By Melissa Kahili-Heede

Today, more than half of Native Hawaiians reside outside of the pae ʻāina. Some leave in search of opportunity, education, or stability. Others leave because staying has become too difficult.

Rising housing costs, limited economic mobility, and generational inequities make it unattainable for many families to remain in place. These conditions are not isolated. They are rooted in histories of dispossession, land loss, and political upheaval that reshaped Hawaiian life as we know it.

At Papa Ola Lōkahi, we understand our kuleana to improve Native Hawaiian health wherever Hawaiians live, work, play, and age. Therefore, in response to more Kānaka living on the continental U.S., we established He Alo a He Alo in August 2024 to explore how Hawaiian identity is lived, carried forward, re-envisioned, and challenged in all 50 states.

Through this project, our hope was to build pilina and expand our current understanding of Hawaiian identity and thus, the needs of Hawaiian wellbeing within Hawaiʻi and beyond.

He Alo a He Alo was a year-long project in which our CEO, Dr. Sheri Daniels, hosted face-to-face gatherings across the continent and in Hawaiʻi. The project was named He Alo a He Alo (face-to-face) to set the intention and methodology for our listening tour.

We believed that sitting, listening, and talking story face-to-face with Hawaiians across the U.S. would establish pilina and generate unity in our collective kuleana of being well for our future generations.

We partnered with hula hālau, Hawaiian civic clubs, college alumni, and Hawaiian-serving organizations across the continent to recruit and host talk story sessions with Native Hawaiian adults to unpack Hawaiian identity and the strengths and challenges that come with being Hawaiian.

Rather than positioning community members as subjects, the project was grounded in reciprocal learning. Participants were recognized as ʻike holders and collaborators in creating understanding.

Each region brought unique perspectives and stories, reminding us that while our experiences may differ, our connections to one another remain unwavering. Recognizing what affects our people’s ability to sustain identity as Kānaka within and beyond Hawaiʻi enables Papa Ola Lōkahi to strategically build relationships and promote awareness. We learned what will help guide future engagement, programming, and opportunities to strengthen connections across our lāhui.

Since the conclusion of listening/talk-story sessions, we have worked to prepare final reports with deep aloha and care for our continental ʻohana and hoa. We are currently in the process of reporting back to the communities who so graciously allowed us in, reporting regionally starting with the Pacific-West and working our way east.

We see these reports as a starting point rather than a conclusion. With the reports come recommendations from community members, rooted in participants’ voices. Our hope is that other Native Hawaiian-serving organizations will join us in caring for the health of Kānaka wherever they are, he alo a he alo.

E ola mau ka lāhui Hawaiʻi!

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By Michael Emmons

Many families in Hawaiʻi care for their kūpuna – balancing work, caregiving, and time with keiki. During the summer months – especially if families travel and must coordinate care of their kūpuna while they are away – it is important to plan ahead and ensure kūpuna continue receiving the support they need at home.

In many local families, caring for elders is rooted in mālama, kuleana, and the shared values of nohona Hawaiʻi: making sure our kūpuna are safe, comfortable, connected, and cared for within the home and community.

In our work with families, we see how challenging it can be to understand what “home care” means and what services are actually covered by insurance. Building health insurance literacy supports ʻohana in navigating benefits and accessing the right in-home supports. Assistance with bathing, dressing, cooking, or keeping the home clean can help someone remain safely in their own home rather than moving into a care facility.

Most major insurers cover home health services when they are medically necessary and ordered by a doctor. These services include skilled nursing care, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Some plans may cover short-term home health aide services after a hospital stay or serious illness. In those cases, aides may assist with personal care such as bathing or dressing, but the care must be tied to a medical treatment plan supervised by a nurse or therapist.

However, ongoing help with everyday activities (custodial care) is different. This includes assistance with activities of daily living like bathing, toileting, meal preparation, transportation, and housekeeping. Most commercial health insurance plans do not cover long-term custodial care or chore services.

Medicaid in Hawaiʻi (Med-QUEST) may provide in-home support for people with disabilities or significant care needs. Some Medicare Advantage plans also include supplemental benefits that support limited in-home services.

The best way to understand your benefits is to check directly with your health plan:

1. Log into your member portal. Most plans allow you to review benefits, claims, and coverage details online.
2. Call customer service. Use the number on the back of your insurance card and ask about:
   • Home health services
   • Personal care or home health aide benefits
   • Case management or care coordination
3. Request written plan details. Ask for your Summary of Benefits and Coverage or the Evidence of Coverage for Medicare Advantage and Medicaid plans.
4. Get your Primary Care Provider involved. Many plans require an order/referral from your provider, often your Primary Care Provider, or PCP, and documentation of medical need. When you find out what is covered by your plan, make an appointment with your PCP and ask for a referral.

Many health plans offer care managers who help families understand benefits and connect with services in the community. Knowing how to navigate health plans helps you advocate for your ʻohana and support kūpuna in staying safe, comfortable, and cared for at home — especially during seasons when family schedules, travel, and caregiving responsibilities may shift.

Disclaimer: This article is for general education and does not constitute insurance, legal, or medical advice. Coverage varies by plan and individual eligibility. Always confirm benefits with your health plan and your health care provider.

Michael Emmons is the Community Health Worker manager with Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi serving the island of Hawaiʻi.

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By Melyssa Kawehi Moderow, MPH

ʻEu ke kanaka i kona hanu ~ One stirs because of the breath within.

The adage above tells us that, with the proper tools and encouragement, one can breathe with strength and vitality. With the release of a new Tobacco Prevention Toolkit, we hope to stir into action a movement that reduces tobacco and nicotine use among Native Hawaiians.

Recent research has shown that tobacco and nicotine use remain high, impacting the health of our ʻohana. Concerns from our lāhui about how tobacco use affects our hā, our breath, and our ability to live long and healthy lives for our ʻohana, has been corroborated with data.

These voices remind us of the importance of providing culturally grounded information and resources to support healthier choices for ourselves and our ʻohana, benefitting the lives of our keiki.

Thus, Papa Ola Lōkahi has collaborated with many community partners to develop a Tobacco Prevention Toolkit to serve as a one-stop collection of culturally relevant resources to support prevention, reduction, and cessation of tobacco and nicotine use.

It is intended for community members, ʻohana, service providers, and organizations looking for practical tools, education, and support that reflect our values and lived experiences. By grounding this resource in community voices and ʻike Hawaiʻi, families and individuals may be empowered to make informed decisions about their health and to protect their hā.

Native Hawaiian (12.8%) and Pacific Islander (9.5%) adults experience disproportionate rates of cigarette use compared to the overall Hawaiʻi population (8%) according to Hawaiʻi Health Matters (HHM, 2024). These disparities are even more concerning among our ʻōpio.

In recent years, cigarette and vape use has increased among young people, with Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) ʻōpio vaping at significantly higher rates than the overall Hawaiʻi population: Native Hawaiians: 17%; Pacific Islanders: 27%; Overall: 13% (HHM, 2023).

These trends highlight the urgent need for early, culturally responsive education and prevention efforts that center on the values of our lāhui. It is also important to take exception to the tobacco industry’s role in shaping these dismal outcomes.

Big tobacco has long targeted communities of color. Historically, tobacco companies have appropriated Native Hawaiian culture in advertising, portraying images of long-haired women wearing cigarette lei while dancing hula.

Today, targeting continues by flavoring tobacco and vape products to reflect familiar branding, such as “Hawaiian Sun Juice” and “Aloha Sun Vapes.”

The tobacco industry has even described Asian and Pacific Islander populations as a “potential gold mine … predisposed” to addiction via tobacco products, reinforcing how profit has been prioritized over people’s health.

Kūʻē! The Tobacco Prevention Toolkit is one way we can reclaim our own narratives, strengthen our knowledge, and support one another through our mauli ola journeys. Together, we can uplift our ʻohana and create a healthier future for generations to come.

Protect your hā.

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By Jenny Estrella

During the week of the Merrie Monarch Festival, kamaʻāina and visitors alike come together for hōʻike, craft fairs, music, and the celebration of hula. Beyond the stage, Merrie Monarch reflects something deeper about health: cultural connection, movement, and community help restore balance.

Native Hawaiians continue to face higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. We often focus on diet, exercise, and medication – and those matter. But lasting change also requires looking upstream.

