The University of Hawaiʻi graduated a record number of students enrolled in its (CHW) certificate program this year. A total of 91 students (21 in fall 2020 and 70 in spring 2021) completed the 16-credit curriculum that offered both part-time and full-time cohorts at . This is more than quadruple the number of students who normally complete the CHW program in a year since it started in 2017.

Students received free tuition thanks to a partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH). CHW graduates are now prepared to help improve the quality of health and address disparities in the community, as well as support the state鈥檚 ongoing response to COVID-19.

As part of the DOH–糖心Vlog官方 Contact Tracing Training Program, a initiative, 糖心Vlog官方 Community Colleges updated the CHW program curricula in 2020 so graduates were ready to support DOH in COVID-19 response efforts and help their communities access telehealth. By the end of the fall 2021 semester, more than 130 students will have earned their CHW certification through the DOH–糖心Vlog官方 program.

• Related 糖心Vlog官方 News story: 糖心Vlog官方-educated community health workers key to COVID-19 response, March 2, 2021

“Community Health Workers are on the frontlines as they are trusted individuals in the community and often come from the communities they serve. It was extremely important to our team that we made sure to address any gaps in access to education, therefore addressing health inequities across our islands in order to ensure the safety of all during this time of COVID-19,” said Hilary Hacker, CHW Recruitment Facilitator and Lecturer at Kapiʻolani CC.

“Community Health Workers play a key role in promoting well-being and preventing illness, from chronic diseases to pandemics. They鈥檙e critical public health partners whose cultural knowledge, lived experience and language skills ensure our COVID-19 response is inclusive and our long term goals are equitable,” said CJ Johnson, DOH COVID-19 Outreach and Public Health Education community liaison. “We are grateful for our partnership with 糖心Vlog官方 that has dramatically increased the number of CHWs in the state of Hawaiʻi.”

Free tuition and resources

Through the partnership, the CHW program received funding from DOH to provide tuition waivers for students enrolled during the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. In addition, students received books, laptops and other wrap-around services such as technology and English Language Learner support. These services made it possible to reach those in remote areas or from underserved communities.

Preparing for a new career path

“I have always worked in sales and obtained a bachelor鈥檚 in business administration; however, the certification program has given me the foundation to pursue another career as a social worker,” said CHW graduate Jamie Robertson-Leong. “I had an amazing time learning and growing my skills during my practicum experience at Residential Youth Services and Empowerment while working with our homeless youth population, and I am looking forward to furthering my education and serving our community. I am grateful for the program and the professors at Kapiʻolani CC.” Robertson-Leong plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work.

After training approximately 130 CHWs through the DOH–糖心Vlog官方 Contact Tracing Training Program, the 糖心Vlog官方 Community Colleges program will continue to support workforce development across the islands.

Last May, the University of Hawaiʻi began a partnership with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) to train Community Health Workers (CHWs) as part of the DOH-糖心Vlog官方 Contact Tracing Training Program and the in an effort to enhance health outreach in high-risk communities affected by COVID-19. A year later in May, nearly 150 students statewide will have earned their certification training through the 糖心Vlog官方 online program, and have been or will be ready to play a vital role in the state鈥檚 response to the ongoing pandemic.

CHWs draw on our own resiliency building experiences to help other individuals navigate and heal
—Lia Thorne

As CHWs, these trainees have the skills to help connect disadvantaged populations with health care providers and community resources to improve the quality of their health and lives. These populations include the Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities, as well as uninsured and homeless individuals. CHWs are trusted advocates for their patients who oftentimes do not know where to turn to for help.

“Hawaiʻi is blessed with a rich and diverse population and afflicted with stark health inequities,” said CJ Johnson, DOH COVID-19 Outreach and Public Health Education community liaison. “As the Department of Health and its community partners rise to the formidable challenge of a vaccination campaign without any precedent in its scale and urgency, the importance of community health workers has never been clearer. The professional and lived experience they bring to the table ensures that our plans include community voices and address community needs.”

Helping to end homelessness

Martha Boyd is a CHW with the Queen鈥檚 Care Coalition (QCC). Boyd has been with the coalition since it began operating in 2018 and was able to complete the 糖心Vlog官方 program while she was employed. “What I learned at 糖心Vlog官方 was priceless! I could take what I learned in school and immediately apply it to my patients I was seeing in the community,” she said.

