News Releases from Department of Health

From the time Alvin C. Bronstein, MD, FACEP joined the Hawaii State Department of Health as the new chief of the Emergency Medical Services and Injury Prevention System Branch on Aug. 31, he has been fully immersed in carrying on the branch’s goal of reducing trauma-related deaths, injuries, and permanent long-term disability and improving trauma […]

More than one in two Hawaii adults are currently overweight or obese, and one in five is living with at least one chronic disease or condition, such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer.  That’s sobering news. The good news? Physically active adults are healthier and less likely to become obese or develop chronic diseases than […]

Last week, the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance released a report titled, “50 States of Teal: Ovarian Cancer Care across America” in which U.S. states were measured on 10 metrics across the continuum of care for ovarian cancer patients, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment and end-of-life care.  Hawaii scored a 6 out of 10 in the report, […]

  “My philosophy is to help individuals and families reconnect with their sense of place and culture in order to reconnect with health.  In working with communities, we work towards strengthening their voice.  How we strengthen their voice is through listening before we respond.”  Joan Takamori   When Joan Takamori talks, people listen.  Joan is […]

There is good news and not-so-good news about substance abuse in our islands, according to the 2015 Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services Report, which was recently published by Hawaii Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division. First the good news: Over the past five years, more than half of the adults and adolescents who […]

Belinda Danielson, Crisis Line Supervisor, shared details about the program with KITV morning news show anchor Lara Yamada. In Hawaii, suicide is the most common cause of fatal injuries among residents, outpacing car crashes, homicide, poisoning and drowning. It is estimated that one suicide is committed every two days in Hawaii. In fact, about 20 […]

First Lady Dawn Amano-Ige congratulates the vendors in the Ho‘opono Business Enterprise Program for their participation in the Choose Healthy Now program It’s usually easy to find unhealthy snacks during your workday. But do you and your colleagues have access to healthy options? The Choose Healthy Now program just celebrated its one-year anniversary and is […]

ThinkTech Hawaii TV Show ThinkTech Hawaii host Jay Fidell recently invited guests Peter Whiticar and Keith Ridley for a show dedicated to medical marijuana, taped before the bill became law. To view the show, click on the following YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6RXtea39OA   On July 15, 2015, medical marijuana dispensaries in Hawaii became legal. Hawaii became […]

People in Hawaii with behavioral health disorders are disproportionately burdened by the harmful effects of smoking and tobacco use. In collaboration with the University of California San Francisco, Smoking Cessation Leadership Center (SCLC), the Hawaii State Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD) is addressing this issue and is holding free, all-day workshops titled, […]

One in five Hawaii residents will have a stroke during his or her lifetime. In fact, stroke is the third leading cause of death in our state and the number one cause of chronic adult disability. Of people under age 65, only 20% are able to return to full time employment after a stroke and […]

Contributed by: Joan A. Takamori, APRN, Chief of Public Health Nursing Branch (In honor of Nurses Day celebrated on May 6)   ”One can do more good for humanity by working among the people district nurses do, and naturally like to work among that class of people.” Mabel Leilani Smyth 1892-1936 Public Health Nursing is […]

When Adele Ching, Coordinator for the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP Hawaii) Program in the Executive Office on Aging, an agency of the Hawaii State Department of Health received the department’s newly adopted Nutrition Wellness Policy, she immediately took it to heart. In planning the Volunteers Training and Recognition Conference on May 15, 2015, Adele worked […]

Every day, the Hawaii State Hospital team of healthcare professionals delivers valuable mental health services for those who are often shunned by others. They provide care and treatment services to patients with medically complex conditions, including chronic schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders and bipolar disorder. Services include psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, relaxation techniques and cognitive therapy, dog training and […]

Hawaii has the highest rate of liver cancer in the nation, and the leading causes of liver cancer in Hawaii are hepatitis B and C. According to DOH, about 50,000 people in Hawaii may be living with hepatitis B and C, and most are unaware of their infection. That means many people are not accessing […]