The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services approved more than $27 million in funding to support programs, research and development of several health-care-related programs in Hawaii.
Those programs expand access to health-care and domestic violence programs; reduce racial and ethnic health disparities; and support the health-care workforce.
A member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) secured the funding, including $4.3 million in congressionally-directed spending.
“Local agencies and organizations do important work providing community and behavioral health services, addressing health disparities, and conducting innovative research into cancer and other serious diseases,” Senator Schatz said in a release from his office. “By supporting these programs, we’re helping to keep more people across Hawaii healthy and safe.”
According to the release, the more than $27 million in funding includes: $15.6 million to improve access to health care, strengthen services in rural and underserved communities, expand behavioral health services and support domestic violence programs; and $4.6 million for health-care services provided by the West Hawaii Community Health Center.
In other sizable awards, $3 million goes to Hale Makua to support care and services for seniors, while $4 million is designated for the Hawaii Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division to strengthen opioid treatment programs. In addition, almost $1 million is earmarked for the Hawaii Department of Health to support the planning, development and implementation of the Maui County Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic, the first clinic in the state providing comprehensive mental health and substance use services to be so named.
Yet another award, $698,000, goes to the Hawaii Department of Health to develop the OHANA Center of Excellence on Empowering Behavioral Health, which will serve as the U.S. hub for enhancing behavioral health care for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities.
To address racial and ethnic health disparities, $9 million will be divvied up among the University of Hawai'i ($4.5 million) to support a specialized research center focused on health inequities, the University of Hawai'i Cancer Center ($2.5 million) to advance research on ethnic differences in cancer, and the Hawai'i Clinical Research Network ($1.5 million) for racial and ethnic research.
Additionally, to address domestic violence issues, $1 million will flow to the Native Hawaiian Tribal Resource Center on Domestic Violence and $500,000 to the Domestic Violence Action Center relating to women's health.