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| Hoʻomau Ke Ola | |
|---|---|
| Name | Hoʻomau Ke Ola |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Founded | 20th century |
| Location | Hawaiʻi |
| Focus | Health, Culture, Community |
Hoʻomau Ke Ola
Hoʻomau Ke Ola is a Hawaiʻi-based organization focused on Native Hawaiian health, cultural revitalization, and community well-being. The organization operates within networks of indigenous health providers, cultural practitioners, and public agencies across Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, and Kauaʻi. Its activities intersect with healthcare systems, educational institutions, and cultural organizations throughout the Pacific region.
Hoʻomau Ke Ola traces roots to community leaders, health practitioners, and cultural advocates active in Honolulu, Hilo, and Lahaina who responded to disparities revealed by local health surveys and community meetings. Founders included nurses, traditional healers, and activists connected to organizations such as the Queen’s Health System, Kamehameha Schools, and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Early collaborations involved practitioners from Papa Ola Lōkahi, the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health, and grassroots groups in Waikīkī, Waimānalo, and Kaʻū. Influences included elders from Hoʻokupaa communities, educators from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and cultural advisors associated with ʻIolani Palace initiatives.
The mission centers on improving Native Hawaiian health outcomes, preserving ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi, and sustaining cultural practices like traditional hula, lāʻau lapaʻau, and hoʻokupu stewardship. Programs include community-based clinics, mobile health outreach in Pāhoa and Waimea, youth ʻāina-based education with partners such as Kapiʻolani Community College, and chronic disease prevention collaborations with Straub Clinic & Hospital and Honolulu Board of Water Supply wellness initiatives. Services link to mental health providers in Kāneʻohe, substance-use recovery networks in Wahiawā, and maternal-child health programs connected to the Hawaiʻi Public Health Association.
Hoʻomau Ke Ola’s cultural work supports practitioners of hula hoʻokūlima, kumu hula, and lāʻau lapaʻau lāʻau lapaʻau apprenticeships while health initiatives target diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health among kūpuna and keiki. Impact assessments draw on data from the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act stakeholders, community health needs assessments by Kaiser Permanente Hawaiʻi, and outcomes tracked with Hawaiʻi Pacific Health partners. The organization’s integration of ʻike Hawaiʻi, moʻolelo, and traditional ecological knowledge informs programs in Waiʻanae, Molokaʻi, and Niʻihau.
Partnerships include collaborations with Papa Ola Lōkahi, Kapiʻolani Medical Center, Hawaiʻi State Legislature legislators from Honolulu and Hilo, and philanthropic funders such as the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation and Liliʻuokalani Trust. Funding streams have involved federal grants administered through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, state appropriations influenced by lawmakers in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, and private donations from foundations associated with the Kamehameha Schools Endowment and local businesses in Chinatown and Kahului. Contractual relationships have been formed with nonprofit coalitions in the Pacific Islands and research units at the University of Hawaiʻi.
Campaigns have included public health drives during influenza seasons aligned with Hawaiʻi Department of Health advisories, community vaccination clinics in Kailua and Hilo, and awareness initiatives during Native Hawaiian Heritage Month alongside Bishop Museum, ʻAha Pūnana Leo, and Hoʻokahua o Hawaiʻi. Emergency-response efforts coordinated support after volcanic events in Puna, hurricane preparedness in Lānaʻi, and tsunami outreach with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Cultural festivals and fundraising galas have partnered with Honolulu Museum of Art, Royal Hawaiian Center, and local media outlets.
Critics have raised issues regarding resource allocation, scalability of programs across rural islands such as Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi, and measurable outcomes compared with statewide benchmarks reported by the Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association and Department of Health. Challenges include sustaining long-term funding amid shifts at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, navigating complex compliance with federal grantors like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and addressing workforce shortages affecting providers associated with Wahiawā clinics and rural health centers. Debates continue involving stakeholders from Native Hawaiian organizations, academic researchers at Mānoa, and community advocates in Papakōlea.
Category:Health organizations in Hawaii