Class of 2025
Christopher “Kodi” Alvord, MD
Dr. Christopher Kodiak “Kodi” Alvord is a Navajo physician from Enfield, New Hampshire. He earned his BA at Yale University, where he majored in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration with a concentration in Indigenous Health. There, he also met his sweetheart and life partner, Makana, a Kanaka ‘Oiwi historian from Hilo. After graduating, he worked part time at a methadone clinic researching terminology preferences among patients with opioid use disorder, and part time at the Yale Child Study Center exploring how Indigenous youth can use writing exercises to battle the effects of historical trauma. In medical school, he conducted research on historical trauma, anxiety, and depression among Kanaka patients. Dr. Alvord’s interests include trauma-informed care, gender affirming care, and Indigenous Health. Outside of medicine, he enjoys competitive video games, ukulele jams, and swimming. He is overjoyed to be completing his medical training in Hilo, and looks forward to developing long-lasting relationships with his patients and community.
Ipo Hemaloto, MD
Co-Chief Resident
Born and raised in American Samoa, is the daughter of the late Tauivi M. Tuinei of Faleniu, American Samoa, Sylvia Lei Meyers Tuinei of Hilo, Hawai`i and “blended” mother, Diana Gurr Tuinei of Maloata, American Samoa. She grew up the 2nd eldest of 11 children. She met and married her spouse, Sefo A. Hemaloto while obtaining her BA in English degree at Brigham Young University Hawai`i and they have 6 children. Her life has been an adventurous one, but highlights include traveling abroad as a member of various sports teams, namely volleyball, basketball, and outrigger canoe paddling teams. Her interest in medicine began after the passing of their 4th child, Tauivi. She earned her associates of nursing degree from the American Samoa Community College and became an RN and she worked at LBJ Tropical Medical Center. Later she attended Oceania University of Medicine where she obtained her MD. She is passionate about preventative health and is interested in improving the healthcare system for underserved communities especially those of the Pacific Isle descent. Being a daughter of a Hilo native, she feels a warm connection to the Hawai`i Island and prefers to be referred as Dr. Ipo.
On Lifestyle Medicine Board Track
Vanessa Ignacio, DO
Academic Chief Resident
Dr. Ignacio was born and raised in Hilo, she is a proud graduate of Waiakea High School and Chaminade University of Honolulu. She attended medical school in Kirksville, Missouri and completed her clinical rotations in Phoenix, Arizona. It has been a life-long dream for her to return home and serve the community that has supported her throughout the years. Her passions in medicine include preventative medicine, women’s health and culturally competent healthcare. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family and significant other, enjoying all the beautiful scenery that Hawai`i Island has to offer and eating poke bowls at the beach.
Grace Louchheim, MD
Co-Chief Resident
Dr. Louchheim was born on the Big Island of Hawai`i and spent her early childhood in Hawi before her family relocated to the mainland. After growing up in a rural and underserved community, she knew she wanted to work to help others who faced similar barriers to care and dreamed of one day returning to Hawai`i to pursue her career in medicine. After completing her medical training at St. George’s University in Grenada, West Indies, she is honored to be back on the Big Island and grateful for the opportunity to set down roots in Hilo to care for our local community. Dr. Louchheim has particular interest in Lifestyle Medicine, addressing healthcare disparities and practicing culturally competent integrative medicine. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband while exploring and discovering the beauty of Hawai`i and eating the incredible local food.
Sierra Nicol, DO
Wellness Chief Resident
Dr. Sierra Nicol was born and raised on O’ahu, and her very first job was selling mangos from her family home every summer since the age of ten. In 2016, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California in Santa Barbara. After college, she worked as a medical assistant at an orthopedic clinic with providers who treated patients with pain and acute injuries. She applied for medical schools with the goal of learning how to treat patients with osteopathic manipulative medicine, in addition to the traditional allopathic approach. She graduated with her medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2022. Sierra is guided by her cultural sensitivity, compassion, and resilience as a healthcare worker. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, training Jiu-Jitsu, trying new foods, and traveling. She is honored and excited to have been given the opportunity to return to the islands to practice rural medicine.
Grace White, MD
Dr. Grace White grew up near the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia where her passion for rural healthcare and serving underserved populations started. Prior to medical school at University College Cork in Ireland, she spend a significant amount of time in Guatemala developing clinics and access to healthcare for Indigenous Mayans, giving her the opportunity to appreciate the relationship between traditional and allopathic medicine. While she had never visited Hawai`i previous to residency, Hilo has presented the opportunity to serve in an area where she can engage both areas of interest. A massive fan of turtles and all things aquatic, Hilo has provided a revitalizing atmosphere with a welcoming community that already has her feeling at home.
