Talk:Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children

Confirmation nonsense
I see no reason why to add a speculative tone which clearly implies that the reader should doubt or be suspicious of a portion of Obama's biography. The sentence in question reads However, a hospital spokesperson has declined to confirm or deny that Obama was born there, citing federal privacy laws. The phrasing, and use of "however" just doesn't work. What is basically being said is "Federal law prohibits medical records from being released, even when it comes to hospitals confirming births. A hospital spokesperson followed the law." On top of that, the cited source has the spokesperson going on to suggest all the information out there says he was born at Kapiolani Hospital. I see no reason what so ever to include this sentence, except for well poisoning (which isn't a valid reason for inclusion). Would Ferrylodge rather prefer to cite a reliable source that actually disputes Obama's birth story, or can we just remove the POV attack outright?-Andrew c [talk] 00:45, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm inclined to delete it, as it is a bit of WP:FRINGE nonsense. http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthcertificate.asp e.g. answers the question of the city of his birth pretty definitively.  I'm not sure why the hospital isn't named on the birth certificate; maybe that's the practice in Hawaii.  My own NY birth certificate lacks the hospital.  Шизомби (talk) 00:56, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

(undent)Just for the record, here's the material that has been deleted:

"'However, a hospital spokesperson has declined to confirm or deny that Obama was born there, citing federal privacy laws. See Hoover, Will. “Obama's Hawaii boyhood homes drawing gawkers”, Honolulu Advertiser (2008-11-09).'"

Seems like a non-fringe source to me. Anyway, it's no big deal if you folks want it removed. I merely noticed this matter in the largest and most reputable newspaper in Hawaii, and therefore thought it would be interesting to note it here. I don't think that the newspaper is making any kind of fringe attack on Obama, but your mileage may vary. It seems worthwhile to mention here in our article that the hospital itself has not been saying Obama was born there, and to explain why. If I had wanted to violate NPOV, I would have said that the hospital declined to confirm, without mentioning that they also declined to deny.Ferrylodge (talk) 01:43, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * The source isn't fringe. The quote as used was fringe, addressing the lunacy about Obama supposedly being foreign-born.  Incidentally, I wonder how many other presidents whose hospitals of birth are identified on Wikipedia.  I'd guess not many.  Anyway, there's a difference between what that newspaper might consider newsworthy and what this encyclopedia may consider encyclopedic.  What was written in this article reflected a doubt about and/or a desire to sow doubt about his birthplace.  That's not encyclopedic.  The same claim that a hospital will neither confirm nor deny a birth there could be made about everyone in the United States who has an article on Wikipedia, and I don't see that happening.  It's NPOV and FRINGE to apply it to Obama alone. Bush/McCain/the Republican Party accept his place of birth.  Why don't you?  Шизомби (talk) 05:55, 12 November 2008 (UTC)
 * I'd prefer not to get into a big long discussion about this. The blockquoted statement above obviously does not say or imply anything about being foreign-born.  Instead, it explains that the subject of the article is respectful of privacy, and has not been blabbing or advertising itself as a presidential birthplace.  As I said above, this is "no big deal if you folks want it removed," so let's drop it.  Thanks.Ferrylodge (talk) 06:14, 12 November 2008 (UTC)

The Hospital of Obama's Birth is Confirmed and Should be Noted as Such
The Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children is the place of Obama's birth. The hospital has been confirmed as his place of birth, therefore it is truthful to state as a fact that he was born at Kapi'olani. On my last edit, I tried to make this page reflect the truth by stating, "The hospital is the birthplace of Barack Obama, President of the United States,

Grow up tards!

When you say that Obama says that he was born at Kapi'olani, you must referring to his purported letter to the Kapi'olani hospital. Unfortunately, both Obama and Kapi'olani have refused to confirm that it was his letter, so obviously you cannot say that the letter is his. At least not if you want to be truthful. So no, Obama has not confirmed that he was born at Kapi'olani. How many times do I have to show you this before you will understand it? You say that Obama says that he was born at Kapi'olani. Please link me to the RS that shows this.

