Two physicians celebrated for volunteerism

HONOLULU — Kaiser Permanente recently honored Melanie Shim, MD, and Felicitas Livaudais, MD, as the 2023 recipients of the national David Lawrence Community Service Award. The annual award honors Kaiser Permanente employees in each of the organization’s eight regions for outstanding volunteer activities that improve community health and wellness. To celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Shim and Dr. Livaudais, Kaiser Permanente will donate a total of $20,000 to the Maui Emergency Caregivers Respite Fund, Camp He Ola Ke Keiki for children with diabetes, IMUA Family Services and Friends of the Children's Justice Center.

Dr. Melanie Shim is a pediatric endocrinologist at Kaiser Permanente Mapunapuna Medical Office. With over 25 years of volunteer service, Dr. Shim is committed to making the lives of children with diabetes healthier and happier. Dr. Shim partnered with the American Diabetes Association in Hawaii to establish He Ola Ke Keiki, the state’s only in-person summer camp for children and teens with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Over a four-day, three-night stay on Oahu's North Shore, participants develop greater self-confidence, learn how to manage their diabetes, and make lifelong friendships. In addition to serving as the camp’s medical director, Dr. Shim has built partnerships with local farms to advocate healthy eating and has established support and exercise groups for people affected by diabetes.

While her extensive volunteer work also includes Special Olympics and Girl Scouts of America projects, her passion is with the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Shim serves on ADA’s leadership board and leads initiatives like Project Power, which focuses on weight control for children. Averaging two hundred volunteer hours annually, she also speaks at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and conferences nationwide. Dr. Shim will split her $10,000 donation between the Hawaii Alzheimer’s Association’s Maui Emergency Caregivers Respite Fund and the American Diabetes Association’s He Ola Ke Keiki diabetes camp.

Dr. Felicitas Livaudais is a pediatrician at Kaiser Permanente Kihei Clinic. She has dedicated 300 hours annually over the past 17 years to various causes in the Maui community. Dr. Livaudais serves on the board of the Friends of the Children's Justice Center, aiding children in foster care and those suffering abuse, and has been instrumental in providing resources like donated cell phones and glasses to children in need. She has been a board member of IMUA Family Services for 17 years, enhancing services for children with special needs and supporting the addition of autism services. As a recent board member of the Hawaii chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Maui, Dr. Livaudais has organized events to unite pediatric physicians and advocate for patient care. 

She is also a mentor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, where she takes pride in her mentees who have become practicing physicians in Maui. Dr. Livaudais' work with the Ho‘oikaika Partnership focuses on adverse childhood experiences and educating social workers and the community. She is also involved with Project Vision, aiding the homeless and those frequently utilizing shelters. Her efforts extend to fundraising, notably for the Friends of the Children's Justice Center, to build a home for young adults aging out of foster care. Dr. Livaudais will split her $10,000 donation between IMUA Family Services and Friends of the Children's Justice Center.

The David Lawrence Community Service Award is named for David Lawrence, MD, former chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente and a lifelong advocate for improving health.