Inspire 2025 ANNUAL DONOR REPORT

Pali Momi: A Story Worth Telling

Ron Nagasawa believes in sharing good news. It’s what he strives for both personally and professionally as the director of operations and product development of MidWeek, Kaua‘i MidWeek and Hawai‘i Island MidWeek.

Most readers probably recognize him for his weekly column, where he shares stories about his family – his wife, Sharon, and kids, Briana and Jake – and the community they call home.

“We’re an island community, and we cover the good things people do,” Ron said. “That’s what we’ve been all about since day one.”

He should know. Ron has been part of the free weekly publication since it began 41 years ago. He helped establish its community feel, first as a commercial printing assistant and years later as MidWeek’s publisher. He knows the publication’s impact at every level. A reader once emailed Ron to let him know that he was mailing his MidWeek to his son who was serving in the Iraq War with the U.S. Army. The paper was being shared with others from Hawai‘i who were stationed with him, providing them with a connection back to home. Ron felt compelled to do something.

“Eventually we were sending issues of MidWeek to Iraq every week,” said Ron. “I decided to pay for the shipping personally. I was willing to do whatever it took to get copies to the soldiers there.” 

Years later, one of those soldiers and his mother came up to Ron to tearfully thank him for that priceless gesture.

The paper aims to spread positive stories from towns and communities across the islands, including students who win scholarships, Little League victories, new business openings and more. It’s a job that Ron has enjoyed for decades.

The lifelong storyteller and ‘Aiea resident also has a few stories to tell about Pali Momi Medical Center, or as he likes to call it, “my hospital.”

In 2025, his Father’s Day celebration was cut short when he felt a severe pain across his abdomen. When he went home, the pain got worse.

“It was really bad,” Ron said. “I went through the night just doubled over on the bed.”

Before the sun came up next morning, his family rushed him to Pali Momi’s Emergency Department. There they discovered the symptoms were serious. His liver and pancreas were inflamed. An MRI also revealed a blockage to his stomach. He had acute pancreatitis. Gallstones were blocking the pancreatic duct and his gallbladder needed to be removed.

Ron admits that the test results were a bit overwhelming for him. But during what could have been a confusing and intense moment, Dr. David Swanson, Pali Momi hospitalist, found a simple way to give him a better understanding of his diagnosis and what would happen in the operating room.

“On a whiteboard, he started drawing pictures and explaining what was happening to my body, what they needed to do and where they would put a stent in,” Ron said. “I told him, ‘I’ve never had such a thorough diagnosis. You can’t possibly know how much I appreciate you taking the time to explain this to me.’”

Then, Ron learned something else that truly gave him peace of mind. His surgeon would be the same Pali Momi surgeon who helped save the two-time cancer survivor’s life before – Dr. Mark Grief.

“Believe it or not, after more than three decades of working at Pali Momi, it’s fairly common to see patients more than once or care for their family members over the years,” Dr. Grief said. “Whether it’s a father, daughter, aunty, brother-in-law or some other combination, I’ve had the privilege of serving generations of families from this community.”

Dr. Grief was part of the team that removed Ron’s kidney when he was diagnosed with kidney cancer. That operation left a significant scar on his left side. For Ron, it’s a personal reminder of how far he’s come in his survival journey. Now, 15 years later, Dr. Grief would take out his gallbladder. Thanks to advancements in minimally invasive surgery, this time, Ron’s procedure left far less of a physical mark behind.

“I have a number of very minimal scars from the incisions, nothing like the first time,” he said. “The recovery was tremendous. After about two weeks, they pretty much cleared me.”

A month later, Ron was fully recovered.

“Ron’s someone who has a positive attitude, always has a smile on his face and is motivated to move forward after surgery,” Dr. Grief said. “I’m glad we could be there for him, again.

“Our medical center has evolved into a major contributor for health care in Hawai‘i. People across O‘ahu and the neighbor islands turn to Pali Momi for state-of-the-art care.”

“Pali Momi saved my life twice,” Ron said. “I was truly impressed by the staff. I’ve stayed at Pali Momi before, and it’s always the same kind of experience. You’re in good hands. I know it’s cliché, but they treat you like family. I honestly think they do it because they genuinely care about people.”

The columnist, who is also a Pali Momi donor, notes what he has learned in his decades of writing. People are the story, especially when it reflects where their heart is.

“It comes down to being grateful, especially when it comes to your health,” Ron said. “A lot of donors are like me – they have experienced the care firsthand. And so naturally, you want to reciprocate. You want to donate however you can.”

Decades of Dedication

When he was 16, a young Mark Grief got an entry-level job in an operating room. Patients at Pali Momi Medical Center are certainly happy he did.

What was supposed to be just a summer job turned into a lifelong passion for medicine. As a college student, he prepared for procedures by training both hands to become ambidextrous. Then, during his residency in surgery in Hawai‘i, the young physician went with Dr. Werner Grebe to watch construction on a new hospital. When Pali Momi opened in 1989, surgeon Dr. Mark Grief was one of Pali Momi’s first physicians.

During his more than 35 years there, Dr. Grief has not only treated thousands of patients – he lost count after about 35,000 surgeries – he has been an inspirational leader for his colleagues. Dr. Grief founded the bariatric program, the driving force behind Hawai‘i Pacific Health’s 360° Weight Management Center and has served as Pali Momi’s chief of staff and chair of the hospital board. Through it all, Dr. Grief’s passion for his patients remains as strong as it was when he got his first job in a hospital decades ago – driven by his commitment to the community.

“I see patients whose lives have changed,” Dr. Grief says. “That’s when you realize you’ve really touched someone.”