Dr. David Breese
With heavy hearts, the kkv family regrets to announce the passing of our beloved Dr. Breese. We will miss his wit, sense of humor, kind and generous soul, and deep dedication to his patients. Thank you for helping us carry on his memory today and forever. We are truly blessed that he touched our lives.
Dr. David Breese, for whom this Center is named after, arrived in Hawaii in 1975 to fulfill service obligations with the US Navy in Kaneohe. After 3 years of service, he joined Kōkua Kalihi Valley (KKV) in February of 1979 and has provided public health-focused vision, passion, leadership, and steadfast commitment to KKV for more than 40 years. He has dedicated his entire career to serving those disproportionately affected by dental disease and constantly seeks to address oral health disparities affecting vulnerable populations, particularly low-income immigrant families of Kalihi. A beloved role model, mentor and friend to countless colleagues, students, and patients, personifying values of aloha, excellence, and neighborliness. He has extended his influence and vision far beyond KKV. Sharing his substantial expertise, Dr. Breese was integral to the development of dental programs at other community health centers in Hawaiʻi. He also helped lead a statewide oral health task force to uplift oral health as indispensable to individual and community well-being.
Under his leadership and vision:
KKV created Kalihi’s school-based sealant program – the first of its kind in the state. Since 1995, the program brought free preventive dental services to more than 30,000 elementary school students. Today, the program’s mobile clinic delivers preventive care to 9 elementary and middle schools in Kalihi, referring children to the main clinic for ongoing support as their dental home.
KKV brought the Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Pediatric Dentistry, and Public Health Residency programs to Hawaiʻi. The first of its kind in the state, the programs graduated 182 residents between 2002 and 2019, successfully encouraging many of them to pursue careers in community oral health.
KKV initiated a partnership with the Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, which made KKV a clinical rotation and training site for 3rd year dental hygiene students.
KKV stewarded the growth of KKV’s dental clinic to become a Center for Community Oral Health, which serves an integral role in meeting the oral health needs of the Kalihi community and providing a dental home for thousands of families each year.
