For 20 years, the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 鈥檚 (JABSOM) has been on the frontlines of Hawaiʻi鈥檚 houselessness crisis, delivering free care while training the next generation of physicians.

Founded in 2005 by Jill Omori, JABSOM‘s director of the Office of Medical Education, H.O.M.E. began as a single tent clinic.

Health isn’t just about medicine. It’s about wellbeing,
—Jill Omori

“When I was a student, I wanted experiences like this, and there was nothing,” Omori said. “When we started, we were in a tent with shower curtains for walls.”

Today, the program operates multiple mobile clinics and one brick-and-mortar site in Iwilei, serving hundreds each year. Students provide wound care, checkups and specialty services, while also connecting patients to food, housing and income support.

“The mission of H.O.M.E. is to provide the basic human right of healthcare,” said third-year JABSOM student Philip Lee. “We as medical students learn to take a patient history, perform exams and build rapport. We鈥檙e not just treating the disease, we鈥檙e treating them as a person.”

The clinics have helped ease pressure on Hawaiʻi鈥檚 healthcare system. Omori noticed that on the days they had clinics in certain areas, there were fewer EMS calls at that time.

Beyond medical care, H.O.M.E. runs annual drives for school supplies, holiday meals and gifts for mothers. “Health isn’t just about medicine. It’s about wellbeing,” Omori said.

As the project celebrates its 20th year, Omori hopes one day such services won鈥檛 be needed.

“For a long time we were the only ones providing truly free care,” she said. “Our program fills a very big need in our community.”

Lee added, “At the end of the day, we all pursue medicine because we love people. H.O.M.E. reminds you of that every day.”

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A has been established to help pay for repairs to the mobile RV at the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 after it was vandalized over the Labor Day weekend. Tail lights were damaged and graffiti covered a big portion of the van, which is used to provide free medical services to Oʻahu鈥檚 houseless population.

The Hawaiʻi H.O.M.E. Project, which stands for Houseless Outreach & Medical Education, is also an integral part of the medical curriculum at JABSOM. Services are provided during weekly student-run clinics at nine sites across Oʻahu. In addition to these clinics, the mobile health van is used for outreach to other unsheltered houseless populations and provides special events for keiki at the shelters. It also played a role in providing free, rapid result COVID-19 testing to underserved communities.

“Our mobile van is critical for the functioning of our clinic and we can鈥檛 provide our usual services without it. All of our operational costs are usually paid for via grants and grassroots fundraising, so unexpected expenses like these are extremely hard on us,” said Jill Omori, associate professor and executive director of the H.O.M.E. Project. “To find the RV once again vandalized is devastating for our medical students because volunteering on van missions is one of JABSOM鈥檚 requirements in the medical doctor program.”

Anyone with information about the vandalism is encouraged to contact the Honolulu Police Department.

About 200 individuals (approximately 15 per week) have been tested through the (H.O.M.E.) Project since the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (TMCL) began operating last year. The laboratory remains steadfast in its role to provide COVID-19 testing to underserved populations throughout Oʻahu.

Staff and volunteers at the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) have been providing free, rapid result testing since November 2020. On-location testing events have already reached many, including houseless individuals every Tuesday at the City and County of Honolulu鈥檚 (POST) facility located in Keʻehi Lagoon Beach Park. In addition to taking in patients at the Keʻehi site, H.O.M.E. has also conducted spot testing for symptomatic individuals at its other clinics.

Faculty and staff volunteers administer the COVID-19 tests, and 东精影业 medical students assist in providing free health services, including medical, social and vision.

Testing provides transition to next step

“At the POST site, we test all new individuals entering the program and also do additional testing if there are any exposure concerns or if someone becomes symptomatic,” said Jill Omori, associate professor and director of the H.O.M.E. Project. “The goal of the testing is to keep everyone safe, but also to provide tests so that they can transition into more stable housing options. It is very rewarding to be doing our part during the pandemic and to help these individuals, especially the kids!”

According to Omori, many of these permanent shelters require a negative COVID-19 test to be accepted, the next step to a better life for many houseless individuals.

Ivan Yang is one of the volunteers at the POST site who conducts the tests outside of his normal responsibilities as a logistics coordinator at JABSOM. Like Omori, he is glad to be making a difference. “Knowing that they can benefit from our efforts makes it all worthwhile. I鈥檓 grateful that I have the opportunity to provide my time and skills to serve in this capacity,” said Yang.

“Although a number of vaccines are available, testing remains a key tool in the public health arsenal as vaccines are not yet broadly available, and new more infectious virus strains can cause outbreaks,” said TMCL Community Liaison Rosie Alegado.

