Aloha,
Thanks to all our partners, funders and advocates for making 2014 another impactful year for public health in Hawai‘i! While our work as the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i continues, this year was another important step forward for us as a public health institute to start building bridges with the outstanding organizations and community leaders working to tackle obesity.
I am personally grateful for the warm reception we have received from the many communities and organizations we visited. Not only was Hawai‘i Public Health Institute (HIPHI) given a leadership seat on the statewide Obesity Prevention Task Force, we also received a tremendous amount of support for our new Perspectives on Community Health trips. These Perspectives outings bring together people working in public health to literally gain some new “perspective” on what health means to different communities across the state. If you are not already familiar with the program, check it out here.
In 2014, we also worked closely with partners and allies to achieve two major victories in tobacco control. First, thanks to the efforts of our Big Island coalition, Hawai‘i County became the first in the state to include e-cigarette use under the state smoke-free law. This now protects Big Island residents and visitors from e-cig vapor in most places where smoking is prohibited and it sets the stage for a potential statewide bill!
Second, and in direct response to community concerns, we worked to successfully pass legislation prohibiting smoking in all public housing developments across the state. Now, more people will be protected from deadly secondhand smoke in and around their homes.
I am also proud of all the trainings we did this year. In direct response to the feedback we received via our community engagement work, we discovered that there was a real desire and need for leadership and advocacy training. At a time when a large majority of those working in public health will be retiring in the next two decades, this training is more important than ever before. More than 100 public health professionals were trained this year, and we hope to expand our training capacity in the years to come.
We will continue to visit communities statewide, listen and share ideas, and work to pass policy that protects the health of all who live in and visit this beautiful state. Mahalo for your ongoing support!
With Aloha,
2014 Goals
2014 Highlights
Hawai‘i Public Health Institute (HIPHI) takes next steps. In 2014, HIPHI started building bridges with groups and task forces working to address obesity, resulting in our executive director, Jessica Yamauchi, being elected Vice Chair to the Obesity Prevention Task Force. As part of our new portfolio of work, HIPHI started educating legislators about the benefits of a sugar-sweetened beverage fee and supported legislation during the session. HIPHI was also granted provisional membership to the National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) and was asked to serve on their annual conference planning committee.
Breathe freely in public housing. The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i worked with partners to successfully pass legislation that prohibits smoking in public housing across the state.
Big Island tackles vaping and implements Age 21 law. Hawai‘i County becomes the first in the state to prohibit e-cigarette use anywhere smoking is prohibited within the county. The Big Island also implemented a new law passed in 2013, which requires purchasers of tobacco and ESD products to be at least 21 years of age.
HIPHI launches Perspectives on Community Health. Recognizing a disconnect that occasionally occurs between public health organizations and the communities they serve, HIPHI developed the Perspectives on Community Health program. These field trips allow people working on public health issues to step out of regular routines and join peers on visits to unique and important organizations to learn about their work and their approach to community health. In 2014, we held Perspectives trips on Maui, Kaua‘i, Oahu and the Big Island. (Learn more here.)
HIPHI invests in public health trainings. In 2014, HIPHI and its program, Coalition for a Tobacco-Free Hawai‘i, offered both advocacy training and community organizing training via the “Leading Change Network”. More than 100 public health professionals were trained in 2014 through HIPHI trainings.
2014 Board of Directors
Officers
Stacy Evensen, Chair
John Tomoso, Secretary
Kent Kasaoka, Treasurer
Members-at-Large
Joy Barua
Clifford Chang
Christopher Goodin
Maile Goo
John Hunt
Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula
Hye-ryeon Lee
Steve Pavao
Don Weisman
Mahalo to Our Donors
Major Funders
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Hawai‘i State Department of Health
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
National Network of Public Health Institutes
Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund
University of Hawai‘i, Office of Public Health Studies
The Advocates (Robert & Lynne Toyofuku)
Valley Isle Dumping Inc.
Individuals
Gold Supporter $250-999
Mary Goldsworthy
Jerry Lum, April Oshiro & Lance Uchida (EMS Week)
Mike Onofrietti
Silver Supporter $100-249
Forrest Batz
Steven Bradshaw
Carl & Stacy Evensen
Friends of Clift Tsuji
Maile Goo
Keaweaimoku Kaholokula
Hye-Ryeon Lee
Don & Akiko Marutani
Mark Levin & Fumiyo Yokokawa
Josh Levinson
Napualani Spock
Joan Takamori
Jessica Yamauchi
Valerie Yontz
In-Kind Services or Goods
489 Group LLC
Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
90% of your contributions go directly to programs, trainings and advancing policy across the islands!
Individuals
Bronze Supporter $50-99
Kent Kasaoka
Ron Kuriki
Friend $5-49
Cory Chun
Pebbles Fagan
Daria Fand
Kent Kasaoka
Kathy Koga
Lila Johnson
Sally Jo Manea
Stephanie Moir
Kim Nguyen
Ronald Paik
Hali Robinett
Jill Tamashiro
Rebecca Williams
Leslie Yap