This week, we remember Dr. Calvin Sia, a pediatrician and lifelong advocate for children in Hawai’i and across the world, who passed away on August 19, 2020 at the age of 93. Dr. Sia was one of the founders of Good Beginnings Alliance — which later became HCAN — and changed the lives of countless children through his tireless advocacy.

Dr. Sia started innovative programs in Hawaiʻi that have been adopted nationally and internationally. Among many accomplishments, Dr. Sia revolutionized the quality of medical care for children by creating the concept of Family-Centered Medical Home with home visiting programs to prevent child abuse and neglect as part of this system of care.

In addition, he co-founded Hawaii’s Zero to Three Program, a Healthy and Ready to Learn Center and Variety School for Learning Disabilities. Even in retirement, he was still active in the community and was a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine.

In early March, HCAN spoke with Dr. Sia, who was one of our inaugural Champions for Childreen honorees. In this short video, he reflected on his career and his vision that all children will “achieve physical, mental, and social well-being” — a mission that we will continue in his honor and memory.