Ongoing testing

TMCL continues to reach underserved populations by working closely with and leveraging partnerships with community organizations throughout Oʻahu. In December, the lab targeted the Filipino population by providing testing at various churches in communities such as Kalihi, Waipahu and Ewa Beach. They also continue to provide on-location testing at P膩lolo Valley Homes and within the 东精影业 community.

Visit the for information on how to get a COVID-19 test and for upcoming community testing events.

This effort is an example of 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 goal of (PDF), one of four goals identified in the (PDF), updated in December 2020.

As the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered many businesses and forced many into unemployment, the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 (JABSOM) worried how it would affect its annual Giving Tree, which fulfills Christmas wish lists of homeless keiki. This year, the 东精影业 (HOME) Project and the Family Medicine Interest Group took a digital route.

“Fortunately we moved everything online this year and we were able to reach a bigger part of the community and we got more donations than we have before,” said Amandalin Rock, a third-year medical student at JABSOM.

The community responded, fulfilling the wish lists of 380 homeless鈥攖he largest endeavor in the history of the giving tree at JABSOM.

“I鈥檓 just really touched that everybody has just been so generous and even after all the kids were sponsored I was getting calls from people wanting to donate and wanting to contribute to the program,” said HOME Project Founder and Director of the Office of Medical Education Jill Omori. “And so we鈥檝e just been really blessed this year.”

JABSOM medical students and pre-medical student volunteers spent hours wrapping up gifts and getting them ready to be delivered to keiki across several Oʻahu shelters, including the Family Assessment Center in Kakaʻako, Onelauena and Onemalu Shelters in Kalaeloa, Kakaʻako Paiʻolu Kaiaulu Shelter in Waiʻanae, IHS Women’s and Children’s Shelter, Villages of Māʻili Shelter, and the boat harbor encampment in Waiʻanae.

This year, they also supplied gifts for some of the kids to give to their parents and made goodie bags for families containing food, hygiene products and emergency supplies (first-aid kits, flashlights, blankets, etc).

For more, go to the .

The University of Hawaiʻi (TMCL) is ramping up operations to meet its mission of providing free, rapid result (24–48 hours) COVID-19 testing to those with limited access to healthcare and health insurance, as well as to first responders and health care workers on the frontlines of the pandemic. Opened in October 2020, TMCL is a certified lab at the 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 (JABSOM) established through a City and County of Honolulu/东精影业 partnership with funding from the federal CARES Act.

“Our goal is to make sure that we can provide such tests to our community as soon as possible, making diagnosis and detection faster,” said TMCL principal investigator Vivek Nerurkar, professor and chair of the JABSOM Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology.

TMCL is developing and leveraging partnerships with and community organizations to reach underserved populations that include Filipinos, Pacific Islanders and the houseless. As of early December, the lab is processing about 70 tests per day from walk-ins at the community health centers alone.

“We are providing focused testing in these communities and have been successful through our partnerships with trusted organizations who are critical in encouraging people to come out and get tested,” said Rosie Alegado, a 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 associate professor of oceanography who serves as the lab鈥檚 community liaison lead. “We are intent on continuing to build relationships with grassroots community organizations to get these services to people who need it.”

That includes on-location testing events in the communities where the underserved reside. At one recent event in November, about 60 P膩lolo Valley Homes residents were tested at the public housing complex in collaboration with the Waik墨k墨 Community Health Center, Pacific Islander Service and the Honolulu Bible Church. With the rapid test results and community groups in place, a family with a positive test result was provided immediate assistance including a Waik墨k墨 hotel room to quarantine and testing for extended family members and other close contacts. Health experts say the virus can spread quickly in these types of communities if not aggressively addressed.

“If we鈥檙e going to stamp out COVID-19 in areas and communities with disproportionate infection rates, a high level of face-to-face care has to be given,” said Alegado. “This requires a network of interfacing services.”

TMCL is also providing houseless individuals with free COVID-19 testing through JABSOM鈥檚 , where 东精影业 medical students and faculty provide free health services to unsheltered populations. Planning is underway with the University Health Services 惭腻苍辞补 to provide up to 200 tests a week to 东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 students, faculty and staff, and to dental hygiene and medical students so that they are able to return to clinical training.

“The COVID-19 testing is meeting an immediate need, which we are honored to be able to provide,” said Nerurkar. “This is just the beginning. The lab鈥檚 long term goal is to enhance Hawaiʻi鈥檚 capacity to track emerging pathogens and develop diagnostic tools to detect tropical diseases such as dengue, Zika and rat lungworm.”

for information on how to get a COVID-19 test and for upcoming community testing events.

