University of Hawaii secures $1.5M grant to improve healthcare access across the Pacific | National

HONOLULU (Island News) — The University of Hawaii (UH) is getting a major boost to help close critical healthcare gaps across the islands and throughout the Pacific.

UH researchers are launching new efforts to improve health care in underserved communities because of a $1.5 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

One project focuses on American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Another takes a closer look at Hawaii’s own health systems from cardiac care and emergency services to telehealth access and health policy.

The goal is to create more culturally relevant care and stronger systems where help is needed most.

“This project really is a huge step forward,” said Alexander Mawyer, UH Center for Pacific Islands Studies Director. “I can’t think of a relevant recent project mapping together the experts from across Mānoa’s different spaces engaged in Oceania quite like this to advance the health and well-being of our community members in the CNMI (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands), in American Samoa and in diaspora here in Hawaii.”

Aimee Grace, UH Office of Strategic Health Initiatives Director, stated, “The University of Hawaii is really well positioned to lead this sort of policy work because we have both the depth and breadth of expertise, specifically in the Hawaiʻi and Pacific region.”

“It comes at a good time because it’s really looking at what is the role of public health all the way to hospital and what’s the continuum of care in the outpatient setting to the hospital setting or beyond and what’s that local capacity,” said Lee Buenconsejo-Lum, UH John A. Burns School of Medicine Associate Dean.

UH leaders said this is just the beginning and hope community insight will help shape long-term, real-world solutions.