Chronic stress is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term disease.

When the body stays in a constant state of stress, blood pressure rises, blood sugar becomes harder to control, inflammation increases, and sleep suffers. Over time, this increases risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. This is not about willpower – it is about physiology.

For many in our communities, stress is not occasional. It includes financial strain, caregiving responsibilities, housing challenges, work demands, food security, and generational trauma. When stress becomes constant the body adapts in ways that protect survival, but harm long-term health.

Reducing chronic stress is not a luxury. It is prevention. Simple protective steps can make a difference:

• Consistent sleep and meal routines
• Daily movement, even short walks
• Slow breathing or quiet reflection
• Time connected to ʻāina
• Strengthening ʻohana and community ties

Cultural practices like hula, along with strong social connections, help stabilize the nervous system. When we reduce stress load, blood pressure improves. Blood sugar becomes more stable. Energy increases. Prevention becomes possible.

Clinical care remains essential. Screenings, medication, and regular check-ins save lives. But pairing medical care with stress reduction – and with cultural practices that strengthen identity and belonging – can improve long-term health.

Chronic disease develops over time, reflecting the cumulative load we carry. Merrie Monarch reminds us that health is also nurtured through culture, movement, and community. By lowering that load – through connection, predictability, and community – we support healthier futures for Native Hawaiian families.

Hoʻoulu ka lāhui. When we protect the whole person, we protect the generations to come.

Jenny Estrella is a project manager with Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi, a Native Hawaiian Health Care System serving Hawaiʻi Island and operating under the umbrella of Papa Ola Lōkahi.

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By Christina Young and Kuaiwi Laka Makua

March is National Nutrition month, a time to reflect on the foods that have nourished our kūpuna and continue to sustain our communities today. Prior to Western contact, Native Hawaiian diets centered on nutrient-dense foods that supported health across the lifespan.

Staple starches such as ʻulu (breadfruit), ʻuala (sweet potato), and kalo (taro), along with proteins and fats like moa (chicken), puaʻa (pork), and iʻa (fish), formed the foundation of Native Hawaiian diets deeply connected to ʻāina and culture.

These traditional foods connect us back to the ʻāina and culture while remaining essential for our future. The 2023 E Ola Mau key nutrition recommendations emphasize restoring access to traditional foods and food systems, developing culturally grounded nutrition education materials, and improving access to healthy foods for ʻohana.

Together, these key recommendations highlight a critical role of traditional foods and food sovereignty in advancing Native Hawaiian health.

In response to these recommendations, Papa Ola Lōkahi launched Nui ka ʻAi, Piha ka Naʻau, an initiative centered on food sovereignty, community-based education, and sustainable nutrition practices. This effort aims to promote lifelong wellbeing by empowering the lāhui with knowledge and resources rooted around traditional foods.

Through Nui ka ʻAi, Piha ka Naʻau, individuals can learn about Native Hawaiian traditional foods, where to purchase them locally, and how to prepare them in ways that honor tradition while fitting into contemporary lifestyles.

One component of this initiative is the development of recipes that reimagine traditional foods in familiar, modern dishes that are both ʻono and easy to prepare.

Recipes such as ʻuala alfredo, ʻulu cabbage stew, and kalo sinigang demonstrate how traditional starches can be easily incorporated into everyday meals. By bridging traditional foods with contemporary dishes, these recipes provide approachable first steps towards reconnecting with culture while promoting nutritious meals for ʻohana.

As we observe National Nutrition Month, Nui ka ʻAi, Piha ka Naʻau reminds us that nourishing our bodies is also a way to nourish our naʻau – strengthening connections to culture, community, and ʻāina through food.

The post Nui ka ʻAi, Piha ka Naʻau: Plentiful is the Food, the Soul is Full appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

Na Mālia Purdy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hui No Ke Ola Pono

He kahuna kahu hānai ʻohana hou ʻo Kahaili Tovey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC no Hui No Ke Ola Pono. He pilina ko Kahaili ma ke ʻano aloha no ke olakino, ka ʻohana, ko Hawaiʻi, a me ka lāhui.

