The Hawai‘i Action Coalition (HAC) is the driving force for implementing the recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s groundbreaking report: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change Advancing Health. Understanding that Hawai‘i has specific health care challenges and needs, HAC works with diverse stakeholders to create and model innovative solutions with nurses leading the way. The Hawai‘i Action Coalition is co-led by representatives from the Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing and Chaminade University of Honolulu. These leaders represent strong partnerships and serve as the catalyst in engaging our community in nursing workforce issues.
Learn more about the Hawai’i Action Coalition and the Campaign for Action.
HAC Initiatives
Create Healthier, More Equitable Communities through Accessible Data
- Increase data related to diversity of the nursing workforce and populations served and improve accessibility of data with development of regional and topical infographics.
- Visit https://www.hawaiicenterfornursing.org/data-reports/ for data products.
- Visit http://hah.org/workforce/ for more information about the Healthcare Workforce Initiative.
Access to Care & Making Health a Shared Value
- Improving access to care for school aged children through Hawai`i Keiki: Healthy and Ready to Learn program
- Visit https://nursing.hawaii.edu/hawaii-keiki/ to learn about the program
Policy Engagement and Fostering Cross-Sector Collaboration to Improve Wellbeing
- Establish nursing student legislative internships. Over ten masters or doctorate nursing DNP students have completed internships in the Hawai‘i State Senate Committee on Health or Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Health.
- Broadly disseminate state nursing policy activities. Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing Ho’ohui Newsletter and Policy and Legislation webpage provide testimony drafts and hearing notices for bills pertinent to nursing workforce issues. Visit https://www.hawaiicenterfornursing.org/programs/policy-and-legislation/
- Convene APRN Policy and Practice Taskforce which includes APRNs representative of specialties and geographies across the Hawaiian Islands. Visit https://www.hawaiicenterfornursing.org/programs/policy-and-legislation/aprn-task-force/
- Engage in cross-sector workforce development initiatives with partners across the state. Efforts include engagement with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Healthcare Workforce Advisory Board, the Hawai¢i State Rural Health Association, the Hawai¢i/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center, the Health Education and Training Alliance, the Healthcare Association of Hawai¢i Healthcare Workforce Initiative, and others.
Increase Diversity and Promote Nurse Leadership
- Increase diversity and representation of nurses in leadership positions including that of the Hawai¢i State Center for Nursing.
- Increase access to leadership development with Leadership In Action conference planning and organizing of scholarships for neighbor island residents. Visit https://www.aonlhawaii.org/events to find information on the current year’s conference.
- Convene Evidence-Based Practice workshops for clinicians, nursing faculty, and leaders to improve the knowledge, skills and capacity of nurses to lead evidence-based initiatives in their institutions and for the state. Visit https://www.hawaiicenterfornursing.org/programs/evidence-based-practice-initiative/
Hawaii Action Coalition Leadership
Deborah Mattheus, PhD, APRN-Rx, CPNP, FAAN
Professor
Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Donna-Marie Palakiko, Ph.D., APRN
Assistant Professor
Nancy Atmospera-Walch School of Nursing
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Laura Reichhardt, MS, APRN, AGPCNP-BC
Director
Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing
Contact the Hawai‘i Action Coalition
Hawai‘i State Center for Nursing
Tel: 808.956.5211
Email: hscfn@hawaii.edu