Latest news with #HealthcareAssociationofHawaii
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hawaii's education loan repayment program proves to be popular
The state's Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program has helped to keep hundreds of health care professionals practicing at home, but demand is exceeding available funding. Gov. Josh Green developed the $30 million loan repayment initiative, known as HELP, in partnership with the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the state Department of Health. The program, which launched in September 2023, offers debt relief for educational loans incurred by qualifying licensed and certified health care professionals in Hawaii. The program received $30 million from the state Legislature, with an additional $5 million over two years from Hawaii island philanthropists Marc and Lynne Benioff and nearly $1 million annually in federal funding. Hawaii Dental Service funded $300, 000 for dentists. Health care professionals can get up to $50, 000 a year of debt relief for each of the two years they commit to working in the islands. As of May, HELP had awarded funding to 771 health care professionals across the state. The program has disbursed $23.24 million in state funds and $3.54 million from the Benioffs' donation. All 771 recipients will receive the program's maximum repayment : 420 individuals will be paid their full contract amounts, while 351 will have their student loans completely forgiven by October. Meanwhile, 1, 820 individuals remain on the HELP waitlist, though another 180 awardees are expected to receive funding in the upcoming cycle, scheduled for Sept. 1. Dr. Sam Shomaker, JABSOM dean, said 93 % of medical school students receive some form of financial aid that plays 'a huge role in reducing medical student debt. It allows students to pursue specialities they're most interested in.' The typical health care professional in Hawaii carries an average student debt of at least $250, 000, according to Dr. Kelley Withy, director of the Hawai 'i /Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center, based at JABSOM.—RELATED : Last year, there were over 12, 000 licensed physicians across the state, Withy said, but only 3, 599 provide patient care. And not all practicing physicians work full time, so she said that collectively they offer about the full-time equivalent of only 3, 022 physicians. Green, a physician himself, said he understands firsthand the urgency of Hawaii's doctor shortage, particularly in primary care, and has expressed his commitment to continued funding of the loan repayment program. Programs like HELP 'are making a real impact by easing student debt and keeping health care professionals here at home, ' he said. 'This is how we build a stronger, healthier Hawaii.' Shomaker noted that 60 medical residents are receiving loan repayments and have committed to returning to Hawaii after completing their training. 'I expect that to increase significantly, since these students want to return home and a financial incentive will help a great deal, ' he said. Several other incentives are in place to support health care providers in Hawaii, including the preceptor tax credit, which offers physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists a $5, 000 tax credit for teaching. Other benefits include a new discounted mortgage rate program, elimination of the general excise tax on certain insurance payments previously paid by physicians and efforts to reduce the administrative burden of obtaining prior authorization to treat patients. Additionally, Shomaker said new initiatives are connecting senior physicians with residents to ensure smooth transitions when doctors retire.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hawaii's education loan repayment program proves to be popular
The state's Healthcare Education Loan Repayment Program has helped to keep hundreds of health care professionals practicing at home, but demand is exceeding available funding. Gov. Josh Green developed the $30 million loan repayment initiative, known as HELP, in partnership with the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the state Department of Health. The program, which launched in September 2023, offers debt relief for educational loans incurred by qualifying licensed and certified health care professionals in Hawaii. The program received $30 million from the state Legislature, with an additional $5 million over two years from Hawaii island philanthropists Marc and Lynne Benioff and nearly $1 million annually in federal funding. Hawaii Dental Service funded $300, 000 for dentists. Health care professionals can get up to $50, 000 a year of debt relief for each of the two years they commit to working in the islands. As of May, HELP had awarded funding to 771 health care professionals across the state. The program has disbursed $23.24 million in state funds and $3.54 million from the Benioffs' donation. All 771 recipients will receive the program's maximum repayment : 420 individuals will be paid their full contract amounts, while 351 will have their student loans completely forgiven by October. Meanwhile, 1, 820 individuals remain on the HELP waitlist, though another 180 awardees are expected to receive funding in the upcoming cycle, scheduled for Sept. 1. Dr. Sam Shomaker, JABSOM dean, said 93 % of medical school students receive some form of financial aid that plays 'a huge role in reducing medical student debt. It allows students to pursue specialities they're most interested in.' The typical health care professional in Hawaii carries an average student debt of at least $250, 000, according to Dr. Kelley Withy, director of the Hawai 'i /Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center, based at JABSOM.—RELATED : Last year, there were over 12, 000 licensed physicians across the state, Withy said, but only 3, 599 provide patient care. And not all practicing physicians work full time, so she said that collectively they offer about the full-time equivalent of only 3, 022 physicians. Green, a physician himself, said he understands firsthand the urgency of Hawaii's doctor shortage, particularly in primary care, and has expressed his commitment to continued funding of the loan repayment program. Programs like HELP 'are making a real impact by easing student debt and keeping health care professionals here at home, ' he said. 'This is how we build a stronger, healthier Hawaii.' Shomaker noted that 60 medical residents are receiving loan repayments and have committed to returning to Hawaii after completing their training. 