APRN Council Member Chadwick Council

Another way is through training the doctors and nurses of tomorrow. Chadwick Council, an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse under Endocrinology at VAPIHCS, is active in both.

“I originally went to medical school because I thought I wanted to be a doctor,” Council said. “As we were rounding, I felt myself being drawn to the bedside of patients and wanting to be more involved. The nurses here in Hawaii who cared for my mom when she was sick were so kind, and I think that made an impression on me; I wanted to be one of the people who worked closely with patients and their families to help them through illness and struggles.”

Council’s family is originally from Trinidad, but they moved to the mainland United States before he was born- and then to Hawaii with his mother as she sought better health care. He feels a kinship with Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders because the values of community and mutual dependance run deep in the souls of those shaped by the salt and the sea. Council says that the blend of cultures in the Pacific Islands makes him feel at home. 

“I’m grateful to be here and I feel privileged to care for the Veterans of Hawaii,” Council said. “I also value working as a preceptor to help train the nurses of tomorrow, and for the opportunities to teach and to learn at the APRN Council. We have so many opportunities at VA to help patients, fellow staff, and the medical professionals of the future.” 

Council works in Specialty Care with his focus in Endocrinology. He enjoys teaching Veterans about better ways to manage their health and wellness. One of the techniques he likes to use is ‘virtual shopping trips.’ He asks a Veteran where they shop and what they buy, and then he goes through the nutritional information on those products and helps Veterans compare them with other products. This way, they can understand why they should choose brown rice over white, or how sugar from fruit -while not as bad as refined sugar- still needs to be consumed in moderation. 

“I like to help them learn about what they can eat so they don’t feel like all they can do is boil vegetables and chicken in a pot every night,” Council said. “Diabetics can eat a variety of food. They can even have things they crave that contain sugar or salt if they do it in moderation and manage their blood sugar accordingly.”

In the Pacific Islands, it wasn’t long ago that diabetes was a death sentence. Those who were diagnosed fell into depression because they felt that it was the start of a slow decline towards amputations, hospitalizations, and death. Now that islanders have access to more health care, diabetes has become a disease that can be managed, and diabetics can still live full and healthy lives. Council enjoys helping his patients to understand this and helping them to learn about how much has changed in endocrinology and in accessibility of care and medications.

“What I do is really rewarding, and I do it with amazing people,” Council said. “Dr. Shikuma-Lee is amazing to work with and seeing her go above and beyond for her patients inspires all of us to aspire to a higher standard. I enjoy that working with her makes me better.”