Pacific Island Health Officers Association

11/14/2025

📣 Save the Date! 📅

78th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting
April 13–17, 2026
Honolulu, Hawai‘i

We’re excited to announce the dates for the 78th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting, where regional leaders, partners, and public health champions will come together once again to advance health across the USAPIs.

Stay tuned for registration details in the coming months!

🔗 https://conta.cc/3LKdYGM

Email from Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA)       # # # About the Pacific Islands Health Officers' Association PIHOA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of the USAPIs by

11/05/2025

🌺 Kommol tata on the beautiful work by the local Marshallese Emelak Services — they created these stunning floral arrangements that brought so much island warmth and color to our event here in Majuro! 💐✨

11/05/2025

77th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting, Majuro, RMI 🇲🇭
📸 : Chewy Lin Photo & Film

Kommol tata to our PIHOA Executive and Associate Board Members — and their appointed designees — for your leadership, commitment, and collaboration in advancing public health across the Pacific! 💙🌴

Back row (left to right) - Scott Anesi (Chief Executive Officer, LBJ Tropical Medical Center), Gaafar Uherbelau (Designee, Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services), Tholman Alik (Director, Kosrae Department of Health Services), Dorina Fred (Designee, Chuuk Department of Health Services)

Second row (left to right) - Jannica Taimanglo (Guam Memorial Hospital Authority), Kristianna Whitman (Behavioral Health and Wellness Center), Antoinette Merur (Belau National Hospital), Edolem Ikerdeu (Designee, Public Health, Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services), and Semenson Ehpel (Designee, Pohnpei Department of Health Services).

Front row (left to right) - Elizabeth Ponausuia (Designee, American Samoa Department of Health), Francyne Wase-Jacklick (Secretary, RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services), Theresa Arriola (Director, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services), Ota Kisino (Minister, RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services), and Dominic Taruwemai (Designee, Yap State DHS).

🤝🏾 American Samoa Department of Health, LBJ Tropical Medical Center, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Guam Memorial Hospital Authority - GMHA, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, RMI Ministry of Health and Human services, Ministry of Health & Human Services - Republic of Palau, Pohnpei State Department of Health and Social Services, Yap State Department of Health Services, Department of Health Services, State of Chuuk.

11/03/2025

A new study by the University of Hawaii at Manoa reveals a stark life-expectancy gap of up to 19 years among major ethnic groups in Hawaiʻi, including Pacific Islanders. Learn more at the link below!

The updated analysis — published in the Hawaiʻi Journal of Health and Social Welfare — shows that while the state continues to rank among the nation’s healthiest, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders continue to face the greatest disparities.

11/03/2025

The 77th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting officially kicked off today in Majuro, Marshall Islands! 🇲🇭

Day 1 set a powerful tone for the week ahead—rooted in reflection, collaboration, and connection across our island health leaders. The morning began with a heartfelt spiritual devotion, followed by inspiring welcoming remarks from PIHOA Interim President, and Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services Director Theresa Arriola and a powerful message from the CMI Youth Leadership Council on the importance of engaging the next generation in health leadership.

While President Hilda C. Heine was unable to attend, PIHOA extends our deepest appreciation to the Office of the President, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the RMI Ministry of Health and Human services for hosting the 77th EBM!

In the afternoon, Board members then shifted into strategic planning sessions, reflecting on PIHOA’s 40 years of service and envisioning the organization’s future over the next four decades.

The day concludes with a board dinner hosted by RMI MOHHS—a time to relax, connect, and continue strengthening the bonds that drive our collective mission toward healthier, more resilient island communities. 🌴💪🏽

10/30/2025

🌺 Join Us for the Next Meet the Expert Session!

💪 Topic: Resilience for Front-Line Public Health: Self-Care and Coping with Trauma

Front-line public health work can be both rewarding and demanding. This session will explore practical approaches to building resilience, managing stress, and promoting well-being among those serving on the front lines of public health. Open to all interested health professionals, partners, and community members.

📅 Date:
October 31, 2025 | 10am – 11am (CHST)
October 30, 2025 | 2pm – 3pm (HST)
(see time zone conversions below)

Featuring:
Sara Beatrize D. Harrell, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center

🔗 Zoom ID: 951 5896 2991
🔑 Passcode: PPHFP

🕒 Time Zones:
🇬🇺 Guam / 🇫🇲 Chuuk / 🇫🇲 Yap – 10AM
🇵🇼 Palau – 9AM
🇫🇲 Pohnpei / 🇫🇲 Kosrae – 11AM
🇲🇭 Republic of the Marshall Islands – 12PM
🇦🇸 American Samoa – Oct 30, 1PM

10/25/2025

🌺 Healthy Communities Start With Lead-Safe Homes

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week 2025 is here!

This year’s theme, Healthy Communities Start With Lead-Safe Homes, reminds us that every child deserves a safe start.

Across the USAPI, jurisdictions are engaged in lead poisoning prevention, with PIHOA providing regional support and technical assistance, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) providing both funding and technical assistance to strengthen these efforts.

🇦🇸 In American Samoa, the American Samoa Department of Health, ASDOH Environmental Health Services Division has launched a week-long lead screening program for children enrolled in Head Start/Early Childhood Education. As of yesterday, 325 children from four Head Start sites have already been tested — a major step toward understanding and preventing lead exposure in the islands.

🇬🇺 We also celebrate the leadership of the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS). Last Friday, the Lieutenant Governor of Guam signed a proclamation declaring October 19–25, 2025, as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in the territory—reaffirming Guam’s high-level commitment to protecting children’s health.

Together—with CDC, ASTHO (Association of State and Territorial Health Officials), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other partners, PIHOA is proud to support the expansion of lead poisoning prevention programs across the Pacific, building a healthier, lead-free future for all island communities. 💙

10/05/2025

ICYMI 🌺 — PIHOA’s SHIP program is now a TEPHINET-accredited FETP!

Our latest E-Blast dives deeper into why this milestone matters for the Pacific:
🌏 Global recognition
🎓 Expanded opportunities for SHIP graduates
💪 A stronger, more connected Pacific health workforce

Read the full story ➡️ https://conta.cc/4gVoo1Z

Email from Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) For Immediate Release October 4, 2025 PIHOA's SHIP Program Achieves TEPHINET Accreditation Honolulu, Hawai'i - We are proud to announce t

09/26/2025

📣 The PIHOA Secretariat commends Guam’s health leaders for their continued commitment to strengthening access to care! In partnership with Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), we’re proud to celebrate the approval of 3 new National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites in Guam:

• American Medical Center 1 (Upper Tumon)
• American Medical Center 2 (Mangilao)
• Todu Guam Foundation Mobile Clinic

👏 With this expansion, Guam now has 8 NHSC-approved facilities. This is a testament to the island’s leadership in advancing primary health care and building a strong health workforce through NHSC loan repayment and scholarship programs.

🔗 Learn more - https://conta.cc/4mFPOdx

🤝🏾 Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, American Medical Center, Todu Guam Foundation

Email from Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) For Immediate Release September 26, 2025 New NHSC Sites on Guam Aim to Expand the Professional Health Workforce and Strengthen Primary He

09/24/2025

🌺 Join us for the Next Meet the Expert Session!
📊 Topic: NCDs in the USAPIs: What the Latest Surveys Reveal

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the latest updates on NCD surveillance across the Pacific. Open to all interested health professionals, partners, and community members.

📅 Date:
September 26, 2025 | 10am – 11am (CHST)
September 25, 2025 | 2pm – 3pm (HST)
(see time zone conversions below)

Featuring:
Rasmi Davu, PIHOA Regional Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Officer, and Courtney Choy, PIHOA Chronic Disease Epidemiologist Technical Consultant.

🔗 Zoom ID: 951 5896 2991
🔑 Passcode: PPHFP

🕒 Time Zones:
🇬🇺 Guam / 🇫🇲 Chuuk / 🇫🇲 Yap – 10AM
🇵🇼 Palau – 9AM
🇫🇲 Pohnpei / 🇫🇲 Kosrae – 11AM
🇲🇭 Republic of the Marshall Islands – 12PM
🇦🇸 American Samoa – Sept 25, 1PM

09/03/2025

🌺 Building Stronger Grants Management in the Pacific! 🌊

The PIHOA Secretariat successfully conducted a two-day Grants Management Training for the RMI Ministry of Health and Human services from July 28–29, 2025, in Majuro.

✅ 36 participants trained
✅ Knowledge scores improved from 51% → 76%
✅ Positive feedback with an average satisfaction rating of 4.6/5

Led by PIHOA Secretariat Grants Manager Cerina Mariano and Chief Finance Officer Elisa Dunlap, the training equipped health and finance staff with essential skills for effective federal grants implementation, management, and compliance.

Kommol tata to our partners at the RMI MOHHS, RMI Ministry of Finance, Banking & Postal Services, and the CDC for supporting capacity building across the Pacific! 🌏✨

Read the full E-Blast here: https://conta.cc/4g8K7mD

Email from For Immediate Release September 2, 2025 PIHOA Secretariat Provides Essential Grants Management Training to the RMI Ministry of Health and Human Services Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Is