With support from the Freeman Foundation, three University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa future physicians are helping strengthen Hawaiʻi’s healthcare workforce amid the state’s ongoing physician shortage. This year’s Freeman Foundation scholars—Megan Blair, Russell Dean Piʻimauna Kackley and Shelley Wong—each received a $40,000 award to help repay student loans in exchange for committing to practice medicine in the islands.
Now in its sixth year, the Freeman Foundation award supports graduates of the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) who pledge to remain in Hawaiʻi for at least two years after completing residency or fellowship training.
Opportunity, community
Megan Blair, from Wailuku, Maui, is completing her final year of pediatric residency at UH Mānoa. She plans to return home to serve as a general pediatrician. She is excited for the opportunity to help the keiki of Maui grow up to be healthy and strong in body, mind and heart.
Russell Dean Piʻimauna Kackley, a fellow in addiction psychiatry, grew up in Hilo and earned his medical degree from JABSOM. He is passionate about reducing health disparities in vulnerable populations, with a focus on Native Hawaiians. Kackley is honored to serve as a physician in Hawaiʻi and looks forward to the work that lies ahead.
Shelley Wong, a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow from Honolulu, also graduated from JABSOM after earning her undergraduate degree at UH Mānoa. She is thankful to the people and communities of Hawaiʻi who shaped her journey, supported her growth, and trusted her to care for their loved ones. She looks forward to caring for children and families across the islands and hopes to inspire future physicians along the way.
Established in 1993 through the bequest of businessman and philanthropist Mansfield Freeman, the Freeman Foundation’s partnership with JABSOM continues to make a lasting impact by supporting local doctors who choose to stay and serve their communities.