They completed their final exams for the fall semester, but medical students from the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 remained on campus. Trading their medical books for hammers and drills, they have spent the week working to build a large, wooden playground for homeless keiki.

The students are part of the at JABSOM. They provide health services to the homeless in mobile clinics at nine different shelter locations, several days a week. But they had a special delivery for the Family Assessment Center this Christmas鈥攁 hand-assembled swing set, featuring an 8-foot long slide and a rock wall ladder.

The students wanted to give keiki a fun and safe place to play.

“I want to say, it鈥檚 probably not anything that the kids would expect and it鈥檚 a structure that鈥檚 here to stay and so I think that is pretty special. It鈥檚 our Christmas miracle,” said medical student Maggie Kwock.

The playground was donated by a supporter of the HOME Project. JABSOM students also filmed the wrapping of the entire playset as an entry into the Ellen Degeneres and Scotch Brand Most Gifted Wrapper Contest. After the gift-wrapping was completed, they “unveiled” the surprise at the Family Assessment Center.

“The students have worked hard this whole week giving up their time. After studying you鈥檇 think they would just want to play and relax but they鈥檝e sacrificed and volunteered so much time to just come out and make this playground and it’s all for the kids,” said Jill Omori, founder of the 14-year-old HOME Project and JABSOM Office of Education director.

Just in time for Christmas, these medical student “elves” delivered a gift of joy to children that will remain throughout the new year and beyond.

—By Deborah Manog Dimaya

For the first time, Hawaiʻi professionals have been chosen for the exclusive Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholars Program. Seven of those chosen are University of Hawaiʻi faculty.

is a national leadership development program for multidisciplinary health care providers who tackle complex health problems affecting their communities. The program funds projects with the ultimate goal of making America a healthier nation while developing a network of leaders.

This year, Hawaiʻi is the only state with two teams. The Hawaiʻi teams are focused on addressing issues on diabetes and housing insecurity as well as elderly health care.

(JABSOM) Assistant Professor Dee-Ann Carpenter leads the team, “Empowering Hawaiʻis Homeless: Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes Education and Resilience Initiative.” Collaborating with Marjorie Mau (JABSOM), Camlyn Masuda (东精影业 Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy), Aukahi Austin Seabury (I Ola Lāhui) and Francie Julien-Chinn (东精影业 惭腻苍辞补 Myron B. Thompson School of Social Work), the team will be working with the JABSOM Hawaiʻi Homeless Outreach and Medical Education (HOME) Project to develop an education and resilience program for homeless people who are pre-diabetic or diabetic.

“We hope to be able to effectively train future students, residents, volunteers and shelter staff to be better prepared for serving the homeless populations who either have diabetes mellitus (DM) or are pre-diabetic,” said Carpenter. “In addition, this is a great opportunity to learn from a wonderful organization about leadership both as individuals and as a team. I personally am looking forward to this training.”

“The KOKUA Project: K奴puna Outreach and Knowledge in Underserved Areas” team is led by Pia Lorenzo (JABSOM) in collaboration with Robin Miyamoto (JABSOM) and Chad Kawakami (东精影业 Hilo Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy). Their project aims to improve the care of the k奴puna in underserved rural communities, especially since Hawaiʻi鈥檚 aging population is growing rapidly while the state does not have enough geriatric specialists to meet their complex needs.

“I鈥檝e experienced first-hand the heartache of too many of our k奴puna falling through the cracks due to systems issues despite the best efforts of dedicated health care professionals. Being a part of the RWJF Clinical Scholars program enables our team to get in the trenches with our colleagues fighting the good fight in underserved community health care centers,” said Lorenzo. “But now, with the RWJF鈥檚 support, we are able to help in a different way, and hopefully, in a way that creates a bigger and more lasting impact.”

—By Deborah Manog Dimaya

With schools back in session this month, the Hawaiʻi (HOME) project at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s (JABSOM) gathered and distributed school supplies for 400 children in need.

Backpacks full of school-related items and financial donations poured in from the community, including the Elks Club in Waikīkī and the Rotary Club of Honolulu Sunset, as well as from JABSOM faculty, staff and students.

Medical students and other volunteers meticulously packed the school bags distributed to several homeless shelters in Honolulu, Kalaeloa, Māʻili and Waiʻanae.

