Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 2021 — Community Health Workforce: Supporting our Lāhui from Within [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Community Health Workforce: Supporting our Lāhui from Within

— ^ I OLA LOKAHI

By Sheri Daniels Based on the premise that personal relationships and patient engagement are critical to improving access to healthcare, Papa Ola Lōkahi has been identifying, training and deploying eommunity leaders to provide information, share resources and help navigate the healthcare system for patients and their families. Building a sturdy community heahh workforce has been a most effective strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Hawai'i. In June 2021, the number of C0VID-19 infections among Native Hawaiians surpassed that of Paeihe Islanders, Filipinos, and all other races throughout Hawai'i. In addition, the CDC reported that "Pacific Islander persons, who account for 5% of Hawaii's population, represented 22% of C0VID-19 cases and deaths." The disheartening rise of C0VID-19 cases within both communities is the foundation upon whieh the community heahh workforce initiative is built. Ke Ko'oko'o means "eane, staff, rod, something you ean lean on, a means of livelihood." The objective of this initiative is to prepare, train and deploy a network of ko'oko'o, trusted partners and community heahh workers

(CHWs), that their respective communities ean lean on to disseminate vaccination information and provide individual outreach to combat COVID-19. In collaboration with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander serving partner organizations - Kula No Nā Po'e Hawai'i, Ka'ū Rural Heahh Community Association, and the Hawai'i/ Pacific Basin Area Heahh Education Center - Papa Ola Lōkahi is focusing on serving rural and urban communities on O'ahu and Hawai'i islands. Over the course of the last three months, since receiving this boost from the Heakh Resources and Services Administration specifically for enhancing CHW programs, the Ke Ko'oko'o initiative completed eight vaccination clinics, more than 10 COVID-19 test clinics and self-test kit distributions, and three flu shot clinics. Additionally, the program sponsored the highly successful Morehouse School of Medieine CHW training program for new CHW recruits, dispersed informational mailers, translated survey tools into Marshallese, and created easy-to-understand curricula designed to introduce telehealth to kūpuna. Future initiatives will support communities in providing education about, and improved access to, vaccinations for our 5-to-ll-year-old keiki. Education provided through Ke Ko'oko'o aims to help individuals and families make informed decisions about their heahh and wellbeing that will positively impact future generations. Papa Ola Lōkahi is grateful for such rich partnerships around our collective goal to create thriving, healthy Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. ■

Sheri-Ann Daniels, Ed.D., is executive director of Papa Ola Lōkahi, the Hawaiian Heahh Board that includes Office ofHawaiian Affairs among its members. Eaeh month Papa Ola Lōkahi will share precious community efforts that contribute to the health and wellbeing ofNative Hawaiians and theirfamilies.

Ke Ko'oko'o community heolth workers (CHWs) from Kulo No Nō Po'e Hawoi'i provide numerous progroms ond sociol services ot Papokōlea Community Center ond Pork for the residents of Papokōleo Hawaiion Homesteod. - Photo: Courtesy