Our Staff

Rita is an aesthetic nurse specialist and board-certified esthetician with over 20 years in the aesthetic industry. She earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and she is studying to become a nurse practitioner. After beginning a career as a make-up artist, Rita decided to attend school to become a nurse injector. At our practice she merges her passion for beauty and science as an aesthetic nurse. She focuses on anti-aging fillers, injectables such as BOTOX® and Dysport®, acne treatments, and laser procedures. Rita’s priority is to ensure patient safety while providing excellent aesthetic …

Leslie is one of our receptionists and works together with our lead receptionist Shanelle. Leslie brings with her many years of customer service experience. She was born and raised in Kalihi and loves outdoor activities, especially hiking. Leslie also enjoys socializing with her friends and meeting new people. We recently welcomed Leslie to the practice and we are thrilled that she has joined our team. Her mother is her number one inspiration because she taught her to never give up on what you love to do. Leslie’s Favorite She is excited to experience our HydraFacial treatment and get herself on …

Ashlin’s versatility as a treatment provider has made her a valuable member of the Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery team since she joined us in 2019. Along with being a certified laser specialist, Ashlin also enjoys performing our popular hydra-facials and a number of other skincare treatments. Additionally, she's trained as a CoolSculpting® and ThermiVa® technician. She makes patients and co-workers alike feel comfortable with her easygoing and fun-loving attitude. Her priority at our practice is creating long and lasting relationships with patients. Outside of the office, Ashlin enjoys swimming, cruising, or gaming with her adorable son. Ashlin's Favorites Revlite laser …

Maria, our director of client services, has been with the practice since 2014. With decades of successful experience in hotel sales and marketing, she also has a knack for developing internal campaigns for team building in the workplace. Maria is an avid recreational reader and novice writer. She enjoys a good Netflix binge but also has the bug for traveling abroad. This self-proclaimed whiskey connoisseur also enjoys a few rounds on the craps table when in Vegas. Maria is full of sayings, but her favorite is, “Stay focused and extra sparkly.” Maria’s Favorite Her favorite skincare product is the SkinCeuticals …

Lead medical receptionist Shanelle is the commander-in-chief of the front lobby. Upon graduating as salutatorian for her class at Med Assist School of Hawaii, Shanelle started her journey here at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery. She was born and raised in Honolulu (a proud Kalihian to be exact) and is also a proud mommy to her blessing in disguise, Drayden.  Her favorite quote is, “Remind yourself nobody’s built like you. You design yourself.” Shanelle’s Favorite A treatment that she can’t live without is lip filler. Lips were always a big insecurity of hers, and now she gets tons of compliments on them. …

As one of our top-notch estheticians, Joleen pursues her passion for skin care and other esthetic treatments. She brings self-discipline, a thirst for knowledge, and an unwavering attention to detail to our Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery team. She's motivated each day by seeing the simple joy that radiates from the faces of her happy patients. She's continually learning about the latest procedures and techniques. Traveling is another of Joleen's passions, and she's both inspired and humbled by exploring new cultures. At home she enjoys the beach (slathered in sunscreen, of course!), getting lost in a good book, working out, and …

Erin, a clinical registered nurse, has been working for Dr. Ching since 2018. Erin’s goal is to establish lasting relationships with patients, providing them with quality, safe, and satisfying care. Erin’s understanding of the diversity of treatments offered coupled with her professional knowledge makes her an asset to our practice. Known for her calm and gentle touch and clinical expertise, she is the total package when it comes to patient care. Born and raised in Honolulu, Erin graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with her BSN in nursing in 2009. Being a telemetry RN for 8 years, she found a passion …

Patient coordinator Keri has been with Dr. Ching since 2013. Early on, Keri realized that she had a passion for uplifting and motivating others which led her to pursue a BA degree from the University of Colorado and obtained a certification as a wellness consultant. Upon returning home to Hawaii, Keri decided to use her acquired knowledge and experience in sales and marketing. She is a devoted mother of 2 but still stays true to her guilty pleasures of dark chocolate and travel. The crème de la crème of her existence is to build lasting memories with her husband and …

Medical office assistant Katrina is not only the voice behind the telephone line but is the quintessential assistant for Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery. She was born and raised on the beautiful island of Guam and has been living on Oahu since 2008. When Katrina isn’t putting in time at the office, you can catch her training at the UFC Gym. She enjoys having a couple of drinks with friends, exploring new foods around the city, and when given the chance, travel!  Her favorite quote is, “A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.” Katrina’s …

Katie's athleticism is matched only by her go-getter attitude. Like Dr. Ching, Katie is a Canadian who attended Missouri Valley College on a soccer scholarship. She earned a bachelor's degree in Communications at MVC and later completed a master's degree program in psychology at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Before joining our team, Katie worked for nearly 10 years in sales. She loves to laugh, is an avid marathon runner, and is working on becoming more flexible through yoga (but still can't touch her toes … yet). When Katie's not at the office, you'll probably find her at the beach …

Tera, our lead surgical technologist, has been assisting Dr. Ching in the operating room since 2014. She has been a certified surgical technologist for 24 years. Tera brings with her a great deal of experience in areas like cardiac trauma and general surgery, and now loves being able to put that experience to work for patients at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery. Tera moved to Oahu from Kentucky in 2010 and is a proud mother of a doctor-in-training at Stanford Medical School. When not in surgery, she can be found binge-watching shows on Netflix and spending quality time with friends and …

