Federal Grant Award Summary

The Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) a Project Grant of $160,674.00 under the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Payment Program (CFDA 93.530) on March 1, 2026, with a completion date of June 30, 2029. The award supports the establishment and operation of Na Ohana O Ka Hale Ola (NOKHO), a new three-year family medicine residency program designed to train culturally competent primary care physicians for medically underserved populations on Hawaii's Waianae Coast. The program will initially enroll three residents in academic year 2025-2026, scaling to nine residents by year three, with primary training conducted at WCCHC's Nanakuli clinic.

The residency program delivers comprehensive graduate medical education focused on training family medicine physicians who demonstrate clinical expertise, cultural competence, and commitment to health equity. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on clinical experience, community engagement, and deep understanding of social determinants of health affecting the predominantly Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander patient population served by WCCHC. By developing primary care physicians rooted in and dedicated to serving their communities, NOKHO directly addresses the documented shortage of family medicine practitioners in Hawaii's medically underserved areas while preparing compassionate, socially responsible clinicians to address health inequities and chronic disease burdens affecting vulnerable populations.