ʻO Wailuku, Maui, kona one hānau. Ma ʻAmelika i huakaʻi hoʻonaʻauao ai ʻo Kahaili ma mua o ka hoʻi ʻana i Maui nō ka ʻoi. Ua loaʻa iā ia kāna palapala Laeʻula o ka Hoʻomaʻamaʻa Kahu Hānai mai ke Kulanui o Hawaiʻi ma Mānoa a ua ʻoliʻoli ʻo ia i ka hana ʻana ma ka ʻohana Hui a no kona lāhui.

Mālama mua ʻo Kahaili i ka poʻe o nā pae makahiki like ʻole, me ka nānā ʻana i ka pale olakino a me ka mālama ʻana i ka ʻōmaʻimaʻi. Hoʻokumu ʻia kāna hana mai loko mai o nā waiwai ʻo ka mālama, ke kuleana, a me ka pilina. Ma lalo o ka malu o kēia mau loina ʻo ia e hoʻonui ai i ka hilinaʻi, e mālama ai i ka moʻolelo o kēlā me kēia kanaka, a pēlā pū ka mālama maikaʻi loa ʻana iā lākou.

Mai kona wā kamaliʻi mai, no Kahailu, ua ʻeleu, pena, a hoihoi loa e aʻo i nā mea like ʻole . Ua puni ʻo ia i ka ʻepekema no ka mea ma laila nā hāʻina o kāna mau haʻohaʻo ʻana a ma laila pū ka ʻaʻa nui e ʻimi mau.

I ka manawa like, ua kanaka mai ʻo ia i kona moʻomeheu Hawaiʻi. Ua maopopo iā ia ʻaʻole he kino wale nō ke kino – he waihona ia no ka moʻolelo, he ala e kaʻana like ʻia ai a ola nā moʻolelo a me ka ʻike. No laila, ʻo ke olakino ka mea nui nona a ua hoʻoulu ʻia kona ʻi’ini e aʻo no ke kino, a hiki loa i ka pae hunaola.

Ua maopopo leʻa iā ia kona ala i ka wā huʻeaʻo ma ka Hui No Ke Ola Pono, kahi āna i aʻo ai e pili ana i nā hana kuʻuna a me ka huakaʻi a puni ʻo Maui e hana pū ana me nā kauka Hawaiʻi. Ma ka ʻike ʻana i nā kauka e mālama ana i nā ʻohana mokupuni a me ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi ma nā wahi e like me Hāna, ua ʻike ʻo ia ʻo ka ʻoihana kauka kahi e noho pū ai ka moʻomeheu Hawai’i, ke olakino, a me kona akeakamai.

ʻO ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi a me ka lawelawe ʻana i ka lāhui nā mea nui iā ia, a hōʻike ʻia aku i loko o kāna mau hana i kēia lā kēlā ʻano kūpaʻa. He makua haʻaheo ʻo ia no ʻeono mau keiki a he lālā kūpaʻa pū nō hoʻi ma ke Kula Kaiapuni.

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By Mālia Purdy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Hui No Ke Ola Pono

Kahaili Tovey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC joins Hui No Ke Ola Pono as our new family nurse practitioner bringing with her a deep aloha for health, ʻohana, and the lāhui.

Born and raised in Wailuku, Maui, Kahaili’s educational journey took her across the continental United States before returning home – because Maui nō ka ʻoi. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is thrilled to serve the Hui ʻohana and her lāhui.

Kahaili provides primary care across the lifespan, with a focus on health prevention and chronic disease management. Her practice is grounded in the values of mālama, kuleana, and pilina. These principles guide how she builds trust, honors patients’ moʻolelo, and provides excellent care.

From a young age, Kahaili has been energetic, curious, and eager to learn. She fell in love with science because it answered her many questions and challenged her to keep growing.

At the same time, she was deeply shaped by her Hawaiian culture. She understood that the body is not just physical – it is a vessel for moʻolelo and a way stories and ʻike are shared and kept alive. Olakino, therefore, became a priority for her and she was inspired to study the body more deeply, down to the cellular level.

Her path became clear during an early internship at Hui No Ke Ola Pono where she learned about traditional practices and traveled across Maui working alongside Hawaiian practitioners. Seeing physicians care for island families and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi in places like Hāna showed her that medicine could be a place where culture, olakino, and her love of science live together.

ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi and service to the lāhui are central to who she is, and her work today reflects that commitment. She also shares this aloha with her ʻohana as a proud makua of six keiki and an active member in Hawaiian immersion schools.

The post Health is Her Priority appeared first on Ka Wai Ola.

By Nakia Naeʻole

I loko o nā moʻolelo kahiko, he makawai ka puka liʻiliʻi o ka ʻauwai e kahe ai ka wai i ka loʻi, e hānai ana i ka kalo a e ola ai ke kanaka. Papa Ola Lōkahi carries this kaona forward through Nā Makawai, a program that directs wai ola — life-giving waters — into the hands of our community mahiʻai who cultivate health, resilience, and identity for our people.

He ʻōlelo noʻeau e ʻōlelo ana: “I ola ka wai, I ola ke kānaka” — when the water lives, the people live. Nā Makawai stives to embody this truth.

The program was born in 2021, during the height of ka maʻi ahulau COVID-19, when Congress set aside $20 million to support Native Hawaiian recovery. Papa Ola Lōkahi launched Nā Makawai to ensure these resources flowed i nā wahi kūpono loa — into the hands of organizations already serving our lāhui.

Guided by the recommendations of E Ola Mau and grounded in ʻike kūpuna, Nā Makawai became more than funding. It is he hale ulu, a house of cultivation, and a pūnana — a nest — where pilina, culture, and innovation can take root and thrive.

The philosophy of Nā Makawai affirms ola kino, ola naʻau, ola ʻohana, ola ʻāina — a health that is inseparable from body, spirit, family, and land. Participation asks for more than compliance. Partners come together to share moʻolelo, waiwai ʻike, and aloha. In this way, Nā Makawai strengthens ka ʻiʻo o ka lāhui, the very flesh and fiber of our people.

Its impacts are visible across pae ʻāina and throughout the diaspora. In Oregon, the Roots in the Diaspora project cultivated kalo gardens that became wahi hānai for ʻohana to learn, eat, and heal. Loʻiloa, KALO, and the Pacific Islander Health Partnership gathered lāhui in Oregon and California to carve papa kuʻi ʻai, kuʻi kalo, and connect once more to Hāloa, kō kākou kaikuaʻana. These are not mere deliverables — they are hoʻomau ʻāina a hoʻoulu lāhui.

As Nā Makawai enters its fifth year, we look ahead to expanding culturally grounded interventions, strengthening diaspora engagement, and advocating for policies that ensure ola pono for future generations. At the ʻAha Hoʻolōkahi Summit, partners were reminded of another ʻōlelo noʻeau: “ʻAʻohe hua o ka maiʻa i ka lā hoʻokahi” — no banana fruit ripens in a single day. Real growth takes time, patience, and collective nurturing.

E holo mau ana nā makawai — the waters will continue to flow. With each partner, each ʻohana, and each loʻi kalo tended, Nā Makawai nourishes our lāhui for generations to come.

Learn more about our partners at polhi.org/NaMakawai.

Nakia Naeʻole, of Lāʻie-wai, Koʻolauloa, serves as project coordinator at Papa Ola Lōkahi, coordinating the Nā Makawai initiative that supports Native Hawaiian health and community resilience.

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As we honor this recovery month, we are reminded of how our ancestors lived in balance with ʻāina, guided by the energy of the world around them, the wisdom of our kūpuna, and the deep knowing that our health was tied to the wellbeing of all around us.

Healing was part of daily life. The loʻi fed our bodies, oli fed our spirits, and ʻike kūpuna fed our minds. We knew who we were, where we came from, and the kuleana we carried.

Somewhere along the way, that balance was disrupted. Today, too many of our people face challenges with substance use, mental health, and incarceration, often pushed into treatment programs that were never built for us. Even the word “recovery” can feel unfamiliar to some.

It might recall 12-step meetings, which help some people, but don’t connect for everyone. For decades, the same approaches have addressed only the symptoms we see on the surface, without tending to the roots.

Year after year, our people enter treatment more often than others, but the numbers haven’t changed. The way we’re doing things now isn’t working. We need something different, a collective shift. We need to hoʻi i ka piko, return to center of who we are as Kānaka.

