Dr. Stephen Andl, Interim Medical Director and Family Physician, has been seeing patients in Kailua Kona since his arrival in Hawaii in 2000. Prior to that, Dr. Andl practiced family medicine in both Louisiana and in Maine. Dr. Andl is quite the avid gardener. Staff members are privileged to reap the rewards of his labor when figs, avocados, bananas, citrus, and other ‘orchard-fresh’ goodies appear in the staff lounge.
Dr. Ilona Higgins, Women’s Health Physician, graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 with a BA in Philosophy. She received her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Tufts University and became Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1985 after traveling and working in New Zealand and Guam. She lives on her farm on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband, two of their three children, three horses, 70 sheep, two dogs, and a cat.
Dr. Norman Goody, Pain Management Physician, A long time resident of Kona, Dr. Goody is a Board Certified anesthesiologist who has worked at Kona Community Hospital and Straub Hospital in Honolulu. Now, as part of a multidisciplinary team approach, he will assist in the primary evaluation and treatment of patients that have chronic pain and other illness related pain syndromes. In addition to his work at the clinic, Dr. Goody and his wife run the Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary where they care for more than 80 animals, including nene and zebras.
Dr. Theresa Wang, Family Physician, brings 15 years of experience in family medicine to West Hawaii Community Health Center. Prior to Hawaii, Dr. Wang was in private practice in Wisconsin. There she cared for a broad range of age groups from delivering babies to caring for their tutus both in the office and hospital. Dr. Wang was born in Taiwan but raised in Canada. She received her medical degree from University of Alberta and completed her family medicine residency at McGill University. She is both Canadian Board and American Board certified in Family Medicine. Presently she lives near the Kohala coast with her husband and cat. Her newest interests includes hula and snorkeling. Dr. Gary Buff,Ed.D., Psychologist, is a recent Kona transplant from New Mexico. Dr. Buff has been a psychologist for 30 years and has worked in a number of settings with many types of patients. He has also served as the Director of the New Mexico State Hospital. Most recently, he worked with a Native American program in northern New Mexico providing substance abuse and mental health services on the reservation. He and his wife Sidney have four children and two grandchildren living in Fort Worth, Texas.
Dr. Jennifer L. De Costa, Ph.D., CSAC, was born and raised on the Big Island. She completed a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies with an emphasis in Family Counseling and Gerontology. Jennifer decided to return to the Big Island to support children and their families as well as to give back to her community. She loves the outdoors and takes every opportunity to go the beach, enjoy the mountains, and travel.
Keiki Health Center– Providers
Dr. Peter Locatelli,Pediatrician, a familiar face with families of the Big Island’s west side. Dr. Peter Locatelli, has been taking care of Kona’s keiki since 1982. A native San Franciscan, Dr. Locatelli completed his medical training from the Medical College of Wisconsin with pediatric internships in both Honolulu and San Francisco. After practicing in San Francisco and Mill Valley California for a few years, Dr. Locatelli found his way to yet another pediatric residency and pulmonary fellowship at Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu. He then settled into a private practice of pediatrics in Kona. Dr. Ginelle Sakima, Pediatric Dentist, completed her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the spring of 2008. Since graduating from the UCSF School of Dentistry in 2005, Dr. Sakima has taught at the UCSF Pre doctoral Pediatric Dental Clinic while pursuing her advanced training. Over the years, she has spent much time as a community volunteer – while an undergrad in Lamoni, Iowa, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in Honduras. Fluent in Spanish, and with deep family roots in Kalihi Valley on O`ahu, Dr. Sakima will be a welcomed addition to our clinic `ohana.
Donna Altshul, Registered Dental Hygienist, brings over 25 years of experience in private dental offices, in community health programs, and most recently coordinating the Oral Health Initiative in New York. Moving from Albany, New York to the Kona Coast was a dream for Donna and her husband. She still pinches herself every day that she can live in paradise while continuing to pursue her passion as a champion for oral health serving those most in need. Donna is proud to be associated with the creation of one of the nation’s few, truly integrated pediatric clinics where medical, behavioral, and dental health are housed under ‘one roof’ – West Hawaii Community Health Center’s Keiki Clinic in Kealakekua, Hawaii.
