News Release
July 3, 2008
HMSA supports John Burns School of Medicine effort to “grow our own healers”
Laura Lott
(808) 952-7566
laura_lott@hmsa.com
The Hawai‘i Medical Service Association (HMSA) today announced two $75,000
grants to help expand the number of health care workers on the Neighbor Islands.
The funds will support the Hawai’i/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center
(AHEC) program, and will be distributed over the next two years.
The AHEC program began in 1995, and works to improve the distribution, quality and
diversity of health care workers around the state. At the present time, there are
community-based AHEC centers in Hilo, Lihue and Moloka’i. The program is funded
by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources
and Services Administration to the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School
of Medicine (JABSOM).
“The Hawai’i State AHEC program is thankful to HMSA for its support,”
said Dr. Kelley Withy, associate professor and director of the AHEC center at JABSOM.
“To meet Hawai’i’s future health care workforce needs, we believe
it’s essential to be developing tomorrow’s workers today. We call it
‘growing our own healers.’ With HMSA’s support, we’ll be
able to expand the program and reach more students and communities around the state.”
The HMSA grants will support the AHEC program by:
- Expanding and developing new health career internships.
- Expanding Medical Academy of Science & Health (MASH) camps for students.
- Expanding Health Occupation for Teens (HOT) club activities on Kaua’i.
- Expanding Huli Au Ola’s summer youth leadership activities to include rural
students from Hawai’i and Kaua’i.
- Creating a statewide conference for rural high school students, called Navigating
the Future of Health Professions.
- Developing a web site resource with information on internships, research opportunities,
training, and health center activities in the state.
“With AHEC and HMSA working together, Hawai’i’s rural students
will be able to enter the health care career pipeline in middle school; get assistance
navigating the journey through high school; participate in health care training
and experiences, including internships; be mentored through higher education; and
ultimately reach the destination of becoming health professionals in their home
communities,” said Dr. Withy.
“One of the best ways to interest young people in science is to allow them
the opportunity for hands-on exploration,” said Dr. Jerris Hedges, Dean of
the John A. Burns School of Medicine. “By hearing a human heartbeat or measuring
blood pressure in the body, or learning how high-tech medical equipment works, students
realize careers in medicine are accessible to them. By instilling that sense of
wonder in young people, these programs make it more likely the medical school will
have high-quality, enthusiastic young college graduates to recruit in the future.”
“We’re happy to help the AHEC program in its efforts to expand the health
care workforce in Hawai’i’s rural areas,” said Cliff Cisco, HMSA
senior vice president. “Our support of the program is a great example of the
community coming together to develop long-term solutions to help improve Hawai’i’s
health care system.”
“Growing our own health care workers is just as important as recruiting workers
from other areas of the country, and HMSA is proud to support these important efforts,”
said Cisco. “AHEC does a good job of building student interest in health care
careers, and providing a pathway for young people to enter the profession and work
in their own community. Hawai’i’s rural areas will certainly benefit
from this program in the years ahead.”
The Hawai’i/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center (AHEC)
is a program within the John A. Burns School of Medicine at University of Hawai’i
Mānoa that is supported by a grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services,
Health Resources and Services Administration. For more information on AHEC, please
visit their web site at www.ahec.hawaii.edu.
HMSA is a nonprofit, mutual benefit association founded in Hawai’i
in 1938. It is governed by a community board of directors that includes representatives
from health care, business, labor, government, education, clergy, and the community
at large. HMSA is a member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association
of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Nationally, HMSA and 38 other Blue
Cross and Blue Shield plans provide worldwide coverage to more than 100 million
members.
The University of Hawai‘i Foundation is an independent, university-related,
nonprofit organization whose purpose is to raise private funds according to priorities
determined by the academic leadership of the University of Hawai‘i and approved
by the Board of Regents. Founded in 1955, the Foundation provides a full range of
fund raising and alumni relations services for all 10 UH campuses. For more information,
visit www.uhf.hawaii.edu.
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