A new partnership between the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) will provide students with valuable hands-on training while addressing a critical shortage in the state’s public health workforce.
The UH West Oʻahu Public Administration (PUBA) division’s Health Care Administration (HCAD) certificate program equips students and health care practitioners with a broad range of administrative skills needed in the growing health care field. In consultation with DOH, PUBA has developed the HCAD DOH Pathway for practicum placements that prepare students for employment in the public health sector.
“We see it as a win-win for both DOH and UH West Oʻahu,” said HCAD Instructor Linda Axtell-Thompson. “There is a critical and growing shortage in public health staffing—both locally and nationally—that our UH West Oʻahu programs can help address.”
Students in the pathway must complete 120 field hours and 40 academic hours. Participants who meet requirements are eligible for tuition support, book stipends and a $2,000 practicum stipend.
Urgent need
Vacancy rates across DOH and many state agencies are about 30%, according to DOH Chief Policy Officer Lorrin Kim. Nationally, the American Public Health Association reports that local and state health departments need an additional 80,000 full-time employees just to provide basic public health services.
“The pathway collaboration between UH West Oʻahu and the Department of Health is a strategic investment in our public workforce designed to expose Hawaiʻi’s future health care leaders to essential public health concepts and functions,” Kim said.
“We are incredibly excited and grateful to the Department of Health for this amazing opportunity,” said PUBA Division Chair Kristina Lu, who is also the HCAD Program Director. “Through this pathway, students will complete their administrative practicum with the DOH, gain valuable, real-world experience and be well-positioned for future employment with the department after graduation.”
Program details and application information
For more visit Ka Puna O Kaloʻi.
—By Zenaida Serrano Arvman
