Kumukahi Health + Wellness Awarded $95,000 from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii

HILO, Hawaii - Oct. 10, 2023 - PRLog -- Kumukahi Health + Wellness, a Hawai'i Island-based HIV/AIDS service organization, has been awarded $95,000 from UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii to expand its health services on Hawai'i Island. The funding will be used to expand capacity to allow clinic staff in Hilo and Kona serve additional patients and expand sexual health screenings by 30%. These increased services are expected to contribute to reduced hospital visits, better medication adherence rates, and reduced HIV, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted infection (STI) cases on Hawai'i Island.

"We are incredibly grateful to UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii for this much needed funding," says Peter Tui Silva, Executive Director of Kumukahi Health + Wellness. "In addition to our current services, our agency has been selected by the Hawai'i State Health Department to address the alarming rates of congenital syphilis cases on the Big Island. This will entail collaborations with OB/GYN providers, urgent care, and emergency room facilities. This will also include outreach and education to Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island women of childbearing age and linking them to healthcare providers around the island. Because of the support of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii, we will be able to continue to expand our existing services while taking on these new challenges."

The funding will also promote Kumukahi Health + Wellness's work to increase health access for LGTBQI+ individuals and other marginalized populations such as Compact of Free Association Migrants (COFA) communities, those experiencing substance use disorders, and unsheltered individuals.

"UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii is pleased to collaborate with Kumukahi Health + Wellness to expand access to high-quality culturally competent care for LGBTQI+ individuals, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island women and other people served by the clinic," said Kalani Redmayne, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii. "Expanding access to care to underserved communities will help ensure all people can live healthier lives."

Currently, Kumukahi Health + Wellness serves 250 patients for men's sexual health, HIV care and gender affirming care. They also provide over 1,000 HIV, viral hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) screenings each year.

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii administers the state of Hawaii's QUEST Integration Medicaid program statewide, which includes the islands of Hawaii, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu. Currently, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Hawaii currently serves more than 62,000 adults and keiki who meet qualifications for the state's Medicaid program in Hawaiʻi, with a network of 27 hospitals, and over 6,900 physicians and other care providers statewide.