At Queen鈥檚, Boyd works with patients who are usually homeless, uninsured or underinsured. She assists up to 12 patients at a time for about 90 days, depending on the cases. “They come to the Emergency Department for colds, food or clothing because they do not know about resources in the community that can help them,” she explained. “I offer shelter options, food bank options, clothing, connection to insurance services, connections to a primary care doctor, and often accompany them to doctors appointments.”

“When I do this, the patient is not viewed as a ‘homeless, non-compliant patient,’ but as a ‘human being’ that needs care,” she said. “This changes the way doctors and staff respond to the patient.”

Boyd said their work at QCC is important “to really help end homelessness in Hawaiʻi, by trying to get our patients in housing, shelters and help with their problems, whether it is mental health, no money or no family connections.”

According to Boyd, some patients are not aware of COVID-19 or are resistant to getting vaccinated. To address their questions and concerns, she provides them with information from the CDC or consults with her medical director to make sure they have the facts and answers to help them make an informed decision.

“I don鈥檛 try to change their minds. The patient is still capable of making their own medical decisions,” she said. “My care for the patient is driven by what the patient desires and wants, not me 鈥榤aking鈥� them do what I want.”

Due to COVID-19, Boyd and her colleagues have adapted in the way they deal with their patients. While face-to-face interactions have been minimized, creative solutions have helped them build and sustain the relationships with their patients, including buying them cell phones so they can keep their telephonic appointments with doctors. According to QCC, the average cost savings per patient served through the QCC program is about 40%.

Addressing vaccine mistrust

Another 糖心Vlog官方 program graduate, Lia Thorne, serves as a CHW with HMSA and focuses on Quest HMSA members. Thorne provides members with services ranging from weekly touch-base phone calls to assisting them in navigating public programs, such as applying for federal , formerly known as Food Stamps, and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits. Her caseload can be as high as 25 patients at a time.

Thorne has extensive experience working at various health care systems across the island. She notes that while the role of CHWs has been brought to the forefront even more during COVID-19, they have been involved in patient care for as long as medical and health existed.

“We do not possess all knowledge, but we do possess the bonds that tie us to our communities,” she said. “We are a key component in the continuity of patient care because we have close relationships with those cultures and communities that we personally identify with, live in and serve.”

With regard to COVID-19 vaccinations, Thorne said she hears a lot of mistrust issues from members, including how vaccines are made, difficulty with understanding the different vaccination tiers, and concerns about how policy decisions were made. “Many people feel disgruntled about having to wait for a vaccination. Relaying accurate information is vital to bringing about understanding and trust,” she said.

Thorne provides members with visual aids that can be found on trusted sites such as CDC and DOH, especially in other languages. This sometimes leads her to sharing and educating members about using the internet, and accessing apps on their smartphones. She knows it鈥檚 important work, and part of her role as a CHW.

“The reality is this鈥揫due to COVID-19] every human being on this planet now has a shared traumatic experience. CHWs draw on our own resiliency building experiences to help other individuals navigate and heal,” Thorne said.

More on CHW certificate program

The CHW program is a certificate program that can be completed in one or two semesters. The statewide program is accessible at . Additional programs are offered at and . Courses include: CHW fundamentals, counseling and interviewing, health promotion and disease prevention, case management, an in-person practicum component and COVID-19 health clinical training.

Interested students may visit the respective 糖心Vlog官方 community college websites to .

—By Arlene Abiang

The University of Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) are ramping up efforts to enhance health outreach in high-risk communities affected by COVID-19 with plans to train 100 individuals to become (CHW) in the next year. The 糖心Vlog官方 online training program is open to Hawaiʻi residents with fall classes scheduled to begin on August 24, 2020.

The 16-credit certificate program is offered online and statewide through in partnership with the other 糖心Vlog官方 community colleges, and is the third arm of the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program.

The program will prepare students to function as outreach community health workers who will be responsible for connecting people to health resources and services to improve the quality of their health and lives. The work of CHWs may entail working closely with contact tracers to help manage COVID-19 disease outbreaks in communities throughout the state. While training will be provided through 糖心Vlog官方, employment is not guaranteed upon completion of the program.

• Read more 糖心Vlog官方 News stories about the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program

“A community health worker serves an important role within our communities,” said Lisa Radak, dean of health academic programs at Kapiʻolani CC. “They establish relationships and provide support through connections to critical resources and services. They help to quiet the fears of our most vulnerable populations by letting clients know the challenges they are facing now will not always be a part of their life. To our future students and graduates I would say, 鈥極ne person can make a difference.’”

