Isle-born medical student joins team on trip to Haiti

KANANI TITCHEN, 37, a 1992 La Pietra grad who will graduate from Jefferson Medical College in May, will soon be heading to Haiti with a medical team.

The 2010 earthquake left 220,000 dead and 1.6 million homeless in the poor country. In conjunction with Pediatric Medical Missions, a team of Jefferson/A.I. duPont Children’s Hospital pediatric physicians, residents and medical students will be working from Tuesday to Feb. 24 at Haiti Village Health, a nonprofit. Kanani is a 1996 graduate of Tufts University in Medford, Mass., where she double-majored in music and psychology.

She spent her first few years out of college as an actress and singer, mostly in San Diego. After moving to New York she was inspired to switch careers and go into medicine after taking a research job at the Population Council at Rockefeller University, which was funded to seek a cure for AIDS. She spent a year in Columbia University’s premedical program and was accepted at Jefferson in Philadelphia. Kanani is the daughter of two former Star-Bulletin staffers, reporter Kathy and the late photographer Jack Titchen. Her brother, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. John Titchen, 38, was formerly seen on TV reporting on emergencies and rescues. He was an intern in the Star-Bulletin sports department in earlier years. …

RETIRED Gen. Colin Powell is supporting the search for photos of Hawaii servicemen killed in the Vietnam War by cutting a public service announcement for the cause. "With the help of many volunteers, we have found 132 photos since June, but we still need 180 more photos of our island heroes," said Hawaii Call For Photos coordinator Billie Gabriel. While here to speak at the recent Get Motivated seminar, Powell agreed to help the Hawaii effort by taping the public service announcement for TV after speaking to JROTC cadets and guests at Punahou School. "Gen. Powell has such a powerful presence, but at the same time was very down-to-earth, joking and laughing with us during the taping," Billie said. "Mahalo to CoCreative Studios for stepping in to kokua their services for this project." If you have any photos to share of a family member or friend who lost his or her life in Vietnam, call Hawaii Call for Photos at 497-7264. …

Billie is a Palama girl and has to be happy about Palama Settlement recently receiving a $100,000 gift from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc. to support programs and services for low-income individuals and families. Palama Settlement is a nonprofit, community-based social service organization that has been serving the Palama-Liliha-Kalihi area of Honolulu for more than 100 years. …

FANCY FOOTWORK: Hawaii Pacific’s Chance Bukoski received recognition in the Jan. 9 issue of Sports Illustrated for his play in powering the Sea Warriors to their first PacWest soccer championship. The story points out that Chance was named PacWest player of the year and his 18 goals during the season made him the conference’s all-time leading scorer with 51 career goals. He made the All-PacWest team for four years. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America named him an All-American. Chance is from Kapaa, Kauai, and attended Kapaa High. … Terry Hamada has been named food and beverage director at the Halekulani. Hamada was hotel manager of the Grand Park Otaru Hotel in Hokkaido, Japan. …