Updated at 1:54 p.m., Thursday, September 20, 2007
UH medical school gets $850,000 for Pacific center
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai'i's John A. Burns School of Medicine has been awarded an $850,000 grant to begin a healthcare initiative aiding residents of U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands.The grant will be used to create a Pacific Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities, said Sen. Daniel Inouye, who announced the grant.
The program will aid the people of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas Islands, Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia as well as more than 100,000 others who have migrated to Hawai'i and the Mainland.
"The U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands suffer significant disparities in healthcare access and outcomes when compared to the United States," Inouye said in a press statement. He said cancer is the second most common cause of death in nearly every island and that both breast and cervical cancer are very prevalent.
He said the center could play a crucial role in cancer screening and preventative services for people in remote areas.
The Pacific Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities, envisioned to be a national expert resource center for breast and cervical cancer, will provide the technical assistance for comprehensive, community-oriented healthcare strategies.
