The University of Hawaii at Manoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine said it has received a $973,825 award to fund the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence through June 2012.

The new funding will create at least six faculty and three staff positions to carry out initiatives aimed at the recruitment and retention of Native Hawaiian students in medicine and other health professions in Hawaii.

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence, established more than 15 years ago, is part of the UH medical school’s Department of Native Hawaiian Health.

The funding, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, will support research, faculty and student development, cultural competency training, informational resources and networking.
The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence also allows the medical school to pursue endowment funds that may spin off additional projects and funding.

“Native Hawaiians are highly underrepresented in health professions careers, particularly in medicine,” said Dr. Nanette Judd, director for JABSOM’s Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence and director for the Imi Ho’ola Post-Baccalaureate Program, in a news release. “The vision of the Center of Excellence is to promote the physical and mental health of all Native Hawaiians by improving the recruitment and retention of health professionals of Native Hawaiian ancestry.”

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence will link with partners that help prepare students to enter health professional schools. The partners included in the affiliation agreements include: