Meet The Manager: Kayla Phillips

A Dream Years in the Making: Kayla Phillips Earns Her Administrator’s License

Kayla Phillips, Acting Social Services Manager at Hale Makua Kahului in Maui.

When Kayla Phillips first came to Hale Makua in June 2022, she arrived as an intern on a school break, a connection made during a class project at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. What started as seasonal work as a unit helper and clerk grew into something far greater. After graduating from UH Hilo, Kayla returned to Maui full-time, continuing to grow within the organization while simultaneously earning her master’s degree in healthcare management through Pacific University. In October 2024, she entered the Administrator in Training (AIT) program, earned her master’s in November 2024, and in December 2025, flew to Oahu, sat for her licensing exams and passed.

Her path into long-term care is deeply personal. Kayla lost both grandparents to illness when she was 15 and 16, and both went through hospice. Watching the care team support not just her grandparents, but her entire family shaped her purpose. “That’s what I want to do,” she knew. Though nursing wasn’t her calling – administration was, and Hale Makua, she says, offers the full picture of why the work matters. “You get the goodness of everything here. You get the short-term rehab where you see people go home. Then you see the long-term care and build a routine with them. And then you see the end-of-life process with our hospice people.”

In her new role, Kayla oversees Maintenance, Environmental Services, and Social Services, and is currently serving as acting Social Services Manager. She works alongside Rodrigo Santos in a collaborative structure, with both leaders excited to support each other and their respective teams. For Kayla, the best part of the job is the pace – every day brings something new, and she thrives on it.

For anyone considering a similar path, her advice is clear: “To get into the field of long-term care, you need to have the heart for it. Your first priority always has to be the population that’s here. Ultimately, we come day in and day out for the people who live here.” Looking ahead, she’s focused on building momentum for her team with major milestones like the Gardenia neighborhood opening and the CarePlex on the horizon. “There is just so much opportunity in the future. I want to do my part in pushing the team forward to realize those opportunities and those dreams.”

Kahului Administrator Rodrigo Santos, who has watched Kayla through her journey, says it best: “I think she is going to be a great administrator. She got into this role already having a good, in-depth understanding of different departments – going from unit helper to this to that. She is excelling right now, but I know the sky is the limit for her because she is going to keep growing.” Hale Makua congratulates Kayla on this well-earned milestone! 

Hale Makua is committed to supporting employee growth through a variety of career development opportunities. Visit our website to learn more!