The Hawaii Department of Health today announced it has been awarded a $2.2 million grant to train, deploy and engage community health workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The grant, to be distributed over three years, comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Community health workers help others access health care, government, and social service resources.

Kapiolani Community College, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, and Hawaii Public Health Institute will use the grant to train and deploy community health workers statewide. In particular, they will be recruiting individuals with relevant language, cultural, and community knowledge.

Efforts will be focused on historically underserved areas and populations that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

“Hawaii’s COVID-19 response was strengthened by community health workers who understood and advocated for their communities,” said Danette Wong Tomiyasu, deputy director of the Health Resources Administration, in a news release. “This grant will augment statewide training programs for community health workers. Growing this workforce will help to address health disparities and build resilience to prepare for future public health emergencies.”

If interested, contact DOH for more information at DOH.healthyhawaii@doh.hawaii.gov.