2024 Hawai‘i Oral Health Coalition Annual Statewide Stakeholder Meeting

A small but mighty force took on the task of developing the Hawai‘i Oral Health Coalition’s (HOHC) first five-year strategic plan on Thursday, November 7, 2024. HOHC members, stakeholders, and community partners gathered at the coalition’s annual statewide stakeholder meeting at Homer A. Maxey International Trade Resource Center Conference Room in Honolulu. With a mix of familiar and new faces, the day was filled with the vision, collaboration, and encouragement needed to drive the network into its next chapter.

After a year of traveling the state, conducting interviews, surveys, and island-based focus groups, Sharon Simms and Verna Wong directed the coalition’s final strategic planning phase, which honed in on the top oral health goals for the next five years. Meeting participants were grouped and re-grouped throughout the day, ensuring ample opportunity for collaboration, engagement, team-building, and strategic development.

Patrick Donnelly, Statewide Oral Health Coalition Manager, shared the history and foundations of HOHC and recounted the significant strides the coalition has made since those beginnings to rekindle the passions of those who have carried it to today.

Community Access, Workforce Development, and School-Based Dental Services were vital strategic areas identified by those in attendance. The HOHC Steering Committee will soon review these priorities and finalize the plan by the end of the year.

We sincerely thank our sponsors, Hawai‘i Dental Service Foundation and AlohaCare, who have played a vital role in supporting HOHC program development and the 2024 annual meeting. Collectively prioritizing oral health and its critical importance to overall health, HOHC and its partners will continue to uplift and improve the overall health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities across Hawai‘i.

To get involved or learn more about HOHC and our work, contact us at info@hiohc.org. We look forward to hearing from you!