Training options and eligibility

Part-time and full-time training opportunities are available. To be eligible for the program, interested candidates are required to have a high school diploma or GED.

Training for the part-time CHW certificate program runs from August 24, 2020 to May 2021. Two full-time options are also available in fall 2020 and spring 2021. The fall program begins on August 24 and ends in December 2020. The spring program begins in January 2021 and ends in May 2021.

Those interested in applying for the fall programs should to Kapiʻolani CC by August 10. In addition, applicants will need to complete the . Neighbor island residents are especially encouraged to apply.

As of July 24, the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program has trained 450 qualified individuals who will be available to be activated by the DOH, as needed, to trace known contacts of COVID-19 positive cases throughout Hawai驶i.

For more information, email oshi@hawaii.edu.

By the end of this week, the University of Hawaiʻi–Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (糖心Vlog官方-DOH) Contact Tracing Training Program will have trained nearly 450 qualified individuals who will be available to be activated by the DOH, as needed, to trace known contacts of COVID-19 positive cases throughout Hawaiʻi.

Track 1: Contact Tracing for Clinical Healthcare Professionals, a 1.5-day training course, trained a total of 393 individuals after its completion on July 17. Track 2: Community Contact Tracer Training, a six-week course available year-round for those with bachelor鈥檚 degrees without necessarily having a clinical health background, will graduate 49 individuals from its first cohort on July 24.

Aimee Grace, 糖心Vlog官方 System lead and director of the 糖心Vlog官方ealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative, reiterated the university鈥檚 appreciation to the community for all of the volunteerism and support. “We remain incredibly grateful to every person that has stepped up and reached out to be part of the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program,” she said. “Together, we will help to support the DOH in its contact tracing needs to best address the COVID-19 pandemic while building critical health workforce capacity for Hawaiʻi鈥檚 future.”

Three participants from the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH program share more about why they decided to apply and become part of the state鈥檚 cadre of contact tracers during this critical period.

• Read more 糖心Vlog官方 News stories about the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program

Clifford Chang

Chang of Honolulu was part of Track 1 offered by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 . Chang recently retired after 15 years as executive director of the Pacific Islands Primary Care Association and currently works as a public health consultant. An alumnus of 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa earning his BA in environmental health and an MA in public health in community health development, Chang鈥檚 extensive background in public health spans more than 40 years.

Chang said he took the accelerated day-and-a-half course to be a resource to the state. “Contact tracing is a time-tested public health tool that can assist in limiting the spread of the virus. As I am no longer working full-time, I am able to devote some time in conducting the very essential, but labor and time consuming contact tracing outreach.”

Through the simulations and role playing conducted during the course led by Associate Dean and Professor Kristine Qureshi, Chang gained a better understanding of how to deal with someone when they find out they have been exposed to COVID-19. “It was invaluable to learn the variety of ways the person being notified may react鈥攕urprise, fear, suspicion, mistrust, denial, anger, cooperation鈥攁nd how one may best respond,” he explained.

Since completing the course, Chang has begun volunteering as a contact tracer with DOH鈥檚 Disease Outbreak Control Division. He hopes to be hired by DOH on a full-time basis.

Luisa “Mickey” Abaygar

Originally from the Philippines, Abaygar of M膩kaha, Oʻahu, is part of the first cohort of Track 2 offered by . Her six-week training ends on July 24. A graduate of the University of the Philippines earning her BA in communication (broadcasting), she worked as a DJ/VJ, newscaster and in media sales in Manila before moving to the U.S.

Prior to COVID-19, Abaygar worked as a purchasing manager at Paradise Cove until it was forced to temporarily shut down. Inundated by news about COVID-19 locally and around the world, she felt fearful and helpless. “I thought, ‘How can I help, especially my immediate community in Waiʻanae? In what capacity can I contribute in tackling this pandemic?’” Abaygar said.

She took the Johns Hopkins contact tracing training course and when the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH program was announced, Abaygar also applied to help in the state鈥檚 battle to control the pandemic.

Abaygar praised Track 2 leaders and 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu Associate Professor Ricardo Custodio and Assistant Professor Camonia Graham-Tutt. “They were extremely effective and knowledgeable in their respective fields and are very cognizant of the fact that this contact tracing endeavor has to be community and team based,” she said. “Having that understanding will help address the needs of our communities and ʻohana by providing important COVID-19 information and assisting them with services they need to safely quarantine.”