Dr. Beth Yano, PH.D., Psychologist, is an Oahu native who received her Masters and PH.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Her emphasis was in pediatric and family behavioral health services. Since beginning her practice in 1989, Dr. Yano’s passion has been to work in under served communities supporting fuller access for those in Hawaii’s rural areas. Dr. Yano’s other passion is the ocean. When not in a counseling session (or on a plane traveling to and from Kona), she can most likely be found swimming in Oahu’s waters.
Dr. Stephen Andl, Interim Medical Director and Family Physician, has been seeing patients in Kailua Kona since his arrival in Hawaii in 2000. Prior to that, Dr. Andl practiced family medicine in both Louisiana and in Maine. Dr. Andl is quite the avid gardener. Staff members are privileged to reap the rewards of his labor when figs, avocados, bananas, citrus, and other ‘orchard-fresh’ goodies appear in the staff lounge.
Dr. Ilona Higgins, Women’s Health Physician, graduated from Wellesley College in 1969 with a BA in Philosophy. She received her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Tufts University and became Board Certified and a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in 1985 after traveling and working in New Zealand and Guam. She lives on her farm on the Big Island of Hawaii with her husband, two of their three children, three horses, 70 sheep, two dogs, and a cat.
Dr. Norman Goody, Pain Management Physician, A long time resident of Kona, Dr. Goody is a Board Certified anesthesiologist who has worked at Kona Community Hospital and Straub Hospital in Honolulu. Now, as part of a multidisciplinary team approach, he will assist in the primary evaluation and treatment of patients that have chronic pain and other illness related pain syndromes. In addition to his work at the clinic, Dr. Goody and his wife run the Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary where they care for more than 80 animals, including nene and zebras.
Dr. Theresa Wang, Family Physician, brings 15 years of experience in family medicine to West Hawaii Community Health Center. Prior to Hawaii, Dr. Wang was in private practice in Wisconsin. There she cared for a broad range of age groups from delivering babies to caring for their tutus both in the office and hospital. Dr. Wang was born in Taiwan but raised in Canada. She received her medical degree from University of Alberta and completed her family medicine residency at McGill University. She is both Canadian Board and American Board certified in Family Medicine. Presently she lives near the Kohala coast with her husband and cat. Her newest interests includes hula and snorkeling.
Dr. Gary Buff, Ed.D., Psychologist, is a recent Kona transplant from New Mexico. Dr. Buff has been a psychologist for 30 years and has worked in a number of settings with many types of patients. He has also served as the Director of the New Mexico State Hospital. Most recently, he worked with a Native American program in northern New Mexico providing substance abuse and mental health services on the reservation. He and his wife Sidney have four children and two grandchildren living in Fort Worth, Texas.
Dr. Jennifer L. De Costa, Ph.D., CSAC, 
Dr. Ginelle Sakima, Pediatric Dentist, completed her Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the spring of 2008. Since graduating from the UCSF School of Dentistry in 2005, Dr. Sakima has taught at the UCSF Pre doctoral Pediatric Dental Clinic while pursuing her advanced training. Over the years, she has spent much time as a community volunteer – while an undergrad in Lamoni, Iowa, in the San Francisco Bay Area, and in Honduras. Fluent in Spanish, and with deep family roots in Kalihi Valley on O`ahu, Dr. Sakima will be a welcomed addition to our clinic `ohana.
Dr. Beth Yano, PH.D., Psychologist, is an Oahu native who received her Masters and PH.D. in Clinical-Community Psychology from the University of Oregon in Eugene. Her emphasis was in pediatric and family behavioral health services. Since beginning her practice in 1989, Dr. Yano’s passion has been to work in under served communities supporting fuller access for those in Hawaii’s rural areas. Dr. Yano’s other passion is the ocean. When not in a counseling session (or on a plane traveling to and from Kona), she can most likely be found swimming in Oahu’s waters.