A partnership between the University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu and the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH), and their development of a new practicum placement pathway, intends to provide increased employment and career opportunities for UH West O‘ahu students at the DOH.
The UH West O‘ahu Public Administration (PUBA) division’s Health Care Administration (HCAD) certificate program provides students and health care practitioners with a broad range of administrative skills and knowledge needed in the growing health care field. In consultation with the DOH, PUBA has developed the HCAD DOH pathway for administrative practicum placements that are suited to prepare students for employment in the public health field.
“We are incredibly excited and grateful to the Department of Health for this amazing opportunity to collaborate on a pathway that will allow UH West O‘ahu students to earn a DOH-approved Certificate in Health Care Administration,” said PUBA Division Chair Dr. Kristina Lu, who is also the HCAD Program Director. “Through this pathway, students will complete their administrative practicum with the DOH, gain valuable, real-world experience, and be well-positioned for future employment with the department after graduation.”
“The ‘pathway’ collaboration between UH West O‘ahu and the Department of Health is a strategic investment in our public workforce designed to expose Hawai‘i’s future health care leaders to essential public health concepts and functions,” said Lorrin Kim, Chief Policy Officer and Legislative Coordinator for the Hawai‘i Department of Health, who leads the DOH Office of Planning, Policy, and Program Development. “Program participants will emerge with an understanding of how prevention policies and population health strategies must work with the health care system to assure that all Hawai‘i residents have a fair and just opportunity to achieve optimal health and well-being.”
Students in the HCAD DOH pathway must complete a minimum of 120 field hours and 40 academic hours, and will be evaluated by their field supervisor as part of the practicum course requirements. Students who are accepted into and complete the requirements of the pathway are eligible for the following after completing their practicum with the DOH: 9 credits x $312/credit; $120 in fees and $150 in books; and a $2,000 stipend for the practicum. Interested students should note that the administrative practicum course (PUBA 490B/H) is required for the HCAD DOH pathway.
“We thank the State Department of Health for their creative partnership in launching this exciting program,” said HCAD instructor Dr. Linda Axtell-Thompson. “We see it as a win-win for both DOH and UH West O‘ahu. There is a critical and growing shortage in public health staffing, both locally and nationally, that our UH West O‘ahu programs can help address, and our UH West O‘ahu graduates are actively seeking employment opportunities in all fields of health care including public health.”
Click here for program details, including eligibility criteria, application information, deadlines, and more.