In Hawaiʻi, healing from addiction can be more than a clinical process. It can be a journey of remembering, restoring, and reconnecting.

It can be working in the loʻi, feeling the lepo (dirt) between our toes, reconnecting to the same ʻāina that sustained our kūpuna. It can be gathering as a collective, grounding with oli, and sharing ancestral ka‘ao (stories) that can help us to better understand ourselves, our life journeys, and how to find healing.

We’ve seen a glimpse of what’s possible through projects like Ola ka Huakaʻihele o Hiʻiaka. In this pilot project, both behavioral health and ʻāina practitioners walked in the footsteps of Hiʻiaka, guided by ancestral stories, to deepen their ability to support recovery and healing that is rooted in ʻāina, relationships, and spirituality. The experience strengthened relationships, inspired collaboration, and reminded us that healing starts from our roots.

This is the kind of future we can create together, one where recovery is grounded in cultural foundations, where behavioral health and ʻāina practitioners walk side-by-side, and where ancestral practices are not just remembered, but lived. Imagine recovery and healing spaces that feel like home, where the ʻāina, the people, and the stories work together to carry us forward.

So we ask: What could recovery and healing look like if we built it together, rooted in the life ways that kept us thriving for generations? Let us return to our piko together, so the healing we start today will live on for generations.

Visit polhi.org/substance-use to learn more about our programs in mental health and recovery.

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Kawehilani Kahanaoi, Health Enhancement Program Manager, Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi

For Native Hawaiians, health and wellbeing are deeply woven into our identity, cultural values, traditions, and natural environment. From infancy to elderhood, our experiences shape our perspectives and guide our actions. While learning differs among individuals, the foundational teachings of our kūpuna (ancestors) remain constant, naturally woven into our daily lives and identities. Values such as ola (life), mālama (to care), lōkahi (unity), ʻohana (family), and pono (justice, excellence) are deeply embedded in cultural practices, shaping daily life and relationships. These embedded values ensure that forests are cared for, gardens thrive abundantly, and stars brilliantly guide travelers across the seas.

The skills central to cultural practices also foster Native Hawaiian health and wellbeing. Activities such as physical movement, mindful eating, and intentional routines contribute to reducing chronic diseases prevalent in many Hawaiian homes today. Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi supports this connection between culture and health by offering medical care, health education, and wellness programs tailored to the needs of the Native Hawaiian community. Through services like nutrition counseling, chronic disease management, and fitness classes, they empower individuals and families to lead healthier lives.

Kilo (observation) allows the mind to focus while the heart settles and discovers the tapestry of the world. Ulana (weaving) may offer a weaver the imagination of new patterns guiding the hands and brain to liven new pathways. Kaula (cordage) making requires continuous discipline and muscle dexterity to reliably secure parts of one’s vessel or home. Lawaiʻa (fishing) requests patience and alertness to decipher the language of Hawaiʻi’s natural elements simultaneously. Mahiʻai (farming) relies on patience and memory of seasonal changes while awaiting a healthy harvest.

Hawaii’s last reigning monarch, King David Kalākaua, once said, “Hula is the language of the heart and therefore the heartbeat of the Hawaiian people.” This sentiment underscores the deep connection between health, heritage and the Hawaiian spirit. During the renowned Merrie Monarch Festival, Native Hawaiian health and wellness comes to life. It is evident in the disciplined protocols, the graceful yet rigorous movements, the rhythmic storytelling of chanters, pahu drummers, and dancers, and the meticulous care given to crafting implements and adornments from nature’s gifts. There is a lei of gratitude that extends globally for communities involved in putting together this prestigious celebration of hula.

The health and wellbeing of Native Hawaiians thrive alongside Hawaiʻi’s esteemed and beloved cultural heritage. By embracing lifestyles that reflect our ancestors’ wisdom, we honor both them and our home. Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi remains committed to supporting this journey by ensuring that Native Hawaiians have access to the care, knowledge, and resources needed to live healthier lives.

E Ola Hawaiʻi!

Kawehilani Kahanaoi is the health enhancement program manager at Hui Mālama Ola Nā ʻŌiwi.

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