I am removing the word "alleged," as the birth of Barack Obama at this hospital has at least 5 sources: the Hawaii Advertiser, CNN, the Kaipiolani Centennial celebration video and magazine (source already in article) and Barack Obama's birth certificate mentioned in about 3,000 news articles today. Kevin (talk) 04:12, 28 April 2011 (UTC)
 * It's just very recent nonsense that has already been reverted. Articles like this attract people who do not want rational discussion, and it's best not to get too concerned about it. Also, please do not reply to old discussions—there is no need. Johnuniq (talk) 04:25, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

The Reference to Obama's Birth Hospital Should be Deleted Altogether
For the reasons stated in the discussion above, there is no reason to include any reference to Obama's birthplace in this article about Kapli'olani. Although alleged "reliable sources" are cited, none of those sources themselves identifies the primary source (Obama's statement or supporting documentation) of the claim that the hospital is his birthplace. The Washington Post article is particularly unreliable because it asserts that Obama was walking beneath the very room under which he was born. The room number has never been identified anywhere, and due to construction and renovations and relocations of the various Kapli'olani facilities there is no evidence that the room even still exists (if indeed Obama was born there).

Wikipedia cautions that "Encyclopedia content must be VERIFIABLE." No verification has been made regarding the hospital in which Obama was born. I rather doubt that it has been made of the hospitals in which other American presidents have been born, and for that reason I do not see references to particular hospitals in the article of other presidents. It is clear that the ONLY reason an exception is being made for the inclusion of Obama's name in this instance is to blunt debate over the birthplace debate by providing a particular detail (the hospital) which will convince the casual reader that the exact location, and not just the state, has been pinned down.TruthfulPerson (talk) 23:55, 26 September 2009 (UTC)


 * It is verified. Plenty of reliable sources have stated as much. Tinfoil-hat conspiracy theories from some birther's blog don't change that fact. --Loonymonkey (talk) 23:19, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

Looneymonkey:: Please observe Wikipedia's civility standards or your privileges may be suspended. You have not provided any verification as to whether Obama was born at the Kapli'olani Medical Center for Women and Children. Nor do you address the problem that none of the so-called "reliable sources" have provided verification of any sort (or even attribution of a person making the claim) in any of their articles. Your use of derogatory references to "tinfoil hat conspiracies" does not shed any light on what is a very straightforward factual question. TruthfulPerson (talk) 23:55, 26 September 2009 (UTC)


 * Please sign your posts with 4 tildes for click on the signature button on the toolbar, and please do not make threats against other users. As for the topic here, there are sources given in this article regarding Obama's hospital of birth.  Again, the viewpoint that he was born elsewhere is one that resides wholly within the realm of conspiracy theory and fringe sourcing.  As such, it will not be appearing in this article. Tarc (talk) 23:31, 26 September 2009 (UTC)

LooneyMonkey, please do not mischaracterize my accurate statements of published Wikipedia policy as "threats." Thank you for avoiding invective in your most recent post. However, you have unfortunately continued to avoid the precise point I have made: the sources cited (1) do not attribute the claim of Kapli'olani as a birthplace to Obama or any other person and (2) the sources do not identify documents or any other corroborating evidence for the assertion. Accordingly, the assertion is no more "verified" than that former assertion that he was born in Queens Medical Center, or the assertion I could make that he was born in the New York University Medical Center.

Please also do me the courtesy of actually reading what I've said. I did not (contrary to your assertion) suggest that "the viewpoint that he was born elsewhere" appear in this article. I proposed that the unsourced and unverified claim that he was born in the Kapli'olani Medical Center for Women and Children be removed, consistent with the practice used for other United States Presidents. Please note that your credibility as an arbiter of this very narrow factual dispute is severely compromised when you cannot even accurately recite what has been proposed a few lines before your comment.TruthfulPerson (talk) 23:55, 26 September 2009 (UTC)


 * The problem with your proposal is that the fact is reliably sourced and notable, so the information will stay. --guyzero | talk 00:08, 27 September 2009 (UTC)


 * The thing is, it isn't an "unsourced and unverified claim". This is a falsehood on your part, either a deliberate or an unknowing one. Tarc (talk) 00:25, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Guyzero: I'll accept your statement that "the fact is reliably sourced and notable" as a concession that, as I've repeatedly noted, the alleged "reliable sources" do not (1) do not attribute the claim of Kapli'olani as a birthplace to Obama or any other person and (2) the sources do not identify documents or any other corroborating evidence for the assertion. I'll also accept your implied concession (by your failure to address the point) that the only reason the specific hospital was named was to foment the birther controversy -- not because it was "notable." If it's so notable, why isn't the hospital putting up plaques with Obama's name and giving guided tours of the room he was born in? He's President of the United States!

Tarc: I've made it quite clear what I mean by "unsourced and unverified": the alleged "sources" simply state Kapli'olani as the birth hospital without attributed that "fact" to any person or alluded to corroborating evidence. So it's not a falsehood at all.

