Latest news with #Kawamura
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
44% shortfall in Hawaiʻi deepens crisis
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Every May, National Speech-Language-Hearing Month shines a spotlight on the importance of communication. At the University of Hawaiʻi's John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), faculty and students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) are doing more than just raising awareness. They are actively reshaping access to speech, language and hearing care across the state. 'They're awesome:' How JABSOM helps Hawaii's keiki get ready for school 'We're the only graduate program in Hawaiʻi that's accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,' said Pauline Mashima, PhD, Graduate Program Chair, JABSOM Communication Sciences and Disorders. 'Our mission is to prepare future speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, to transform and improve the quality of life for people of all ages with speech, language, hearing, cognitive communication, and swallowing disorders.' And that mission is urgent here in Hawaiʻi. 'Our program plays a vital role in addressing a severe workforce crisis in Hawaiʻi, with a reported 44% shortfall of speech-language pathologists to serve the needs of our local population,' Dr. Mashima said. 'This shortage is expected to increase because the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the demand for SLPs in our state will rise 24% between 2020 and 2030.' 'There's a huge need for speech-language pathologists across all settings, especially in the Department of Education,' said Kayla Kawamura, MS, Clinical Instructor. 'The shortage is over 40% in our state, which is crazy, especially on the outer islands.' That shortage doesn't just affect children in schools. Adults recovering from strokes, those with Parkinson's disease and kūpuna with hearing loss all need care, too. The work being done at JABSOM's clinic is a testament to how our educational system is working to fill in the cavern that exists between those with speech pathologies and those without them. 'We're a hidden gem right here in Kakaʻako,' said Brittany Evans, MS, CCC-SLP, Clinical Instructor. 'A lot of places have possibly like a six-month waiting list to get speech services. And with it being such high demand, we're here and ready to serve and take patients today.' And their work to bring these services everyone in Hawaiʻi, regardless of income, social or economic status or cultural background. 'A lot of the private clinics on island have very long waitlists,' added Kawamura. 'But we want the community to know our clinic is fully up and running. And we do have openings, and we're ready to serve you.' For speech pathologist, passion is a major driving force that directs their goals and initiatives. They believe that regardless of you are, your voice is needed to be heard. 'Speech-language pathologists, ultimately, what we believe is that every voice matters,' Kawamura said. 'We're all about building better communication, which lends itself to better connection. And that's all we want for our patients, is for them to feel better connected to their family members, to have meaningful relationships.'Making these services as personalized as possible is what is making this program successful. 'We really value individualized treatment,' Evans said. 'So, every patient that walks through our door is an individual; and we really want to honor their goals and why they're here.' She went on to explain further. 'So, for example, if a patient wants to work on overcoming some memory concerns to be able to go back to work or if a child wants to be able to say specific sounds to say their family members' names, we really want to take your input into consideration and make each program tailored,' Evans explained. And helping their patients set their goals and achieve those goals is one of the most rewarding parts of work. 'It's something that should be done across everywhere,' she added. 'Each person has their own goals, and if you're focusing on things that they want to work on, there's more chance of them improving.' Age doesn't matter when it comes to speech pathologies. You can be a toddler; you can be an elder. There are so many reasons speech pathologies occur. 'So, some of the common kiddos that come through our clinic have autism. They might be late talkers. We have kids who stutter,' Kawamura said. 'We also work with children who might not have the physical capability to speak. So, our job as speech-language pathologists is to find some kind of modality for them to communicate,' Kawamura explained. 'Oftentimes it might be with a picture board… or it might be an iPad device… to be like a voice for them.' Reading is one of the most important skills we learn in our modern society. And understanding how to read is directly impacted by speech pathologies. 'We're so fortunate to have secured a grant for our early literacy preschool program for children between the ages of 3 to 5 years old,' Kawamura said. 'We're working on things like pre-literacy skills, like, letter recognition [of] letter sounds, while also working on their speech and language goals.' 'Only 30% of the kindergartners demonstrated the skills for kindergarten entry,' Kawamura added. 'So, our hope with the early literacy program is to bridge that gap and get as many kids as possible prepared for kindergarten.' 