Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 12, 1 December 1990 — $2.3 million for Hawaiian health centers in 1991 [ARTICLE]

$2.3 million for Hawaiian health centers in 1991

By Lawrence Miike, Executive Director Papa Ola Lokahi

The Native Hawaiian Health Care Act(P.L. 100579) was passed into law on Oct. 31, 1988. It authorized the distribution of $19.6 million over three years beginning with fiscal year 1990. ( Editor's note: "Authorization" means that a do!lar amount was approved, but should not be eonfused with "appropriated," whieh means that funds were actually released for that purpose). In the first year, a total of $2.6 million was authorized, of whieh $700,000 was to go for the development of a master plan, $900,000 for planning the Native Hawaiian health care systems, and $ 1 million for administration and directed activities of Papa Ola Lokahi. '

Since the federal fiscal year runs from October 1 through September 30 of the following year, funding for the first fiscal year could not begin until Oct. 1, 1989. Actualreceiptoftheseinitialfundswasdelayed by several events. First, President Bush vetoed the appropriation bill to whieh this legislation was attached and the Congress was not able to override his veto. FY 1989 was almnst over by the time a compromise between the two could be reached, and instead of the $2.6 million for FY 1990, Congress was only able to provide $800,000, less than one-third of the amount originally authorized. Due to "set-aside" requirements of ail federal programs for evaluation purposes, this amount

was further reduced to $782,000 of whieh Papa Ola Lokahi will be distributing $450,000 to $525,000 to Native Hawaiian planning organizations on Kaua'i, Ni'ihau, O'ahu, Moloka'i, Lana'i, Maui and Hawai'i for the planning of the health care systems.

For FY 1991, Congress has just appropriated about half of what was authorized. Approximately $2.3 million instead of $5 million has been appropriated for the health care systems and approximately $400,000 instead of $1 million hasbeen appropriated for Papa Ola Lokahi. The authorization for FY 1992 is $10 million for the health care systems and $1 million for Papa Ola Lokahi. Despite delays and reduced federal funding, however, progress has continued toward the implementation of the Native Hawaiian Health Care Act. In accordance with the act, the organization Papa Ola Lokahi was established and was incorporated in February 1989.

Member organizations include the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the State Department of Health, the University of Hawaii, Alu Like, ine. and E Ola Mau. Papa Ola Lokahi began its operations July 1, 1989 with $200,000 start-up money appropriated from general funds by the state legislature. Papa Ola Lokahi was therefore able to eommenee its activities before federal funds became available. With the assistance of Alu Like and E Ola Mau, statewide informational meetings regarding the Act were held in September and October 1989.

In November 1989, copies of the following draft documents were distributed in the community: • guidelines to apply for planning grants that Papa Ola Lokahi would provide to island-wide Native Hawaiian organizations, and • a draft of a Native Hawaiian statewide master plan. In collaboration with E Ola Mau, in February and March this year, education and technical assistance was provided to develop island-wide planning committees to plan eaeh island's health care system.

The law provides for the funding of nine Native Hawaiian health systems — two eaeh on Kaua'i/Ni'ihau, O'ahu, Maui, and Hawai'i, and one for Moloka'i/Lana'i. Papa Ola Lokahi has emphasized to the island planning groups that services should be planned so they are available to all Native Hawaiians in the state. Most of the island committees are close to eompleting their plans for the health care systems and by summer 199 1 should be ready for $2.3 million in service delivery funds that Congress has just appropriated.

For further information on eaeh island's planning activities, contact: for Kaua'i/Ni'ihau — Dr. Wayne Fukino, Waimea; for O'ahu — Kawahine 'Olelo, Waimanalo; for Moloka'i/Lana'i— Jane L?e, Kaunakakai; for Maui— Dr. Joseph Kamaka III, Wailuku; and Hawai'i — Everett Sonny Kinney, Hilo.