Hawaii Pacific Health and Kamehameha Schools renewed their strategic partnership Wednesday, signing a new memorandum of understanding at Kamehameha’s Kapālama campus in Honolulu. The agreement recommits both organizations to supporting education, health, economic stability, and overall well-being for students and families across Hawaiʻi, with an added focus on Native Hawaiian community health and data-driven research.
Hawaii Pacific Health reported that the memorandum was signed by Kamehameha Schools CEO Jack Wong and HPH President and CEO Ray Vara, building on a partnership that began in 2019. The renewed MOU aims to expand programs linking health care career pathways, ʻāina‑based food systems, and community engagement throughout the islands.
Kamehameha Schools CEO Jack Wong said that over the past six years, the partnership has demonstrated the impact of aligning health and education with community needs, according to Hawaii Pacific Health. The renewed agreement also emphasizes shared data and collaborative research on Native Hawaiian health disparities.
Partnership Results So Far
According to Kauai Now, the partnership has provided over 100 Kamehameha students with hands-on research and career training, contributed about $1 million to the Feed The Hunger Fund, and involved nearly 400 HPH employees and their families in community workdays. Officials also reported that dining services met and exceeded a 2025 goal of sourcing at least 50 percent of food locally.
Why Data Sharing Matters
Public health research indicates that Native Hawaiians experience higher rates of chronic disease and other health risks, highlighting the need for community-led, disaggregated studies. A CDC report found that separating race and ethnicity data in Hawaiʻi revealed higher COVID‑19 incidence and mortality among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations. Regional studies have also documented increased cardiovascular risk and earlier onset of chronic conditions in Native Hawaiians, emphasizing the importance of culturally responsive research and interventions.
What Comes Next
Hawaii Pacific Health and Kamehameha Schools said the next phase of their partnership will focus on shared data, community-based research, and expanded workforce pathways to guide more haumāna into health careers. The collaboration, which began with a 2019 memorandum, now emphasizes measurable community outcomes as new projects are planned and funded. Community organizations and researchers are expected to monitor how data will be managed and how research findings will be translated into programs and job opportunities.
