Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 2, 1 February 1997 — Federal funding to Papa Ola Lokahi [ARTICLE]

Federal funding to Papa Ola Lokahi

I need to clarify a comment made by Trustee Billie Beamer in the January 1997 edition of Ka Wai Ola 0 OHA in regards to the amount of federal funding Papa Ola Lōkahi receives. She indicated that the organization receives "$4 million a year." This is incorrect. Last year (1995), Papa Ola Lōkahi received a total in federal funds of $300,000 while this year (Sept. 29, 1996-Sept. 28, 1997) our basic grant is $225,000 with an additional $85,000 for specific purposes related to the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act — thus a total of $310,000. The $4 million to whieh you refer is the total amount of federal funding whieh was appropriated to ftmd Native Hawaiian health projects under the Native Hawaiian Health

Care Improvement Act in 1994. Remember, amount includes separate and direct appropriations from the federal government to eaeh of the five Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems, funding for the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program, and funding for Papa Ola Lōkahi. While $4 million was appropriated in 1994, this amount has been reduced over the years as Congress has wrestled with the federal deficit. The current total amount for Native Hawaiian health funded under the Native Hawaiian Health Care Improvement Act is $3.1 million. Hardy Spoehx Executive director, Papa Ola Lōkahi Honolulu