'Our students are dedicated to serving our community,' Dr. Mashima said. 'For example, they volunteer here to conduct hearing screenings for athletes at the Hawaiʻi Special Olympics and participate in outreach events such as the annual Parkinson's Association Walk.' 'And we're deeply grateful for our community partners,' Dr. Mashima said. She cited the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's Rosetta Fish Speech Therapy Fund, the Honolulu Stoma Club, the Daniel K. Akaka Family Foundation and the Hawaiʻi Departments of Education and Health. 'And, so, I always loved working with people, children and adults,' said Remy Kubota, JABSOM CSD Student. 'The opportunity to really just help people gain their voice and learn how to speak for themselves is such an amazing thing.' 'I chose this path because I really wanted to be able to help all different people and change their lives,' said Ellissa Wood, JABSOM CSD Student. If you or a loved one is having trouble with speech, hearing, memory or communication, the JABSOM Speech and Hearing Clinic is open and accepting new patients. Located on the sixth floor of the Gold Bond Building in Kakaʻako, the clinic serves everyone from keiki to kūpuna. 'We're actively responding to this crisis. We have licensed, certified faculty SLPs who provide direct services to patients,' Dr. Mashima said. 'They model and mentor person-centered, evidence-based care at the highest standards to educate and train students for careers as SLPs and our PhD faculty.' 'Ultimately, what we believe is that every voice matters,' Kawamura said. You can click to learn more about JABSOM's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders. Get news on the go with KHON 2GO, KHON's morning podcast, every morning at 8 And every May, National Speech-Language-Hearing Month is a powerful reminder that communication is a right, not a privilege. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘They're awesome:' How JABSOM helps Hawaii's keiki get ready for school
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nearly 70% of Hawaii's keiki aren't ready for kindergarten, according to the Department of Education. A powerful program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine is quietly changing that, all while changing lives. One year ago, five-year-old Dawson would barely say a word at preschool. Residents try to catch glimpse of mystery animal at UH Manoa 'She struggled in the classroom, just kind of shying away from friends,' said Kanaiua Williams, mother. That changed when Dawson joined the Early Literacy Preschool Program, part of JABSOM's Communication Sciences and Disorders Program. The program is specifically designed for children ages three to five. Kids like Dawson head to JABSOM on the weekend to work on speech, letter recognition and sounds. It's all critical for kindergarten readiness, and the best part — it's free. 'Because we know from research that children with those speech and language delays oftentimes have trouble with reading and writing in the future,' said Kayla Kawamura, clinical instructor. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news It's not clear why so many children lack school readiness. Some may say it's related to the pandemic or too much screen time. But what is clear is the mission to help as many children get a head start in school. 'It's the part that doesn't feel like a job, and it's totally enjoyable and just so life-giving to see the kids grow in these sessions,' Kawamura added. The individual therapy sessions are personalized to the child's interests and their speech and language goals. 'I like to use a lot of picture books, and we read picture books together. We might work on answering questions about what's happening in the story, we might work on their articulation or their ability to pronounce words that come up in the story,' said Kawamura. Oregon man sails to Hawaii with cat: 'It's possible' Dawson's mom said the transformation has been life-changing, expressing that Dawson can now play with friends and raise her hand in the classroom. 'I don't want to start crying, but I'm very grateful for this program and all of the therapists here. They're awesome, and I really mean that,' Kanaiua said. Kawamura said parents can start their preschooler on the right path to school readiness by reading, talking and playing with your child. If you have any questions about their speech or language development, don't be afraid to contact the clinic to schedule an evaluation at (808) 692-1580. Enrollment in the Early Literacy Program limited. It's for six weeks and lasts two hours every Saturday. Check out more news from around Hawaii The program is free; however, there is a cost for individual speech therapy. In order to enroll in the Early Literacy Program, children must also be enrolled in one-on-one therapy, which can be covered by insurance. For more information, visit JABSOM's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Global Times: More than 100 skulls found in Tokyo highly likely to have originated from Unit 731, Japanese civil group reveals
A Japanese civil group claims over 100 human skulls found in Tokyo likely originate from Unit 731, exposing potential wartime medical crimes by the Japanese army. Beijing, China, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "The likelihood of the 'Toyama human bones' originating from the notorious Unit 731 of the Japanese army during its invasion of China is very high. Only by clarifying the historical truth can the medical crimes committed by the invading Japanese army during wartime be revealed to the world," a representative of the Japanese civil group "Association Demanding Investigation of Human Bones Discovered from the Site of the Army Medical College" told the Global Times in an exclusive interview, when addressing the association's 36 years of research and investigation of the startling and frightening discovery in Tokyo in 1989 of more than 100 human skulls. On July 22, 1989, a number of human bones, referred to as the "Toyama human bones," were discovered at a construction site for the Health and Infectious Diseases (now the National Institute of Infectious Diseases) in Toyama-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo. Most of the bones were skulls and femurs. The construction site is located at the former site of the Japanese Army Medical School, which is believed to have housed the headquarters of Unit 731. If confirmed, it would undoubtedly serve as further evidence of Japan's war crimes during its invasion of China. "While I cannot 'assert' it definitively, I believe there is a high possibility that the 'Toyama human bones' belong to Unit 731," explained Kazuyuki Kawamura, a representative from the non-government organization. The association was established in 1990 and has dedicated the past 36 years to investigating the truth behind the human bones. "We believe it is necessary to treat this issue with seriousness, to uncover the historical facts and to return the remains of those who did not voluntarily become medical specimens to their descendants," said the representative. According to Kawamura, the following facts have been established so far: First, the "Toyama human bones" are part of specimens or bodies related to the Japanese Army Medical School. Second, the bones are believed to belong to individuals of Asian descent (Mongoloid). Third, the specimens collected by the Japanese Army Medical School were obtained through two main channels -the dissection of Chinese soldiers' bodies on the battlefield by the Army Medical School's pathology department, which were then brought back to Japan as war injury specimens; the other involved Epidemic Prevention and Water Supply Department of the Imperial Japanese Army, also known as Unit 731, which was established in Harbin (then known as Manchuria), Northeast China, and sent parts of bodies (mainly heads) collected locally to the Japanese Army Medical School. "Since the 'Toyama human bones' are not war injury specimens, they are generally believed to have been brought back to Japan through the second channel," Kawamura noted. A report released by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in 2001 concluded that the human bones belonged to specimens stored at the former Army Medical School before August 1945, which could be part of bodies collected for the purpose of creating specimens and medical education, "which may include specimens from the remains of those who died on the battlefield," the report stated. "There are claims suggesting that the bodies or specimens came from overseas areas such as Unit 731, as well as denials of such claims," the report said. Currently, the human bones are stored in a columbarium at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan. According to Kyodo News, it is estimated that the human bones belong to the remains of more than 100 individuals. Records from Japanese Army Medical School personnel files indicate that in 1940, a significant number of non-war injury head specimens were transported from Harbin to the school. Although it cannot be directly established that these specimens are linked to the Unit 731, it is hard to imagine that any other military unit would transport such a large number of head specimens from Harbin to the Army Medical School, Kawamura stated. "Who collected these 'bodies' and how? How were they transported from Harbin to the Army Medical School in 1940? We have requested the Japanese government to conduct further investigations into individuals associated with Unit 731." He revealed that the association is currently engaged in lectures, gatherings and field investigations at the site, where the bones were discovered. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. The association plans to hold a commemorative event on July 20 to mark the 36th anniversary of the discovery of the human bones and report the latest findings, and they will continue their thorough investigative work in the future. When the human bones were first discovered in July 1989, Kawamura was serving as a member of the Shinjuku Ward Assembly in Tokyo. At that time, he stated it was necessary to explore the truth behind the human bones and actively encouraged researchers and citizens interested in the matter to take part in the investigation. Given that the Japanese government has yet to reflect on its war crimes, what messages does the association hope to convey to the outside world? In response to the question from the Global Times, Kawamura stated that only by uncovering the historical truth of the human bones can the medical crimes committed by the Japanese army during wartime be exposed, and he hopes to convey the meaning of peace to the world through this process. The article first appeared in the Global Times: Company: Global TimesContact Person: Anna LiEmail: editor@ BeijingDisclaimer: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies (including product offerings, regulatory plans and business plans) and may change without notice. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How many points did Yuki Kawamura score today? Grizzlies vs Mavericks box score
Sunday was a big opportunity for Yuki Kawamura, and he took advantage of it. The Memphis Grizzlies rested most of their key players for the final game of the regular season on April 13, and that meant a significant role for the Japanese phenom. He got the loudest cheer of any Grizzlies player and dazzled with a highlight-reel assist in the second quarter, throwing a no-look pass backward over his head to a streaking Marvin Bagley III for an easy basket. Advertisement Kawamura set career highs in points (12), assists (five) and rebounds (five) as the Grizzlies cruised to a 132-97 win. The Grizzlies knew pregame that they were headed to the play-in tournament, so they chose to rest seven players. That included Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Though he's barely played, Kawamura has been a fan favorite all season and has drawn "we want Yuki" chants in blowout games. He's on a two-way contract and was effective when he played for the Memphis Hustle of the G League. Yuki Kawamura stats vs. Mavericks Minutes: 28:05 Points: 12 FG: 3-for-8 3PT: 3-for-7 Advertisement FT: 3-for-3 Rebounds: 5 Assists: 5 Steals: 1 Blocks: 0 Turnovers: 1 Fouls: 1 Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at or on X @thejonahdylan. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Yuki Kawamura points tonight: Memphis Grizzlies vs Mavericks matchup
CNN
11-03-2025
- Sport
- CNN
The NBA's shortest player is a 5-foot-8 rising star from Japan. Meet Yuki Kawamura
CNN — Standing at just five feet, eight inches tall, Yuki Kawamura is perhaps an unlikely basketball star. 'It's not like I can do any dunk shots,' says the NBA 's current shortest player, who is almost a foot below the average height in the league. He's the only man under six feet (1.83 meters) tall on an active NBA roster. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old Memphis Grizzlies guard has become a fan favorite in his rookie season, thanks to his seamless no-look passes and ankle-breaking jump shots, as he battles to establish himself in the league. 'I think my strengths are in assist and game control, so I'm hoping to play to my strengths to contribute to the team's win,' Kawamura told CNN Sports in an interview, adding that he has also been working on his three-pointers. Kawamura is only the fourth ever NBA player from Japan and it's been a whirlwind journey to the top for the man from Yanai, a sleepy city in the southwest of the country. He is following in the footsteps of Los Angeles Lakers star Rui Hachimura, former Grizzlies forward Yuta Watanabe, and Yuta Tabuse, the pioneering 5-foot-9 point guard who played four games for the Phoenix Suns in the 2004-05 season. 'He's the first Japanese NBA player, and watching his play inspired me to keep working hard on basketball,' Kawamura said. After rising to the professional ranks following a storied high school career back home, Kawamura was catapulted to international fame last year at the Paris Olympics. The stark contrast of the diminutive Japanese guard going up against the host nation's 7-foot-3 center Victor Wembanyama was one of the most memorable images of the Games. And although France edged the closely fought game in overtime, Kawamura led the scoring on 29 points, with his agility, solid three-pointers and game-making vision on full display. Crashing out in the first round of the Olympics was a 'bitter' loss, Kawamura said, but he acknowledged the impact of his own performance, which helped earn him a move to the NBA on a two-way contract last October. That marked the culmination of a lifetime dream, Kawamura said, having grown up idolizing the game's biggest stars. 'I simply could not believe it. Ever since I was little, I watched the NBA through videos, players like Michael Jordan,' he said. 'The fact that I was in the same court, sitting on that bench, was unbelievable.' These days, Kawamura says he draws inspiration from an all-star teammate – with whom he's also struck up an unexpected friendship. 'Ja Morant is like my big brother, truly,' Kawamura says. 'From when I arrived in America, he's been helping me. Even now, he teaches me basketball skills and English.' 'Watching from the bench, even if you're an amateur, he does insane dunks and plays insanely well,' he added. 'He's also incredibly smart.' Kawamura has been a stand-out performer this season for the Memphis Hustle in the NBA's developmental G League, scoring an average of 12.9 points per game. And though his game-time has been limited for the Grizzlies, he delighted fans with an NBA career-high 10 points from off the bench against Oklahoma City Thunder in December. Kawamura has averaged 1.2 points and 3.2 minutes per game in the NBA this season – leaving fans wanting more: at recent games, the cry of 'We want Yuki!' has rung around the Grizzlies' home arena. 'When I hear those cheers, I feel both great gratitude and the wish to live up to the expectations that the fans have for me and I feel that every day,' said Kawamura, whose goal now is to turn his two-way contract into an official one. 'I'd like to become a player who can receive calls like 'we want Yuki' during the important moments of the game.'