See the

The journey from her home in Līhuʻe to national recognition for her work at University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补鈥檚 (JABSOM) is rooted in the love Elisabeth Young has for her Kauaʻi community.

The JABSOM senior, who will graduate this May, says she was always curious about people and science. “In medicine, you鈥檙e always a student,” she said. “I think there are many ways to care for others and care for the community. For me, medicine was a tangible way to do that.”

Young received national recognition from two medical organizations. She was the winner of the 2017–2018 Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service for her work in promoting health and safety in the community. In 2018, she also was selected by the American Medical Association to attend its first Foundation Leadership Development Institute in Chicago.

The aspiring doctor credits her humble upbringing in Līhuʻe for inspiring her. “Growing up on Kauaʻi in a community that is so caring, where people reach out if you need anything, I feel like medicine is an extension of that in the way that I would want to spend my work, in a way that was meaningful for my soul,” Young said.

Commitment to public health, a career in pediatrics

Young鈥檚 early education and experiences at JABSOM cultivated her commitment for public health and social justice. It gave her a foundation in the social determinants of health and made her curious about how physiology is affected by where people live, work, play and learn.

In her third year at JABSOM, Young made the difficult decision of taking a one-year leave of absence to expand her education in public health. She attended Harvard University鈥檚 T.H. Chan School of Public Health where she earned her master鈥檚 degree in public health.

“Before graduating from medical school, I wanted tools to understand how populations are affected by health and how we鈥檙e able to change the systems in place so that everyone can be healthy,” she said. “I think that expanding myself in that way really broadened the way I look at an individual patient.”

When she returned to JABSOM, Young thought about what a career in pediatrics would look like. “What I care about most is recognizing that every person has an internal worth,” Young stated. “I’d like to invest in that so they can pursue what they want at a younger age, and specializing in pediatrics will allow me to be more fulfilled all around.”

Creating good doctors

Young volunteers several times a week with the project, spearheaded by JABSOM. Staffed by medical faculty volunteers and students, the mobile clinic provides free health care to homeless citizens at various locations on Oʻahu.

It鈥檚 where she is gaining valuable experience and where her passion for medicine and for caring for people is apparent. “Whatever patient presents themselves to the H.O.M.E. project, you鈥檙e there to say that you have worth, and I鈥檓 going to give you the same care that all people deserve,” she said.

For Young, JABSOM was the perfect fit for her medical training. It was not only clinically and academically rigorous, but it also helped her to realize she was capable of pursuing a career in medicine. She added, “The type of doctor that JABSOM wants to put forward are proactive leaders who possess the humility and compassion to meet their patients on a level-playing field.”

Returning to her roots

No matter where she does her next phase of post-graduate training, Young says Kauaʻi is where it all started for her and she wants to return to serve in that community. She speaks with a passion and deep appreciation for growing up in a place where people cared about each other so much.

She reflected back to a time when her family鈥檚 stove broke and they were cooking outside for awhile because they weren鈥檛 able to purchase another one. “One day, a Sears truck came by our home and dropped off a new stove. That kind of anonymous generosity, without any expectation of being recognized, is what makes Kauaʻi so uncommonly kind and so special,” Young shared. “It’s my desire to give back to the community that gave me so much. I want to pour into them as much as they poured into me.”

Young acknowledged her parents for being her greatest role models. She said, “ I hope to be as hard working, generous, honest, faithful and joyful as they continue to be. I couldn’t have done anything without their love.“

—By Arlene Abiang

and the have donated $30,000 to the University of Hawaiʻi at 惭腻苍辞补 John A. Burns School of Medicine鈥檚 (HOME) project to purchase an electric vehicle. It will be used to transport homeless patients to medical and dental appointments.

The Hawaiʻi HOME project serves sheltered and unsheltered homeless at free clinics in seven sites across Oʻahu. Volunteers and medical students provide care for acute and chronic medical problems, preventative care, health education, dental and vision screening, minor procedures, resource management, labs and vaccines and free medications for the uninsured. More than 3,700 patients have received assistance since the project began.

Jill Omori, HOME project founder said, “While Hawaiʻi HOME Project provides care for the patients that it serves, many of our patients would benefit from specialty care and are in need of labs and imaging that we may not be able to provide at our clinic sites. By providing free transportation, we can significantly increase the amount of medical and dental services that our patients are receiving.”

“Hawaiian Electric and the HEI Charitable Foundation are happy to support the , its faculty and students, in providing assistance to some of the most vulnerable people in our community, especially the children,” said Brennon Morioka, Hawaiian Electric general manager for electrification of transportation.

For more on the donation, .