Hana Ola

The Hana Ola Workforce Development Center is committed to nurturing homegrown healthcare professionals to serve our communities throughout the State of Hawai’i by training highly skilled practitioners who understand their communities well, while creating economic growth opportunities for generations to come.

Did You Know?

  • Hawaii has a shortage of nearly 800 full-time physicians and the need is more pronounced on the neighbor islands.

  • The Hawaii State Center for Nursing’s 2021 Hawaii Nursing Workforce Supply Report indicated that unofficial estimates suggest that the state had a current shortage of 300 to 400 nurses.

  • According to the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, the number of job vacancies for healthcare workers has surged by 76% from 2019 to 2022, increasing from 2,200 openings to 3,873.

Local Training, Lasting Impact

Community-Centric Training

We provide clinical site training through multiple partnerships with well-known accredited academic institutions, ensuring our future healthcare providers understand and value the unique needs of our community. By producing well-trained healthcare professionals within our community, we aim to improve the health and well-being of our keiki, kūpuna, and ‘ohana.

Homegrown Practitioners

Our mission is to equip residents with the necessary training, enabling them to serve in our communities and apply their skills locally to benefit their neighbors and surroundings. From urban communities within Honolulu to more rural communities in Moloka’i and Lāna’i, our initiative helps give our students the opportunity to return home to serve in their communities. 

Increasing Health Literacy

Our local practitioners are better equipped to educate and engage with the community, making healthcare information more accessible and understandable. This helps residents make informed decisions about their health, leading to better health outcomes and a stronger, healthier community overall.

Impact on Health Disparities

We aim to improve health outcomes for all communities and address healthcare gaps throughout the state. Our program directly addresses healthcare shortages by ensuring healthcare professionals are familiar with the unique challenges and needs of their community, leading to more effective and compassionate care.

Training Partnerships

Through robust, collaborative partnerships with the following programs, we offer clinical training opportunities for students looking to expand their healthcare career within a rural community setting.

These partnerships ensure that our future healthcare providers receive top-tier education and practical hands-on experience and training in a real-world setting. Our hope is that these opportunities encourage students to continue their pursuit in healthcare and return to serve our communities within the State of Hawaii.

Naturopathic Medicine Residency Program

Postdoctoral residency programs in naturopathic medicine offer naturopathic doctors opportunities for advanced training in the practice of naturopathic medicine.

The Nā Puʻuwai ND residency program is a one year program in a community healthcare setting with a focus on improving the health status of Native Hawaiians through an innovative care delivery model.  The emphasis of our ND residency program is to provide high quality development of the future naturopathic medical workforce committed to serving medically underserved communities. 

Scholarships

The Grace Hagemann Scholarship honors the legacy of Grace Haaheo Kaawakano Hagemann, a resilient and self-educated woman who dedicated herself to providing for her family. 

Each year, the Grace Hagemann Scholarship is awarded to a deserving student from Molokaʻi who is accepted into a postsecondary program or training in a healthcare profession. This scholarship supports students pursuing healthcare careers, encouraging them to return and serve their local community.

2024 Grace Hagemann Scholarship Recipients

Mallory Go

Brown University

Clara Merkel

Grand Canyon University