I was not wounded in combat but it was discovered that I had skin cancer while deployed to Iraq. The doctors here in Iraq set up my surgery so I could have it at Tripler while on my midtour leave. ... The doctors and staff both here in Iraq and at Tripler were very professional and everything with the surgery went better than I had expected. ... I felt terrible when I read about my fellow service members getting such poor care (at Walter Reed) after the wounds they had received in combat.

— Dan Fullerton

I am writing to share my personal experiences as a military dependent, which have been nothing but wonderful. In the last three and one half years I have undergone four surgeries and numerous procedures for osteoporosis-related injuries. During this time I have been cared for by two exceptional orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Joseph Orchowski and Dr. Kurt Wohlrab. The staff at Tripler is both caring and professional.

— Kathleen Vesely

First, let's keep in mind that Tripler is a teaching hospital. ... Secondly, let us also keep in mind that it is a hospital that continues to receive funds for upkeep, unlike the section of Walter Reed spotlighted that was in terrible shape. That section of Walter Reed was put on the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) list. ... Our entire family receives care from Tripler. ... It's clean, efficiently run, the medical staff is thorough and even their cafeteria food is good. What is NOT good is their parking.

— Allison Stanton

We've been silent for too long ... it's time to speak out about the treatment my son received at Tripler a few years ago. My son served the Navy well for nine years and was in a supervisory position. ... He was assigned to an aircraft carrier ... when the accident happened under the flight deck, causing his right hand to be severed. Fortunately, they were able to medevac him to Tripler, where a team of surgeons was able to reattach his hand. ...

One Friday, as they bandaged his hand after his treatment, my son questioned if the bandage was not too tight. Nothing was done and when he returned on Monday and the bandage was removed, his hand was purple, indicating that there was no circulation and thus, the reattachment failed.

This seemed to be the turning point as he went in for a second plastic surgery and while in recovery, learned that three of his fingers were severed. He was not informed that this was going to happen. ... He was very devastated and asked to go home. He was released.

Meanwhile, the head surgeon who performed the reattachment went on a trip. ... My son was very, very discouraged. ... He stopped going to Tripler and would change his bandages at home.

He stopped checking in at Pearl Harbor and got a call that if he didn't check in, he would be AWOL. ... He was assigned a case manager and an Air Force orthopedic surgeon was flown in from San Antonio to take care of his hand, which was eventually amputated. This surgeon treated him well and also fought for him to get a prosthesis.

— C.L. Chong

(Tripler) must disclose all risk managed events that occur. Other, nonprofit, hospitals in the state of Hawai'i make the same errors but are not required to disclose to the public when they occur. ...

I am a (registered nurse) and run an assisted living facility. I have worked at: Pali Momi, Kuakini, Straub and Castle hospitals. During the years that I worked as an employee and as an agency nurse, I was a witness to many errors that occur in hospitals all the time. Yet, rarely do we hear of any reporting of these errors in the public forum. ...

My father, loyal always to the service, will only get medical care at Tripler. ... For the most part, his care has been very good. ... (but) I was on the floor one day when a nurse was going to start a very toxic IV antibiotic on my father who had a central line. She was going to run the IV without a pump. This could have been a life-threatening issue. ...

The public expects perfection, which is completely unrealistic. In my position, one of the first things I tell my residents and their families is that my staff and I are not perfect. We make mistakes.

—Cheryl A. Gray