based physician and JABSOM Maui site coordinator. “Someone might offer a spare bedroom, or we’d rely on community members like Auntie Tina, who let students stay in her home and even cooked for them.”
Historically, most UH medical students completed their training on Oʻahu. Those interested in neighbor island rotations often faced housing challenges, limiting opportunities to serve rural communities.
“It means a lot,” said Tynell Ornellas, a third-year medical student from Upcountry Maui now living in the home. “It’s really convenient to be so close to the hospital and also close to a group of physicians and the community here. It just really takes a big load off.”
It’s not just supporting medical students, it’s supporting the people of Maui.
—Angela Phillips
“If we didn’t have this house, I don’t think I would’ve been able to come to Maui,” said Angela Phillips, another medical student. “It allows us to fully immerse ourselves in the community without the financial burden.”
The home is part of the Housing for Healthcare initiative led by Maui Health Foundation, which aims to ease the housing shortage for healthcare providers. With land donated by the County of Maui, the initiative plans to build 16 homes near Maui Lani Fairways, with one reserved for UH medical students and residents. JABSOM’s Friends of the Medical School covers rent and upkeep.
“Without housing, we literally could not have students rotating and learning from neighbor island physicians,” said Travis Hong, JABSOM’s director of rural health education. “This house is a blessing for our program.”
“It’s not just supporting medical students, it’s supporting the people of Maui,” Phillips added.