Ilima DeCosta

DeCosta of Volcano on Hawaiʻi Island is also a student in the first cohort of Track 2, finishing up her last week of the online training course. She earned her BA in political science and studied anthropology at 糖心Vlog官方 M膩noa. DeCosta is a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner. She is currently helping with a community initiative to convert a local restaurant into a healthcare center in Volcano Village that will support a large Native Hawaiian population who lack access to essential health care.

Growing up in Kāneʻohe, DeCosta was deeply influenced by the Mango Man, a one-time community fixture who lived on the streets for decades. His circumstances made her aware of the need for a more robust community public health system. This fueled her passion for serving Hawaiʻi鈥檚 homeless population for more than a decade. DeCosta was responsible for founding the HMSA Homeless Innovation Team whose mission is to determine how to deliver safe, effective and affordable healthcare to those living unsheltered.

“When the Department of Health put out the kahea (call) to train community contact tracers, I saw it as an opportunity to learn more about the disease, overcome my personal anxieties related to the pandemic and to serve my community in a meaningful way,” said DeCosta. ”Like the HMSA Homeless Innovation Project, the community contact tracer training program is an opportunity for me to improve and protect the overall health of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 residents.”

She added, “We all have more in common than we think; in order to maintain our overall community public health and to survive this pandemic, we need to focus on our shared strengths and commonalities.”

Going forward

While Track 1 has formally completed, Track 2 has six more upcoming six-week cohorts of approximately 30–35 individuals each until the end of May 2021. The 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program also has an arm to train 100 community health workers (CHWs) over the next academic year. CHWs serve as community health liaisons for high-risk populations and work together with contact tracers. The requirement for the CHW program is a high school diploma or GED.

For more information on any of these programs, email oshi@hawaii.edu or sign up at .

—By Arlene Abiang

With the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases throughout Hawaiʻi, the University of Hawaiʻi–Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (糖心Vlog官方-DOH) Contact Tracing Training Program is seeking additional applicants with clinical healthcare backgrounds and an undergraduate degree who are available to be activated by DOH as full-time contact tracers for up to three months in the near future. A smaller number of applicants able to serve part-time (at least 20 hours per week) will be considered.

These contact tracers will provide the supplemental workforce capacity to identify and facilitate isolating individuals who are sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

“Given the state鈥檚 reopening and rise in COVID-19 cases, our partnership will serve DOH and the people of Hawaiʻi by providing the needed contact tracing training programs,” said Aimee Grace, 糖心Vlog官方 program lead and director of the 糖心Vlog官方ealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative. “We are now specifically seeking clinical healthcare professionals who are available to be activated by DOH full-time as contact tracers.”

The 糖心Vlog官方-DOH program for Track 1: Contact Tracing Training for Clinical Healthcare Professional to meet this urgent need. The free, accelerated, one-and-a-half day online training course is open to:

• Registered nurses
• Nurse practitioners
• Social workers
• Pharmacists
• Physicians
• Physician assistants
• Emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
• Paramedics

While 糖心Vlog官方 is providing the contact tracing training as part of the partnership, DOH will activate and manage any needed contact tracers. Once training has been completed, the contact tracers will be activated as needed for a short-term period of up to three months.

• Read more 糖心Vlog官方 News stories about the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program

Track 1 training for clinical healthcare professionals is being administered by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (SONDH) and has been developed jointly with DOH. Track 1 program lead Kristine Qureshi said, “The SONDH has an extraordinary team of individuals who are able, willing and ready to respond to the demand of training the number of contact tracers who are needed to support our state during this challenging time.”

Signups are ongoing for two other training arms that are also part of the 糖心Vlog官方–DOH program:

• Track 2: Community Contact Tracer Training—A six-week training program for those with undergraduate degrees but who do not have clinical backgrounds, and are available for full-time activation by DOH after program completion.
• Community Health Worker Training—Requires a high school degree or GED.

(PDF) for more information about any of these programs . For specific questions email oshi@hawaii.edu.

Track 2 of the University of Hawaiʻi-Department of Health (糖心Vlog官方-DOH) COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training Program started this Monday, June 15. The first cohort for Track 2: Community Contact Tracer Training consists of 31 individuals participating in the six-week intensive program, co-led by 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu Associate Professor of Health Science Ricardo Custodio and Assistant Professor Camonia Graham-Tutt.