'I expect that to increase significantly, since these students want to return home and a financial incentive will help a great deal, ' he said. Several other incentives are in place to support health care providers in Hawaii, including the preceptor tax credit, which offers physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists a $5, 000 tax credit for teaching. Other benefits include a new discounted mortgage rate program, elimination of the general excise tax on certain insurance payments previously paid by physicians and efforts to reduce the administrative burden of obtaining prior authorization to treat patients. Additionally, Shomaker said new initiatives are connecting senior physicians with residents to ensure smooth transitions when doctors retire.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospitals across U.S. laying off staff, pausing payments amid Medicaid funding delays: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that unexpected delays in Medicaid funds have forced hospitals in at least 10 states to layoff staff and pause critical payments to medical suppliers. President and CEO of Healthcare Association of Hawaii Hilton Raethel joins Chris Jansing to explain more.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Can't get a doctor appointment? You're not alone. All the ways the doctor shortage is hurting you
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The doctor shortage in Hawaii is very real. Dr. Lee Buenconsejo-Lum, a primary care physician and dean of Academic Affairs at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, said the numbers are staggering. The shortage isn't just several, or even tens of needed doctors. It's hundreds. State Senate unveils budget plan: Balancing cuts, crisis, key investments 'All physicians short based on the latest workforce report, is you know about 750 to 800,' Buenconsejo-Lum said. She said the highest percentage of those are PCPs with the shortage attributed to higher rate of doctors retiring and many moving out of state due to increased cost of practicing medicine in the islands. And while the doctor shortage isn't new, Healthcare Association of Hawaii President Hilton Raethel said it continues to create a host of problems including long waits. 'They may not be able to get in to see their physician for a number of days, if not weeks,' he even worse if you're trying to find a new PCP. 'I hear, on a regular basis, of people looking for six months just to find a PCP,' Raethel said. 'The PCPs who are here, many of them, or the majority of them, are already, have very full panels.' When people can't get an appointment they go to urgent care or the ER. Raethel said that's putting extra stress on emergency rooms. 'And the interesting thing is, we know that the population in Hawaii is not growing,' Raethel explained. 'But we have a number of hospitals over the last five or 10 years who've expanded or even doubled their emergency rooms and yet are still being very, very full.' Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news He said that's a critical indicator and added that the shortage of PCPs may also be contributing to more serious health issues because there's no one managing the overall care of patients, particularly those with long term chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. 'The good news is there are some initiatives, some very good initiatives going on,' Raethel said. 'We're trying to grow that pathway,' Buenconsejo-Lum added. Local nonprofit raises awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month She said that John A. Burns School of Medicine doubled its recruitment for family medicine physicians this year. They're also focusing on growing local doctors with 40% of their medical students training in Hawaii. 'Which is great cause we know that if they come to JABSOM and they do their residency training here, 85% of them are likely to stay here and practice,' Buenconsejo-Lum explained. The legislature is also requesting an additional $30 million for the health education loan repayment program to help new physicians pay down medical school debt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Flu cases starting to rise in Hawaii, 19 deaths this season
HONOLULU (KHON2) — Doctors nationwide said this is the worst flu season in 15 years. The CDC estimates about 24 million flu illnesses and 13,000 deaths, including at least 57 Hawaii's flu season lasts year-round, some said this strain feels different. On Feb. 1, local bus driver Joshua Seals said he woke up in the middle of the night feeling ill. Feeling sick? Here's what you might have 'Around 2:30 a.m., I woke up with shortness of breath and it was hard to breathe, my back was in extreme pain,' Seals said. He drove to the emergency room and they did tests for Covid and influenza. Seals recalled having Covid twice over the past few years and said it 'was a similar feeling, but the back pain and the body aches was like a 10, like 1,000 on the pain scale.' He posted to social media and many said they have similar symptoms. He said his fiance went to the store to buy him cold medicine but the shelves were almost sold out. 'A lot of people were saying they had the flu some people said they had it for 10 days, they were out for 10 days,' he said. Experts said Hawaii's flu season lasts all year, but the state is starting to see an uptick in cases. What is influenza A, the type of flu making people so sick right now? 'For the first five, six weeks of this year, we're seeing about 100 patients a day, more than what we were seeing in December, and a lot of those patients are in the hospital with flu,' explained Healthcare Association of Hawaii CEO Hilton Raethel. Although hospitals are busier, he said they're not overwhelmed and Covid cases are low. 'We only have one patient across the entire state in an ICU today who's Covid positive,' Raethel added. 'And so flu right now is having more of an impact on our doctors, emergency rooms and hospitals than Covid is.' Since the flu season began in the fall, the state health department said 19 people have died from influenza, which is up from 18 deaths the year before. 'Certainly, we've seen higher numbers of tests positive for flu this year compared to last statewide,' explained state deputy epidemiologist Dr. Nathan Tan. 'This past week, it's been 1,200 positive tests for flu compared to 70 last year.' He said it seems to be a moderate flu season based on emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Check out more news from around Hawaii The DOH also recommends proper hygiene and reminds people to stay home when they are feeling ill. 'Good hygiene, cough etiquette and washing your hands after help prevent transmission,' the DOH added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
