The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo’s Student Health and Wellness Programs received renewal of a three-year grant award of $282,500 to support Student Medical Services in its efforts to provide the community with a Family Planning Clinic. The FPC was established in 1993 with a Title X grant from the Office of Family Planning.
Under the direction of Family Nurse Practitioner Heather Hirata, FPC services include a broad range of high-quality clinical family planning and preventative health services, including testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The program is completely voluntary and confidential.
The UH Hilo Family Planning Grant serves a diverse student and community body. The target population is low-income and hard-to-reach individuals who are the most under-served and the least likely to access family planning services in a traditional setting.
“Recent survey data from UH Hilo indicates that our students are less likely to practice preventive measures such as routine exams, contraceptive use and STD testing, which are all offered on campus to students and the community,” said Sulma Gandhi, director of UH Hilo’s Student Health and Wellness Programs. “Oftentimes the barrier to preventative medicine is access to knowledgeable healthcare professionals and through this grant we are able to provide these vital services,”
Contact UH Hilo’s Student Medical Services at (808) 974-7636 for more information.