“This is an innovative and unprecedented training opportunity and our overall goal is to train participants to be competent, effective and caring community contact tracers who are empathetic communicators,” said Custodio.

“The expectation is that when called upon, they will serve their communities, especially if they are from a Neighbor Island or underserved Native Hawaiian, Filipino or Pacific Islander community.”

• Read more 糖心Vlog官方 News stories about the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program

Track 2 participants require an undergraduate degree and can also earn college credits.

The two courses that are part of the Track 2 curriculum integrate the national contact tracing plan from Johns Hopkins University with emphasis on training that is community- and team-based, focused on underserved populations.

“Students enrolled in the Track 2, Cohort 1 group come from extremely diverse backgrounds,” said Graham-Tutt. “They all want to be of service to the community as a solution.”

The cohort includes retired professionals from health-related fields, those interested in public health with no previous background, graduate students, small business owners, as well as individuals who have been furloughed due to the pandemic.

Over the next year, the Track 2 program will have seven cohorts of students, ultimately training a workforce of 250.

Training for Clinical Healthcare Professionals

The overall 糖心Vlog官方-DOH program launched June 8 with Track 1: Contact Tracing Training for Clinical Healthcare Professionals, administered by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene.

More than 100 health professionals with clinical backgrounds in nursing, medicine, social work and pharmacy will have completed the program by Saturday, June 20. These individuals are prepared to be called into service should DOH need to activate them.

The highly interactive, one-and-a-half day program includes a series of short lectures, group activities, simulation with live actors and ongoing knowledge check in sessions. Applications for participation in the program far exceeded the number of available seats.

Track 1 program lead Kristine Qureshi said, “The success of this program has been made possible due to the close partnership, support and collaboration with staff of the Hawaiʻi Dept. of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division; the vision and support of 糖心Vlog官方 senior leadership; and the program support team and faculty. All groups have come together to support the health of our community.”

Augmented training for Community Health Workers

The third part of the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH partnership is augmented Community Health Worker (CHW) training, which begins in fall 2020. CHWs reach and support high-risk communities and work closely with contact tracers to manage disease outbreaks in those communities. The program aims to train 100 individuals to become CHWs over the next year. It is a 16-credit 糖心Vlog官方 certificate program for candidates who have earned a high school diploma or GED. The CHW program is being spearheaded by Kapiʻolani Community College in partnership with the 糖心Vlog官方 System鈥檚 other community colleges.

The 糖心Vlog官方-DOH COVID-19 Contact Tracing Training Program is part of the state鈥檚 response to the pandemic. If there is a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi beyond the contact tracing capacity of the DOH, those who complete the program may be called to serve as contact tracers for the state. Completing this training program does not guarantee employment. However, an expectation of the program is that all completers will join the DOH鈥檚 (volunteer pool).

Interested candidates for Track 2 or CHW training can get more information and or email oshi@hawaii.edu specific questions. Neighbor island residents are especially encouraged to sign up.

The University of Hawaiʻi System-Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) Contact Tracing Training Program kicks off its first cohort of trainees on Monday, June 8. The first pilot group will have 16 trainees in a free, online one-and-a-half day training for clinical healthcare professionals.

The program as a whole expects to train 320 contact tracers by mid-July 2020 as well as hundreds more in the next year. All training slots for clinical healthcare professionals have been filled, with a waiting list of participants.

Contact tracing is an important component of controlling the spread of COVID-19. The federally-funded 糖心Vlog官方-DOH program, announced May 13, will help to provide a trained cohort of individuals that can support the existing public health workforce in Hawaiʻi should there be a surge in cases as restrictions are lifted and the state resumes economic activities.

Approximately 1,200 people have applied for the broader 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program, which has multiple training arms. “We greatly appreciate the positive response we鈥檝e received for this program so far,” said Aimee Grace, 糖心Vlog官方 program lead and director of the 糖心Vlog官方ealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative. “We鈥檙e really grateful to be part of a community that rallies so much to help the state in the face of COVID-19.”

• Read more 糖心Vlog官方 News stories about the 糖心Vlog官方-DOH Contact Tracing Training Program

Health experts from multiple 糖心Vlog官方 campuses participating

Track 1 of the program was developed jointly by 糖心Vlog官方 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 and the DOH. It is an accelerated, one-and-a-half day training course for clinical healthcare professionals who have both an undergraduate degree and a clinical health background: registered nurse, nurse practitioner, social worker, pharmacist, physician or physician assistant.

