Physical therapy alumna focuses on improving lives in underserved Hawaiian community

Two people sitting in chairs

Gary Singh '22 and Genevieve Correa at her physical therapy clinic in Molokai.

The Hawaiian island of Molokai has one main road and no stop lights. Physical therapy alumna and former adjunct faculty member Genevieve Correa 鈥12 had planned to stay in the small, rural community for a few months while working as a traveling physical therapist.

Two years later, she owns the island鈥檚 only private, stand-alone physical therapy clinic and has created a wellness center to improve the lives of the community she calls her 鈥渙hana鈥 (family) through classes and job opportunities.

鈥淭here was just something drawing me in,鈥 Correa said, 鈥淚t seems cliche, but it feels like all my training was meant to bring me to where I am.鈥

Correa graduated from 91成人导航鈥檚 program. She went on to complete a residency and fellowship with Kaiser Permanente and was an adjunct faculty member at 91成人导航 for seven years while also traveling the country as a physical therapist for a few years.

Her clinic, , opened in 2020. Some of her patients have found relief for the first time in more than 15 years.听

Adolph Helm, a native Hawaiian who is one of her patients, said her clinic is sorely needed. 听There is often a waitlist for people trying to see a physical therapist at the hospital.听

鈥淪he brings support to a segment of the community that may need help right away, but can't get it,鈥 Helm said. 鈥淪he has helped me tremendously in my rehab process not only physically, but emotionally. She brings a holistic approach to her care.鈥

Shortly after opening her practice, Correa wanted to do more to improve the lives of people in the community and started , which she is working to establish as a nonprofit. Correa and others teach 17 classes a week in Tai Chi, yoga, ukulele and hula.听

鈥淚 want people to understand that if they take care of their wellness, they don't have to worry as much about their health,鈥 Correa said.听

She also provides jobs, which are needed in the area. Molokai鈥檚 unemployment rate in June was 13.9%, far exceeding the state of Hawaii鈥檚 4.3% rate, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The drive to help others comes from her mother. 鈥淪he really pushed the idea of helping people and making sure you're doing things for the right reasons,鈥 Correa said.听

She enjoys sharing that passion as a mentor to physical therapy students, including recent graduate Gary Singh 鈥22 who interned at the clinic.

"In my short time on Molokai and being mentored by Genevieve, I feel that I have taken a huge leap in both my professional and personal growth,鈥 Singh said. 鈥淭his mentorship has reinforced the ideology that to provide meaningful healthcare, we must treat the individual as a whole, not just the impairments they present.鈥

鈥淢y passion comes from giving back to the people of Molokai, to give them education and give them opportunities to expand themselves,鈥 Correa said.