UNOJI GOTO

Unoji Goto was born on June 24, 1918 in Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii to Mr. and Mrs. Unokichi Goto. He married Florence Abe of Los Angeles, California.

Unoji Goto attended University of Hawaii and University of Cincinnati where he received his bachelors degree in 1944. He graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1948 with his doctor of medicine degree. He interned at Cincinnati General Hospital in 1948-49. From 1949-52 he was a resident in Internal Medicine at Dayton V.A. Hospital which was part of the University of Cincinnati program. From 1952-54 he was at the Portsmouth, Virginia Naval hospital. From 1954-56 he was a Fellow in the Cardio-Pulmonary Lab at University of Cincinnati Hospital. In 1956 he was chief resident at University of Cincinnati Hospital. He was licensed in 1948 in Ohio and in Hawaii in 1957. Dr. Goto was board certified in Internal Medicine in 1957 and recertified in 1974.

In 1957 Dr. Goto returned to Hawaii and became the first Asian doctor to be associated with The Medical Group and specializing in Internal Medicine and Cardio-pulmonary Diseases.

Dr. Goto started heart catheterization with Dr. Scott Brainard in Hawaii in l957. They also developed the heart lung machine and initiated open-heart surgery in Hawaii on November 2, 1959. Dr. Goto started the coronary care units and CPR in Hawaii while he was Chairman of the Heart Committee of the Regional Medical Program as well as the Medical Intensive Care Program.

Dr. Goto was a member of Honolulu County Medical Society, Hawaii Medical Association and the American Medical Association. He also held membership in the Society of Internal Medicine. He served as Chief of Cardiology 1963-65, Chief of Internal Medicine 1966-69, and Chief of Staff 1971-72 at The Queen's Medical Center. He was third vice-president from 1964-65, and President of the Hawaii Heart Association from 1965-67. He was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the John A. Burns SchooI of Medicine in 1967. In 1969 he was elected a director of the American Heart Association for a three year term.

While on the Executive Committee of the Regional Medical Program of Hawaii, Dr. Goto chaired the Task Force Committee on Heart Diseases in 1969. In 1970 Governor John A. Burns appointed him to the Medical Advisory Board to set up standards for the State's highway safety program. In 1974 Acting Governor George Ariyoshi appointed Dr. Goto to the Medical Advisory Board. He also served on the Oahu Health Council and Society for Crippled Children. In 1961 he served on the advisory committee to choose Hawaii recipients of the National Foundation's 1961 Health Scholarships. He was a participant in the final phase of the Kokua Samoa Project in 1962. He also served on the Board of Directors of The Honolulu Medical Group Research and Education Foundation and was involved with The Aloha United Way from the time of its inception.

Dr. Goto died on December 20, 1995 at the age of 78. He was survived by his sons Wayne K., Steven J., Paul R., Mark A.; daughter Linda Kuulei; five grandchildren; brother Asakuma.

Medicine in Hawaii: Oral History Series

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