About Hawai‘i Public Health Institute
The Hawai‘i Public Health Institute (HIPHI) is a statewide nonprofit organization that began in 1996, then known as the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i. In 2012, the organization moved from a singular focus on tobacco issues to a broader public health mission and became the first and only public health institute serving Hawai‘i. Our work has broadened to include: food and agriculture, transportation and public safety, oral health, healthy eating + active living (HEAL), drug and alcohol prevention, tobacco, COVID-19 response efforts and workforce development.
HIPHI continues to be a bridge between community and partners from government and health care so that all relevant stakeholders throughout the Hawaiian Islands are involved in decisions related to public health policy, programs, and investments. We believe we can play a significant role in the shift of public health from being primarily about treating disease to the promotion of preventing it.
What is a Public Health Institute?
Public health institutes are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing public health practice and making systematic improvements in population health. HIPHI is a member of the National Network of Public Health Institutes (nnphi.org). There are currently over 40 public health institutes across the country and HIPHI is the only institute in Hawai‘i.
Our work is guided by our values:
- We show respect for people, places, and practices in everything we do.
- We foster trust by being honest and ethical in all interactions and across all levels of planning, partnership, and collaboration.
- We are inspired and informed by our communities to improve health and wellbeing for all.
- We affirm the dignity in all people and endeavor to create access and opportunity for health and wellness.
HIPHI works to improve policies, systems and environments where people live, learn, work, age, and play through:
- Issue based advocacy
- Education
- Technical assistance
- Capacity building services
- Conferences and Trainings
The healthiest people are served by communities that have the power to create and sustain health. HIPHI has the privilege of being uniquely positioned to contribute to building of community power by:
- Scaling innovation
- Allocating resources to under-resourced communities
- Providing the backbone infrastructure
- Forging work groups and coalitions
- Amplifying the voice of vulnerable communities
- Providing technical assistance
Mission & Vision
Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute’s (HIPHI) mission is to advance the health and wellness of the people and islands of Hawai‘i.
- Expanding understanding of what creates health of people and place, embracing upstream social, cultural, and environmental factors.
- Fostering partnerships among public health, health care, and other varied sectors to improve health and wellness.
- Cultivating programs including education, advocacy, research, capacity building and training—to improve policies, systems, and the environments where people live, learn, work, age, and play.
HIPHI’s Vision
All people of Hawai‘i achieve their best health
We envision a Hawai‘i where:
- Health is understood to be holistic, broad, and determined by upstream social, cultural and environmental factors;
- Business, government and community collaborate, take collective action, and share responsibility for health; and
- People and places are in ecological balance, with sustainable and regenerative systems for food, water, energy, and waste.