About Department of Health

The mission of the Department of Health is to protect and improve the health and environment for all people in Hawai‘i .

Philosophy

Health, that optimal state of physical, mental, social and environmental well-being, is a right and responsibility of all of Hawaii’s people.

Goals

• Promote health and well-being
• Prevent disease and injury
• Promote healthy lifestyles and workplaces
• Promote the strength and integrity of families and communities

To prevent pollution and promote and preserve a clean, healthy and natural environment

• Promote resource conservation (recycling)
• Protect and enhance air and water quality

To assure basic physical and mental health care (the five A’s)

• Affordable
• Appropriate
• Assured quality
• Available
• Accessible

Guiding Principles

• Ensure that core public health functions – assessment, policy, and assurance – are implemented or maintained.
• Ensure that federal mandates, including court-ordered settlements are satisfied.
• Ensure that resources are directed at those problems that pose the greatest risk to the public’s health and the environment.
• Ensure that appropriate and cost-effective resources are dispersed geographically and satisfy principles 1 to 3.
• Ensure that the health department is the service provider of last resort for uninsurable populations and where there is no other satisfactory alternative.