I guess we'll just have to agree to take this to dispute resolution.TruthfulPerson (talk) 00:48, 27 September 2009 (UTC)
 * birther Viriditas (talk) 00:52, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

I'll accept your statement as a concession that, as we've repeatedly noted, you aren't bothering to comprehend WP policies. --guyzero | talk 01:24, 27 September 2009 (UTC)
 * You are absolutely free to see dispute resolution, but this topic is closed as there is no chance we'll be engaging in original research to support your theory, so there is currently no chance a material change will be made to this article as a result of this conversation. Note too that this topic is duplicated (and ongoing) by Truthful person at Talk:Barack_Obama_citizenship_conspiracy_theories. No need to have this same topic running in two places. --guyzero | talk 01:30, 27 September 2009 (UTC)

Obama's long-form certificate released by the White House
Just a note to say that the White House has released President Obama's long-form birth certificate, and it does indeed confirm that he was born at Kapiolani. - htonl (talk) 13:31, 27 April 2011 (UTC)

Hospital name change history
The article says that the Kapiolani Maternity Home merged with Kauikeolani Children’s Hospital in 1978 to form Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children. This is wrong, since we know from sources no less important than President Obama's birth certificate that these are not the correct hospital names in 1978. Sometime before 1978 Kapiolani Maternity Home's name changed. Need updated sources and change to article. None of the existing sources support the statement that the name of the hospital was Kapiolani Maternity Home immediately prior to the 1978 name change. Kevin (talk) 04:05, 28 April 2011 (UTC)
 * This was raised elsewhere, and I found a source with info which I believe was added to Barack Obama citizenship conspiracy theories. The source is currently ref 9 in this article ("Twin sisters, Obama on parallel paths for years"). It would be nice to get the details worked out, but they may not be easily available as organizations like this often fiddle with their name and no one particularly notices, except when Obama is involved. Johnuniq (talk) 04:45, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

OK, what I did was to change "Maternity Home" to "Hospital" to match the source (Note 2) listed in the article. The source says: "Kauikeolani Children’s Hospital and Kapi'olani Hospital began to affiliate ... in 1978." The three other sources cited don't address the merger names.Kevin (talk) 04:34, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

I simply removed some comment I actually agree with, because it does not belong in an article but here. I would like to add something posted at Doctor Conspiracy's blog: evidence that the name on the birth certificate was used in 1954 already. Note that the same name is used on the birth certificates of the twins mentioned above. --Paul Pieniezny (talk) 09:23, 28 April 2011 (UTC)

Original Research
"At some time prior to 1940, the name was changed to Kapiʻolani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital" - neither of the reference state this, it is possible to deduce this from the info in the sources, which is original research, which isn't allowed in Wikipedia. Unless someone can quote from these sources quoting those facts to prove this wrong (which they can't) or provide a valid source which states it, it should go.--163.1.147.64 (talk) 17:02, 28 April 2011 (UTC)


 * What about altering the sentence to state "By 1940, it was called Kapi'olani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital." No original research involved, since the citations will then confirm that it was, indeed, called Kapi'olani Maternity and Gynecological Hospital by 1940. 74.240.102.106 (talk) 01:33, 29 April 2011 (UTC)


 * I'll just put this out there in case. This is a pdf from some organization called "Triadoption" that "was formed as an information center in 1978 to gather and dispense data to assist adoptees, birthparents, siblings and others in locating family members". They say "PRIOR TO 1931, IT WAS CALLED THE KAPlOLANl MATERNITY HOME", and give information for 1937 and 1958 whereby it is called "KAPlOLANl MATERNITY AND GYNECOLOGICAL HOSPITAL". http://www.sacredhealing.com/triadoption/AAOMH/Hawaii.pdf This apparently confirms that the name changed from the former to the latter in 1931. --Mujokan (talk) 22:46, 1 May 2011 (UTC)

Barack Obama was allegedly born here. As of today, December 13, 2021, how could this possibly be when this place was established in 1978.
Was Barack Obama born here or not? 24.12.114.245 (talk) 16:26, 13 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Would it be too much trouble to search Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children for "Obama" and see the timeline? The original hospital started in 1884 and has undergone several transformations. Johnuniq (talk) 23:23, 13 December 2021 (UTC)

When I saw the founded date, my first thought was this is going to fuel conspiracy theories (or trolls - though I’m not accusing any editor or reader specifically of this.) it is factual that this incarnation of this division was founded in 1978, but the Obama articles then should not link here or there should be a disambiguation explaining that Obama was born in the main hospital. TruthByAnonymousConsensus (talk) 21:17, 23 September 2022 (UTC)