Grant Award Summary

The University of Hawaii at Manoa received a $362,140 Project Grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Bureau of Health Professionals under the Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE) program (CFDA 93.884), effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031. The award supports the development and delivery of street medicine residency training across a consortium of primary care programs, including the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program, the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, and the Hawaii Island Family Medicine Residency Program. The primary services delivered include curriculum enhancement and development in street medicine, with hands-on clinical training for primary care residents in mobile unit operations, encampment outreach, and harm reduction initiatives targeting individuals experiencing homelessness.

This initiative addresses Hawaii's significant homelessness crisis, which has grown to 6,389 individuals in 2024—representing a rate 2.4 times the national average and the highest per capita rate in the nation. The consortium leverages specialized expertise across three partner institutions: JABSOM's medical education leadership, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center's Native Hawaiian health expertise, and community partners' harm reduction capabilities. By preparing physicians to deliver equitable healthcare to vulnerable populations experiencing homelessness, the program aims to build sustainable street medicine capacity in Hawaii while enhancing trainee knowledge, attitudes, and clinical skills in underserved population care.