Pacific Island Health Officers Association

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

08/27/2025

🧡 Big shoutout to the RMI Ministry of Health and Human services for their leadership in strengthening health workforce systems! 🇲🇭

At the request of Secretary Mattu Wase-Jacklick, PIHOA provided technical assistance on OrangeHRM and workforce data needs to the MOHHS HR and IT teams in Majuro on July 15–16, 2025.

✅ MOHHS administrative accounts were set up
✅ A hands-on system review was completed
✅ 590 employee records were successfully uploaded into OrangeHRM

We also discussed the importance of quality workforce data to support planning, development, and long-term solutions across the RMI health system.

OrangeHRM is a widely used human resource management platform designed to help organizations build stronger HR systems by providing flexible, scalable tools for managing people, improving efficiency, and making data-driven workforce decisions.

Kommol tata to the MOHHS teams for their commitment and collaboration — and congratulations on this big milestone! 👏🏽

08/27/2025

🦟 Meet the Expert Series: Battling the Bite!
The USAPI Response to the Dengue Outbreak

Join us tomorrow for a timely conversation with on-the-ground experts about the current dengue outbreak and the critical response efforts happening in American Samoa. 🌺

Featuring:
Rosanna Rabago – PIHOA Technical Consultant, Vector Management Team
Aileen Solaita – American Samoa Department of Health Administrator / Director, ASDOH Environmental Health Services Division

📅 Date:
Thursday, August 28 (ChST) | 10:00–11:00 AM
Wednesday, August 27 (SST) | 1:00–2:00 PM
(see time zone conversions below)

🔗 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 – Aug 27, 1PM

This session is FREE and open to all—please join us and share widely!

08/26/2025

🌏✨ Registration is now open for the 77th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting, taking place from November 3–7, 2025, in Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Join health leaders across the Pacific as we collaborate on strengthening regional public health systems and advancing resilient, Pacific-led solutions. 💪🏾

🔗 Check out our latest e-blast for meeting details: https://conta.cc/45TYwOX

Kommol tata to the RMI Ministry of Health and Human services for hosting this year! 🇲🇭

Email from   Eventbrite – Register Here # # # About the Pacific Islands Health Officers' Association PIHOA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of the USAPIs by providing, through consensus

08/18/2025

The Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program proudly celebrates the graduation of 10 outstanding Fellows from Cohort 4, who have completed their two-year training across health departments and ministries in American Samoa, Guam, Palau, Chuuk, Kosrae, and Pohnpei! 🌺🌊

Throughout their fellowship, these emerging public health leaders made meaningful contributions in critical areas like maternal and child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), laboratories, pharmacies, and community health centers (CHCs), helping to strengthen systems and improve health outcomes across the USAPIs.

We extend our deepest gratitude to the Supervisors and Host Site Programs whose mentorship and hands-on guidance shaped the Fellows’ journeys. Your dedication has helped prepare the next generation of public health leaders.

🌟 With their passion and commitment, these PPHFP Fellows now join the regional workforce—ready to lead, ready to serve, and dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of their island communities. The future of Pacific public health is brighter because of them! Congratulations Cohort 4 🎉

🤝🏾 American Samoa Department of Health, Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services, Ministry of Health & Human Services - Republic of Palau, Department of Health Services, State of Chuuk, Pohnpei State Department of Health and Social Services

07/10/2025

🦟 With confirmed cases of dengue fever in American Samoa, it's more important than ever to protect yourself and your family.

📌 What you need to know:
✅ Dengue is spread by infected mosquitoes
✅ Peak mosquito activity: early morning & late afternoon
✅ Remove standing water to eliminate breeding sites
✅ Use DEET-based repellents and wear long sleeves
✅ Call 219 for more information

Continue to follow the American Samoa Department of Health for updates ⬇️

Let’s all do our part to stop the spread of dengue!

07/10/2025

🚨 Public Health Emergency Declared in American Samoa

The American Samoa Government has declared a Public Health Emergency following confirmed cases of dengue fever in the territory.

🦟 Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that can cause serious illness. Stay informed and take precautions to protect yourself and our island community.

Follow the American Samoa Department of Health and ASDOH Environmental Health Services Division pages for updates!

📄 Read the full declaration below 👇🏽

07/09/2025

From June 30–July 4, 2025, PIHOA Executive Director Emi Chutaro joined Pacific Island leaders in Majuro for the 27th Micronesian Islands Forum (MIF). She participated as part of the Regional Health Committee to support bold, united action on cervical cancer, nuclear legacy impacts, and other pressing health priorities.

Kommol tata to the Republic of the Marshall Islands for hosting 🇲🇭

📸 Check out this post from the RMI Ministry of Health and Human services featuring highlights from this powerful gathering ⬇️

07/04/2025

🦟 Strengthening Vector Control in American Samoa! 🧪🌴

From May 20–23, 2025, PIHOA and partners successfully delivered the first-ever Category 8: Public Health Pest Control Training in American Samoa! 🎉

14 participants from American Samoa Department of Health (ASDOH) ASDOH Environmental Health Services Division, and ASCC completed four days of hands-on training in managing public health pests like mosquitoes, rodents, and flies — earning their ASEPA Core and Cat 8 certifications ✅

This historic training, supported by CDC and the U.S. Army, equips local teams with the tools and knowledge to respond safely and effectively to outbreaks like dengue.

Mahalo to our partners at ASDOH, ASEPA, ASCC, and more for helping make this possible!

🔗 Read the full e-blast: https://conta.cc/4lcCOfg

Email from Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) For Immediate Release July 4, 2025 Strengthening Vector Control Capacity in American Samoa - First-Ever Category 8 Training Completed! Pa

07/03/2025

🚀 The SHIP program has officially launched a new Postgraduate Certificate in Field Epidemiology (PGCFE) cohort in Chuuk, FSM!

From June 2–6, 2025, 15 participants from the Department of Health Services, State of Chuuk, including 4 current Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program (PPHFP) fellows, completed the first of five training modules: Introduction to Health Information Systems.

This foundational course equips public health professionals with the skills needed to effectively manage, analyze, and utilize health data for informed decision-making.

Up next: Investigation and Management of Disease Outbreaks. 🦠💡

Stay tuned as this dedicated cohort continues their journey through the PGCFE training series!