As our lead operating room nurse, Erin provides quality care to patients before, during, and after surgery. She started as a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurse at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery in 2016 before transitioning to her current position. Erin began her nursing career in 2006 as a licensed practical nurse. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, she practiced in many settings such as geriatrics, medical-surgery, telemetry, and intensive care. After her years of bedside care, she set her sights on plastic surgery. Born and raised in Kaimuki, Erin enjoys spending time with her 2 dogs, a …

Noel, who joined Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery in 2019, has more than 20 years of experience in the medical field and is extremely proud to be part of such an amazing team. She specializes in dermatology and has also worked in oncology and internal medicine. Noel's goal is to provide the best possible environment for both patients and staff members. Originally from Oahu, Noel grew up in Norway. As a Bikram and Vinyasa yoga teacher, Noel is often found in a hot yoga room. She enjoys exploring the island with her husband and 2 daughters and loves exercising, traveling, health, …

Lorene, also known as Lo, is the director of nursing here at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery. Her primary role is the management of all clinical operations of the surgery center to ensure that all general anesthesia cases are done safely and effectively. Lo has been with Dr. Ching since the beginning of 2012. She has been a nurse for more than 15 years, with experience working in telemetry, ICU, ER, and perioperative settings. With her many specialties, the surgical arena has always been her passion. Lo was born and raised in Waimanalo, on the Windward Coast of Oahu, and currently …

Dr. Liu is our lead anesthesiologist. She provides general anesthesia for our lovely surgical patients. Dr. Liu was born and raised in Hawaii and went to UH Manoa for her undergrad and John A. Burns School of Medicine. She did her anesthesiology residency at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, CA. Dr. Liu loves animals. She has 4 fur babies at home: 3 pit bulls and a terrier. She and her husband just welcomed their daughter Addison James to the world in January 2019. She loves to run and attend yoga sculpt classes in her free time. Dr. Liu is …

Medical esthetician Awa graduated from the International School of Beauty and Esthetics College in 2011. She joined our team in May of 2012 eager to learn all of the state-of-the-art technology we have to offer. When Awa is not holding a laser handpiece, you can find her enrolled in a hot yoga class and cuddling with her miniature Dachshunds, obviously not at the same time. She is an adventurous foodie who loves traveling the world with her husband in search of the next best dish. The most enjoyable part of her job is going on the journey with her patients …

Medical assistant Jennel is our one and only ThermiVa Technician and CoolSculpting® Specialist. She rejuvenates lady parts and lavishes everyone with a slimmer summer body—all year long.  She’s been working at Asia Pacific Plastic Surgery since 2015 and has treated many of our patients with expert care and outstanding results. Prior to that, she attended Heald College and received her associate degree in medical assisting in 2009. She previously worked at a skin cancer dermatology office where she gained knowledge in skin care and cosmetic laser treatments. In her spare time, Jennel enjoys shopping for great deals, going on food …

Mie is one of our estheticians and a patient coordinator for our Japanese-speaking patients. She has been working for Dr. Ching since 2007. Mie was born and raised in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. She moved to Hawaii in 1999 and has a son in high school. Mie says that she has a sweet tooth. She loves to eat chocolate, donuts, cookies, and cake. To balance her diet, she packs a healthy salad and fruits for lunch every day. She gets through every day by going with the flow. She believes in doing what you need to do and your wishes will …

Stacy, an aesthetic nurse specialist, has over 12 years of expertise with cosmetic injectables and skin therapies. After working as an intensive care nurse for many years at UCLA, she decided to move on and work with top physicians in the plastic surgery field and completed advanced skincare courses. When not helping our patients look beautiful, she has the eagerness to travel. She believes the world has many lessons to be learned and getting out there to a different part of it with others is the greatest teacher. We are all different but the same in so many ways. She instills …

A member of Dr. Ching's team since 2016, Nicole manages the overall function of our accredited ambulatory surgery center. Nicole has 15 years of nursing experience as a telemetry nurse. Married with 3 children, Nicole and her family love to rescue animals. They currently have a dog, a cat, and a rabbit. On her days off, she enjoys hanging out with her family, including beach days and Sunday family dinners. Nicole is passionate about caring for people in need and helping people feel as beautiful on the outside as they do on the inside. Nicole's Favorite AquaGold Microneedling with platelet-rich …

Patient coordinator Hekili is one of our newest additions to the practice in this role. Joining us at the end of 2018, she brought with her more than 11 years of sales experience in cosmetic dentistry and plastic surgery. Her eagerness to constantly learn new things, along with her contagious laughter, makes it a joy to work with her. Hekili is not shy about meeting new people and will always start a conversation. Travel and every form of the arts keep her interests piqued. Healthy living is high on her list, as well as spending time with her 3 children, …

Hanna joined our team in May 2019 as our social media specialist. She keeps our social platforms educational and engaging, which is vital as many patients find us through Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other social platforms. Originally from the East Coast, Hanna landed in Hawaii when her family packed up and moved to Maui in 2014. In her spare time, you can find her testing new recipes or hunting down the best vegan eats on the island. Hanna's Favorites BOTOX injections to level out her eyebrows Environ Youth EssentiA®

Kristine, our lead surgical technician, has been with Dr. Ching since 2016. Kristine wears many hats; she is his right-hand woman when it comes to all minor surgeries and regularly makes appearances to assist with general surgeries as needed. When she is not handing Dr. Ching a scalpel, she is at his side documenting his work via social media. Kristine is a graduate of Honolulu Heald College with an Associate of Science degree. She is a mother of 1 son who is the light of her life that brings her joy and laughter. Kristine enjoys spending time with family and …