Class of 2026
Pari Abdolhosseini, MD
Jordan Ginn, DO
Elizabeth Hollenbaugh, DO
Sucharat “Gift” Tayarachakul, MD
Michael Valencia, DO
University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
Dr. Valencia was raised in the Southern California city of Chino Hills. After high school he packed his bags and headed to Waco, Texas, where he attended Baylor University. At Baylor he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology, and more importantly, found a passion for community service. The volunteer experience he cherishes the most was leading an after-school program for underserved kids. After graduating, he worked as a medical scribe in the emergency department of a Waco hospital, where he was exposed to caring for those who had nowhere else to go for medical help. Dr. Valencia then attended medical school at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth, Texas, where he started his journey to become a Family Medicine physician. After a month-long rotation with the East Hawaii Health Clinic, and being introduced to this wonderful community, Dr. Valencia knew this was where he wanted to start his career as a family medicine doctor. He hopes to bring his passions for women’s and children’s health, preventative medicine, and community outreach to Hawai’i Island to form enduring relationships with the community.
Class of 2027
Fernando Coura, MD
Dr. Fernando Coura is originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Even though raised in a big city, since his childhood he developed a strong connection to nature and rural areas – his father’s family was from a small rural town, where he used to go on vacation every year. After graduating as a medical doctor at University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, he decided to have his career based in a rural setting and to help underserved communities. His love for Hawai`i started since his first visit as a tourist. That dream came true for the last three years, when he moved to Oahu with his wife. Dr. Coura is excited to help Hawaiian communities and to focus on point of care ultrasound as well as lifestyle medicine. Some of his hobbies are traveling, open water swim, scuba diving, hiking and reading books.
*On Lifestyle Medicine Board Track
Joanna Highstein, MD
Dr. Highstein grew up in Poland and went to study Psychology in France, where she worked with psychiatry patients, children with developmental delays and disabilities. She continued her studies in Richmond, VA where she started a family. During this time, she volunteered as a culinary arts teacher in a local school for several years to promote healthy eating habits and teach meal preparation from fresh ingredients to local children, participated in research at the VCU Malaria research lab, and conducted a study of Richmond City water quality. She studied both eastern and western traditional herbal medicine via Sacred Plant Traditions, the Institute of Vedic studies and others. She then attended American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine.
Dr. Highstein currently lives in Hilo with her husband and 3 children. Her major interests are lifestyle medicine, mental health, and obstetrics and gynecology. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, sailing, taking walks and supporting the local arts community. She is on board of a local Charter school and is undertaking a local music education project.
Michael Potter, DO
Dr. Potter was raised in Southern California by his wonderful parents with four great brothers. At BYU-H he carved wood, surfed, studied biology and music, and sang in choir. On tour with the choir, he traveled to the Pacific and met and married his beautiful wife Sarah in the Laie House of the Lord. She was born in Waikato New Zealand and was raised in Laie as part of the Tahitian community. They have five lively keiki.
Michael enjoys spending time with family and friends, good food, teaching, wood carving, playing music, the ocean, building family trees, and tinkering with his computer. In Tennessee during medical school, he was the Admiral of Spice for LMU-DCOM’s BBQ club.
Dr. Potter is eager to serve where there is need. There’s nowhere that the Potter `ohana would rather be for residency than home in Hawai`i.
Kevin Rogers, DO
Dr. Kevin grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and fell in love with tropical life while interning at a fasting retreat in Costa Rica. He pursued his medical degree with a passion for reversing diabetes, cancer, and heart disease through lifestyle medicine. Before becoming a doctor, Kevin worked as an international online health coach, helping parents and families establish sustainable healthy practices, lose weight, and regain vibrant energy.
He enjoys ultramarathons, soccer, basketball, tennis, hiking and exploring with his wife and four children.
A dedicated teacher and health advocate, Dr. Kevin believes in empowering patients to understand and address the root causes of disease. Thrilled to join the Hilo community, he looks forward to contributing to the health and well-being of his new `ohana.
*On Lifestyle Medicine Board Track
Kelsey Shea, DO
Dr. Shea grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Integrative Biology. She spent a few years working in a clinical and basic science research at Oregon Health and Science University where she developed an appreciation for evidence-based medicine.
Dr. Shea attended PNWU-COM in Yakima, Washington to gain perspective on healthcare in underserved populations. She moved to Fairbanks, Alaska for third-year clinical rotations where she learned about the obstacles Native Alaskans face accessing healthcare in an isolated arctic environment. During her fourth year, she rotated in Oahu and developed a strong desire to move to Hawai`i to start her career. Dr. Shea visited the islands throughout her life and is excited to grow, learn, and contribute to the health of her community. In her spare time, she enjoys singing and playing `ukulele and just about any type of outdoor recreation.
*On Lifestyle Medicine Board Track
Kayla Thomas, DO
Dr. Kayla Thomas was raised in Missouri and Arkansas. She has dreamed of becoming a physician for as long as she can remember. She attended college at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, obtaining a degree in Biology. She then attended the Arkansas College of Health Education receiving her Master’s in Biomedicine. Dr. Thomas obtained her medical degree from the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
She visited the Hawaiian islands for vacation and immediately fell in love with the people and the culture. Dr. Thomas has a strong interest in Lifestyle and Preventative medicine. She is very excited to serve the community of Hilo. In her free time, Dr. Thomas enjoys lifting at the gym, watching movies, spending time with her cat, and enjoying the outdoors.