Kauai Community Health Center

 Ho‘ola Lahui Hawai‘i

Overview

Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i’s (HLH) mission is to promote health and wellness through innovative and culturally appropriate services for Native Hawaiians, their families and others in need.

The organization serves the island of Kaua‘i and individuals from Ni‘ihau.  Established as one of five federally funded Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems, Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i provides care to Hawaiians and their families with a primary focus on health promotion and prevention.

As of September 2001, Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i is also a section 330 Community Health Center.  HLH has a site in Lïhu‘e that houses its administrative offices and many of the Native Hawaiian Health System staff.  The Kaua‘i Community Health Center (KCHC) is a program of Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i and serves all people in the community regardless of income or ethnicity.  The Community Health Center has two locations—one in Waimea and one in Kapa‘a.

Services

HLH provides programs in health promotion, disease prevention, health education, nutrition, exercise and chronic disease management.  Hawaiian services are also provided in community settings and in homes of the families the agency serves.  HLH has an asthma and tobacco cessation program located in Lïhu‘e that provides services island-wide.  Both sites of KCHC offer primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health counseling, substance abuse counseling, eligibility assistance, case management, and outreach services.

Special Populations/Health Issues

Native Hawaiians. As Kaua‘i has a small island population, the number of services available is limited for obvious economic reasons.  Additionally, many Hawaiians do not feel comfortable receiving care from western medical practitioners.

Organization Information

In 2005, the organization had an annual operating budget of $4.6 million with a staff of 70 FTE.  Professional staff include:  physicians, dentists, registered nurses, community health workers, health educators, dental assistants, certified fitness instructors, outreach workers, social workers, substance abuse counselors, and administrative staff.  Over 29% of all users of the agency have no insurance and 82% live below 200% of the federal poverty level.

Federal Funding

Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i is a grantee or subcontractor for:

• 330 Grant
• Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Project
• Hawai‘i Federal Health Care Partnership

Federal Designations

• MUP
• Primary Care HPSA
• Dental HPSA
• Mental Health HPSA (Koloa-Waimea)