Winter 2021 update from our CEO

Dear Friends,

The holiday season is here! Many of us are winding down and preparing to enjoy some much needed time with family and friends. With the Omicron variant lurking and thousands of residents and tourists traveling in and out of the state, we encourage people to remain vigilant and maintain safety precautions to enjoy the season to its fullest. Vaccination, including boosters, remain an important public health tool to keep our friends, family, and ourselves safe as we celebrate our favorite holiday traditions.

Many of our loved ones on Oʻahu have been deeply impacted by the Red Hill water crisis, serving as an important reminder of how our environment directly affects our health. Everyone has the right to fresh, clean water. We urge our Hawaiʻi leaders to take action now and put public health and the health of our ʻāina first as we strategize next steps for the future.

Our deepest thanks go out to numerous agencies, partners, friends and individuals who helped the people of Hawai‘i through the recent “Kona Low” weather system. It is another reminder of how vulnerable and inadequately prepared we are for severe climate events.

As we prepare to close out 2021 and welcome a new year, we would like to thank Dr. Keawe Kaholokula, John. A Burns School of Medicine, Department of Native Hawaiian Health (8 years of service), Dr. Rachel Novotny, University of Hawai‘i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Science Department (6 years of service) and Mark Levin (6+ years of service), William S. Richardson School of Law, Institute of Asian-Pacific Business Law for their service on HIPHI’s board over the years. We are proud to say that public health has benefited greatly from your time and dedication. While we bid a fond farewell to our three board members, we are excited to welcome five new board members who will be starting their new terms on January 1, 2022. Dr. Camonia Graham-Tutt, University of Hawai‘i West Oahu; Carissa Holley, Hale Makua; Kathleen (Kate) Roche, Kaiser Permanente; Dina Shek, University of Hawai‘i, William S. Richardson School of Law, Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Hawai‘i; and Titiimaea Ta‘ase, Deputy Public Defender, State of Hawai‘i. We appreciate their willingness to serve on HIPHI’s board and look forward to working with them. 

HIPHI has been privileged to be at the forefront of taking on critical public health issues and our partnerships and initiatives continue to grow as a result. As we head into 2022, we know there is still much work to be done. Please consider making an end of year tax-deductible contribution to support public health initiatives that directly impact us here in Hawaiʻi. Your commitment to promote and protect the health of our community does not go unnoticed.

On behalf of our staff and board, we thank you for your continued support and wish you and your family a very safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

Happy Holidays,

Jessica Yamauchi, MA

Chief Executive Officer