News Releases from Department of Health

If you or someone you know is 65 or older, there is free help with your Medicare Advantage Plans from the Hawaii State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Annual Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment period is from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2020. At this time, Medicare Advantage Plan members can switch to another Medicare Advantage […]

                Holidays are a time to gather with the people you love. One way to show your family, friends and colleagues that you care is by making sure that the food you share or prepare at gatherings and events is healthy. While this may sometimes seem like a […]

Many people don’t consider the possibility of suffering a traumatic brain or spinal cord injury. No one ever thinks it will happen to them. That’s what Kevin, Sepasi, Bill, Ann and Mark thought—but they were wrong. These community members told their stories at the first-ever “Overcoming Injury: Brain and Spine of Mine” event on Nov. […]

Do you ever wonder how many people visit your program webpages on the DOH website, how people found your page, or how long they stayed? Google Analytics provides valuable insights that can help you answer these and other questions. The benefits include: No registration or cost Automatic collection of data Customized reports Understand why visitors […]

The holidays can be a magical time of year filled with good tidings and joy. But they can also be stressful given the added travel, visitors, get-togethers and gift-giving.  “From our experience with the Crisis Line, the holidays can be a sensitive and challenging time for some,” said Belinda Danielson, Crisis Line Supervisor. “It’s important […]

Dr. Champion came to Hawai‘i in 2013 and is board certified in psychiatry and forensic psychiatry. He was recently appointed President of the Hawaii Medical Association (HMA), and works with physicians and stakeholders across the state to promote the science and art of medicine, improve public health, and support quality patient care. We recently had […]

More than 300 people attended a public meeting on the U.S. Navy’s Tank Upgrade Alternative and Release Detection Decision Document at Moanalua Middle School on Nov. 19. The meeting was hosted by the multiple DOH programs and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal was submitted in mid-September as a requirement of the enforceable agreement […]

Beginning fall 2020, Hawaii keiki will be required to meet updated immunization requirements for school entry and attendance. Additional immunizations will be required for all students entering childcare or preschool, kindergarten, seventh grade, and post-secondary school, and for students entering school in Hawaiʻi for the first time. The primary audience for the Vax to School […]

Do you or someone you know need access to substance use disorder treatment?  The Hawai‘i Coordinated Access Referral Entry System, or Hawai‘i CARES, is the state’s new multiple entry-point and coordinating center for treatment and recovery support services. This new initiative includes a call and referral center and a universal intake process designed to improve […]

There is a time for everything. A season for tearing down, and a season for building up. For Hawai‘i State Hospital, 2016 was a year of demolition. A pre-demolition blessing ceremony of the Goddard Building was held in February that year, and by December, the 70-year-old building had been leveled. Only a dirt part parcel […]

Hawai‘i Department of Health and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to accept public comments at Nov. 19 public meeting on the U.S. Navy’s proposed Tank Upgrade Alternative (TUA) and Release Detection for Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a public […]

If you are taking prescription opioid or narcotic pain medication, you could be at risk for opioid dependence and not even know it. The Hawai‘i Opioid Initiative’s awareness campaign encourages adults to find out their risk for opioid dependence by answering a few easy questions at www.HawaiiOpioid.org. Advertisements are currently airing on Hawai‘i News Now […]

The Communications Office is excited to announce a couple of new social media opportunities available to staff. We have officially launched a LinkedIn profile for the department as well as an internal Facebook Group for DOH staff. Why LinkedIn? The purpose of this profile is to better engage with Hawaii’s professional community, as many other […]

With the ongoing nationwide outbreak of lung injury associated with use the use of e-cigarette, or vaping products, the health department issued an advisory for the state warning the public to stop vaping. With more than 1,300 injury cases reported and 26 deaths confirmed, people should stop vaping until the cause of these lung illnesses […]