Ola HAWAII

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT With continued support from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) through the RCMI U54 RFA-MD-22-002, the goal of Ola HAWAII is to improve minority health and reduce health disparities for those communities in Hawaii which suffer disproportionately in health outcomes and healthcare access. In the next five years, the objective of the Center is to lead and advance minority health and health disparities research in Hawaii. Ola means “health” and “to heal” in Hawaiian and HAWAII designates both our island homeland and our aspiration “Health And Wellness Achieved by Impacting Inequalities”. Specific Aim 1: Enhance institutional capacity to facilitate basic biomedical, clinical and behavioral research. a. Manage, coordinate and supervise Ola HAWAII activities and resource allocation. b. Develop and institute a plan for the dissemination of research findings, including health policy development through UHealthy Hawaii. c. Implement a rigorous evaluation process for continuous improvement. Specific Aim 2: Address health disparities and health-related concerns of underserved communities. a. Nurture trust-based collaborations with communities through capacity building and resource sharing to address community-identified, health-related concerns. b. Promote and facilitate community participation in all aspects of health disparities research, including dissemination of research outcomes to community, academic, and policy partners. Specific Aim 3: Mentor and support a diversified health disparities research workforce. a. Customize and expand the Pilot Projects Program to support post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, and other early-stage investigators. b. Personalize and enrich the Mentoring Bootcamp Program to accelerate lead investigator research success. Specific Aim 4: Enhance the quality and productivity of health disparities and health-related research through world-class research facilities and services. a. Strengthen and sustain core facilities and resources. b. Expand and diversify core user base, capability, and reach. c. Implement a personalized Research Studio Program. Ola HAWAII will continue to be led by the MPI team of Jerris R. Hedges, MD, and Noreen Mokuau, DSW, who will work closely with an exemplary team to achieve the aims. By building on its successes and integrating innovative new approaches, Ola HAWAII will have a profound impact on health disparities research in Hawaii.