HIBC Initiatives

Initiatives Overview

Addressing a Long-Standing Need Hawaii Island is a vast place. Over its expanse of more than 4,000 square miles, the nearly 200,000 people residing in its rural towns enjoy a unique island lifestyle—but face significant health care challenges, often related to geographic isolation.

  • Access to health care is limited. Patients travel across several towns to visit their doctors, and there are few transportation options.
  • There is a shortage of health professionals, as population and need have outpaced health care industry growth.
  • The people are highly diverse. Some populations are at especially high risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Death rates and chronic illness rates are the highest in the state. In providing care for people from numerous ethnicities and cultures—including Asian, Caucasian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, Latino, African American, and others—the health care system must identify and address culturally specific needs and opportunities.
  • Costs continue to rise. Patients with complex health and social needs contribute significantly to high costs across the health care system locally and nationally. We can control costs by meeting their needs more effectively and finding better ways to prevent the onset of chronic illnesses.

Creating and Testing Solutions
As one of 17 Beacon Communities across the nation, HIBC is working with 16 partners across the health care system to:

  • Increase health care quality.
  • Improve population health.
  • Control rising costs.

Our areas of focus:
Clinical Transformation is accomplished through the collaborative creation of improved systems and protocols for the health care industry. Innovative technology enhanced access to patient data, allowing providers to deliver patient-centered support and treatment services informed by a complete picture of each person’s situation. The result: personalized treatment and better outcomes.

Technology provides the tools to share information and access data for health care providers, patients and their families. It connects all participants in the health care system, and enhances how care is provided and accessed to overcome geographical and socioeconomic challenges.

Wellness and Prevention feeds into all the HIBC initiatives, fostering healthy behaviors and personal ownership for health management. The seeding of wellness and prevention practices today will improve outcomes in every area and yield positive results for years to come.

Measuring Results
HIBC is tracking and analyzing health care performance across all initiatives to link investments in Clinical Transformation, Technology and Wellness with measurable improvements in health care cost, quality, and population health. Ongoing reporting and analysis will inform continual improvements in health care delivery.

Ultimately, HIBC is measuring results related to four aims:

  • Aim 1: Improve access to primary care, specialty care and behavioral health care.
  • Aim 2: Avert the onset and advancement of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
  • Aim 3: Reduce health disparities for Native Hawaiians and other at-risk populations.
  • Aim 4: Achieve Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption and Meaningful Use for more than 60 percent of Primary Care Providers (PCPs).