Hawaiʻi faces a significant public health workforce shortage that far exceeds the national average, leaving rural communities especially affected by limited public health resources and academic pathways into the field.
To help fill this gap, a three-course public health certificate offered by Kauaʻi Community College was developed and launched in fall 2020 in partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi’s Department of Public Health Studies (DPHS) and the Department of Health’s Kauaʻi District Health Office (KDHO). Nearly six years later, 72 students—including high school early college participants—have completed the program, gaining foundational knowledge and credits transferable to a bachelor of arts in public health at UH Mānoa.
Early college credits, pathway to a degree
The certificate introduces foundational concepts through PH201: Introduction to Public Health, PH202: Public Health in Hawaiʻi, and PH203: Introduction to Global Public Health. Kauaʻi CC students who complete the program get a head start on a four-year degree and strengthen a seamless UH System pipeline.
The program is also offered to students at Waimea High School and Kapaāa High School through early college partnerships, allowing them to earn college credits that count toward both Kauaʻi CC and UH Mānoa.
“It’s so awesome to see high school students grapple with college material and make those important connections to public health,” said Yuka Polovina, a DPHS faculty member who currently teaches PH201. “This certificate and partnership with Kauaʻi CC is a fantastic model for other community colleges across our state and other campuses to follow.”
This program is a wonderful showcase of the collaborative academic pathway across the university system…
—Tetine Sentell
KDHO staff serve as guest lecturers, covering topics such as epidemiology, public health emergency preparedness, public health communications and outbreak control.
“We love the opportunity for our staff to share real-world local examples and make the work of public health come alive for Kauaʻi CC students,” said Janet Berreman, KDHO officer. “We get to see their excitement as they learn about the field.”
By introducing students to the field earlier, the program aims to increase local capacity and cultivate a future public health workforce drawn from the communities it serves. The initiative also supports UH President Wendy Hensel’s efforts to strengthen connections across the UH System.
The certificate builds on work by DPHS faculty Denise Nelson-Hurwitz, Lisa Kehl and Michelle Tagorda-Kama, with Tammie Napoleon and others at Kauaʻi CC. Yvette Amshoff, a DPHS master’s of public health graduate, taught the first cohorts and helped develop the program.
“This program is a wonderful showcase of the collaborative academic pathway across the university system, including our KDHO partners and DOE as well,” said Tetine Sentell, public health professor and DPHS department chair. “We are working to build more pathways like this to support public health across our islands and beyond.”
More information about the public health certificate program.
