Kaiser Permanente Commits $100,000 for Native Hawaiian Health

Kaiser Permanente awarded $100,000 to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) as part of $8.15 million to support nonprofit and community-based organizations nationwide.

The award follows Kaiser Permanente’s $25 million commitment announced in June 2020, to promote health equity and break the cycle of racism-driven stresses that lead to poor health outcomes for its members and communities.

“We have seen how COVID-19 has disproportionately affected our Native Hawaiian community, caused in part by high rates of underlying health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and asthma,” said Greg Christian, president, Hawai‘i Market Kaiser Permanente, Health Plan and Hospitals. “This disparity underscores the immediate need to advocate for racial equity in education, community investment, and health care for the Native Hawaiian community.”

CNHA’s mission is to enhance the cultural, economic, political, and community development of Native Hawaiians by delivering capacity building services, fostering leadership development, and offering financial education and financial counseling services. CNHA has also convened the Annual Native Hawaiian Convention for the past 18 years. It’s Piʻi Ka Lahui (Nation Rising) project aims to eliminate various forms of racism that contribute to the systemic oppression of Native Hawaiians.

The grant to CNHA will be spread out over two years and will allow CNHA to expand its reach and services to develop a social justice accelerator that organizes community outreach focused on meeting policy priorities, engaging grassroots organizations and coordinating leadership development.