Dr. Kimo Hirayama
Dr. Kimo Hirayama, known as just Dr. Kimo to the International District community, is heading north to Shoreline to direct medical services at a brand new International District Community Health Services (ICHS) Shoreline branch medical-dental clinic, which will be opening in August. Dr. Kimo said leaving was a hard decision to make and decided to leave based on two reasons: being closer to his home in North Seattle and to face a new challenge. Dr. Kimo attended Oberlin College for undergrad and University of Pittsburgh for medical school. He came over to the west coast and began his residency at the Group Health Cooperative and started volunteering at ICHS in 1987. He got hired by ICHS in 1989 and has been there ever since. Dr. Kimo said he believes that the new clinic in Shoreline will attract Korean American and Chinese American patients, along with students from Shoreline Community College. (end)