October West Oahu Hospice Hero

Our October West Oahu Hospice Hero, always shows compassion and care for our patients and their families, and works internally to improve Islands Hospice processes. As a registered nurse, Minagrace Ragonot is a critical member of Team Ekahi and cherishes the feeling of family amongst her coworkers.

When her father passed, Minagrace wished she had someone to explain the steps of care and his end of life plan, rather than feeling helpless in the final moments. Through her personal experience, she understands the impact that compassionate care can have on a patient’s life and their families. Hence, she strives to give patients the best quality of life and peaceful departure while offering families the support they deserve.

Minagrace was born and raised in the Philippines where she attended nursing school before moving to Oahu. There, she developed a passion for hospice care, largely from seeing families struggle as their loved ones passed with little understanding of the end-of-life process. She spends her days caring for patients and walking families through the care hospice provides. Minagrace says, “A hug and thank you,” from her patients and their families are all the inspiration she needs.

Over the last three years, Minagrace has worked with the West Oahu team to brainstorm and exchange ideas on how to provide the best possible care for their patients. "It's the culture of ohana," she explained.

During her spare time, Minagrace enjoys gardening and volunteering for Nursing Advocates Mentors Inc. (NAMI). This organization provides free review classes to foreign graduate nurses who will soon take the NCLEX exam.

Minagrace believes hard work speaks for itself and that her team’s achievements are reflected in the impact they make in their patients’ and families’ lives. She explained, “A person doesn’t need recognition to work harder. Let the product of your hard work speak for your achievements.”