Track 2 is a six-week training course being led by for those with undergraduate degrees but without clinical backgrounds.

Under the DOH-糖心Vlog官方 Contact Tracing Training Program, the 糖心Vlog官方 Community Colleges (led by ) will also provide expanded community health worker training, beginning in the fall. Community health workers are needed to help reach and support high-risk communities and work with contact tracers to manage disease outbreaks in those communities.

“As the state of Hawaiʻi reopens, we need to be prepared for any potential increase of COVID-19 cases by ensuring that we have trained contact tracers who can quickly identify and facilitate isolating those who are sick and/or exposed to someone with COVID-19,” said Hawaiʻi U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz. “The DOH-糖心Vlog官方 Contact Tracing Training Program will play an essential role in ramping up this critical workforce capacity.”

Program details

糖心Vlog官方 has developed the coursework with collaborative input from the DOH. Those who complete the training program are invited to join the DOH鈥檚 Medical Reserve Corps (volunteer pool). If there is a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in Hawaiʻi beyond the contact tracing capacity of the DOH, those who complete the program may be asked to serve as contact tracers for the state. Completing the training program does not guarantee employment.

Track 1 training is full and no more applications are being accepted. Track 2 contract tracing training is open to those with undergraduate degrees (health career-oriented preferred). Community Health Worker (CHW) training is open to all with a high school degree or GED.

Those interested in more information about Track 2 or CHW training may or email oshi@hawaii.edu specific questions. Neighbor island residents are encouraged to sign up for more information.

The University of Hawaiʻi is partnering with the Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) to create a program to train personnel and community health workers to support DOH in conducting COVID-19 contact tracing. Health experts say extensive contact tracing is a key component to prevent the spread of the virus while relaxing stay-at-home-orders and restarting Hawaiʻi鈥檚 economy.

DOH at the peak of the first COVID-19 wave had over 100 contact tracers, including at least 30 volunteers from 糖心Vlog官方 and other DOH divisions with backgrounds in public health, epidemiology, medicine, and nursing. This one-year, $2.5 million program will leverage 糖心Vlog官方 faculty expertise and existing courses across the 10-campus system to quickly develop content for the contact tracing training.

“This has been a brainchild of State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Park and 糖心Vlog官方驶s own Dr. Aimee Grace, who leads our 糖心Vlog官方ealthy Hawaiʻi Initiative at the 糖心Vlog官方 System,鈥� said 糖心Vlog官方 President Lassner. “We believe that these programs to expand the number of contract tracers and community health workers will really help protect all of Hawaiʻi驶s communities.”

The plan is to then train approximately 300 contact tracers in two to three days, or two to three months, depending on their educational backgrounds, as well as increase the university鈥檚 capacity to prepare 100 community health workers each year. DOH can then activate the trained individuals as needed, including as emergency hires, in the event of a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“With 300 staff to extend the capacity for monitoring and investigation, we expect to build the capacity up to at least a 1,000 cases a day,” said DOH Director Bruce Anderson at a May 13 news conference with Gov. David Ige. “Hopefully, we will not be approaching anything close to that but we are planning for the worse and building up our capacity, accordingly.”

The university will offer two tracks for contact tracing training: a course for clinical professionals (approximately two to three days to complete for those with at least an undergraduate degree and a clinical health background) and an intensive contact tracing program (approximately two to three months for those with undergraduate degrees, health sciences preferred). All training content and materials will be approved by the DOH.

Support will be provided to trainees that complete the appropriate program and join the DOH鈥檚 volunteer Medical Reserve Corps.

The 糖心Vlog官方 Community Colleges will add capacity in the community health worker programs and update curricula so that community health worker graduates will be prepared to support COVID-19 contact tracing as needed.

Community health workers are a critical component to contract tracing with their special community-based training and ties to work effectively with identified high-risk populations. Those populations include Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities, which are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, along with the unemployed and homeless.

The course for clinical professionals will be led by Kristine Qureshi, associate dean for research and global health and emergency preparedness expert at the 糖心Vlog官方 Manoa School of Nursing and Dental Hygiene. The intensive contact tracing program will be led by Ricardo Custodio, associate professor of health science at 糖心Vlog官方 West Oʻahu. The Community Health Worker training will be led by Sally Pestana, Health Education Non-Credit Program director at Kapiʻolani Community College.

Anyone interested in the contact tracing or community health worker training can contact oshi@hawaii.edu.