AlohaCare is a local, non-profit health plan founded in 1994 by Hawaii’s Community Health Centers. Today, AlohaCare has over 70,000 health plan members. We are the third largest health plan in Hawaii. We partner with nearly 3,500 physicians, specialists and providers in the care of our members. We have over 230 employees located in offices on Oahu, the Big Island, Maui and Kauai.
AlohaCare Vision
We envision empowered, healthy communities living in the spirit of aloha.
AlohaCare Mission
Our mission is to serve individuals and communities in the true spirit of aloha by ensuring and advocating access to quality health care for all. This is accomplished with emphasis on prevention and primary care through community health centers that founded us and continue to guide us as well as with others that share our commitment.
Our Commitment
- By "empowered, healthy communities" and by "ensuring and advocating access to quality health care for all", we mean that:
- AlohaCare's core business will focus on being recognized as the best and most successful plan in serving the Medicaid and the dually-eligible Medicaid and Medicare populations of Hawaii; and,
- AlohaCare's core role will be that of a facilitator in helping communities to become more empowered to ensure access to quality health care for all.
- By "serve individuals and communities", we mean that we must constantly build and maintain special health plan expertise and capabilities that can successfully and effectively solve the most persistent challenges in meeting the health care needs of individuals within this population in the communities in which they live.
- By the "spirit of aloha", we mean that the principles of aloha by which we conduct our core business will result in the highest levels of member and provider satisfaction and of member retention among those organizations who serve these populations.
- By "with emphasis on prevention and primary care through community health centers", we mean that our main emphasis as a health plan in achieving our mission will come about largely through our core partnership and collaboration with the community health centers and a focus on primary care and prevention.
- By "with others that share our commitment", we mean that, in addition to our emphasis in working with community health centers, we will also work in closer partnership and collaboration with physicians, other health care providers, social service organizations and communities that share our mission commitment.
Core Values
Our core values are based on the values surrounding "Aloha" in our culture.
- Fairness
- Honesty
- Loyalty
- Respect/Dignity
- Trust

Laura Esslinger
Chief Executive Officer

Gary Okamoto, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer

Bruce Lane
Chief Financial Officer

Francoise Culley-Trotman
Chief Compliance Officer

Paula Arcena
Executive Vice President of External Affairs

Todd Morgan
Chief Information Officer

Patrick Brennan
Senior Director, Plan Operations

Stella Catalan
Senior Director, Healthcare Transformation

Jorge Garcia
Senior Director, Health Services

Vicki Borrell
Senior Director, Care Model Development

Marlene Turner
Senior Director, Network Development

Sara Neale
Senior Director, Quality Improvement & Utilization Management

Esther Underwood
Director, Human Resources
Board Officers
Board President: David Derauf, M.D., Kokua Kalihi Valley
Board Vice President: Irene Carpenter, Hamakua-Kohala Health Center
Board Vice President: Richard Taaffe, West Hawaii Community Health Center
Board Immediate Past President: Richard Bettini, MPH, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center
Board Treasurer: BJ Ott, Malama I Ke Ola Health Center
Board Secretary: Emmanuel Kintu, Kalihi-Palama Health Center
Board Members
Phyllis Dendle, Waikiki Health
Helen Kekalia, Molokai Community Health Center
Christina Lee, M.D., Waimanalo Health Center
Mary Oneha, Waimanalo Health Center
Gidget Ruscetta, Pali Momi Medical Center
Cheryl Vasconcellos, Hana Health
Harold Wallace, Bay Clinic, Inc.
Deborah Zysman, Hawaii Children's Action Network