About
Our History
Following the Molokaʻi Heart Study, Nā Puʻuwai applied for and received federal recognition in 1986 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity dedicated to researching chronic diseases affecting Native Hawaiians and improving their health. The Board of Directors included representatives from four districts of topside Molokaʻi, one from Kalaupapa, and one from Lānaʻi.
When the opportunity arose to expand Nā Puʻuwai to provide a suite of culturally relevant health services, the communities of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi approved.
Nā Puʻuwai was initially formed in 1984 as the advisory board for the Molokaʻi Heart Study. Incorporated in 1985, Nā Puʻuwai has operated as a private, non-profit organization since 1991.
Nā Puʻuwai took on the kuleana for planning a Native Hawaiian Health Care System for the islands of Molokaʻi and Lānaʻi under the federal Native Hawaiian Health Care Act of 1988, which was later reauthorized as the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act in 1992 and again in 2010.
Nā Puʻuwai
About the name
Nā Puʻuwai is literally translated into the hearts. Many hearts is symbolic of the heart our staff has to serve our patients, the heart of the ʻohana (families) within the communities we serve, the heart of the ʻāina (land) that we care for and l0ve, the physical, emotional and spiritual heart, and our commitment to heart health.
About the logo
Our logo is symbolic of the heart (puʻuwai) and its role in circulating the blood and love to create the wellsprings of life.
Mission
Nā Pu‘uwai strives to empower its communities with advancing Mauli Ola, through the delivery and teaching of integrative, comprehensive primary health services and programs. Recognizing that not all knowledge is learned in one school (‘A ‘ohe pau ka ‘ike I ka halau ho’okahi), we embrace a multifaceted approach to health—integrating innovation and proven practices to promote lifelong well-being for all.
Values
- Pono – Integrity, goodness, morality, duty, balance
- Kuleana – Responsibility, honor to serve
- Aloha – The unconditional desire to promote the true good of others, in a friendly spirit, a sense of kinship, love, honor, and respect for all
- Ha’aha’a – Generosity in spirit, humility, humbleness to treat everyone with kindness
- Mālama – To take care of, preserve, protect, serve and honor