Washington, D.C. - Senator Daniel K. Akaka is pleased to announce the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will award $495,000 to Hawaii Health System Corporation for its rural health interdisciplinary training demonstration project in Hilo, Hawaii.

Senators Akaka and Dan Inouye secured the funds in the Fiscal Year 2006 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in Hawaii’s rural areas.

Senator Akaka said, "We do not have enough trained healthcare professionals in Hawaii. As more and more physicians retire, our shortage will become even more severe. I am proud that Senator Inouye and I were able to obtain the resources for this important project so that we can increase training opportunities for healthcare professionals in rural Hawaii and expand access to health care."

This demonstration project will develop an interdisciplinary, collaborative, and culturally appropriate family medicine residency, nursing and allied health professions training program. The project’s goal is to reduce health disparities and improve access to culturally appropriate care for Native Hawaiians and underserved populations. It is made possible through the collaborative efforts among the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, and community organizations.

"I will work to obtain additional resources for the training of healthcare professionals in rural Hawaii to support and build upon the Hilo program. I want to expand this program to Maui in so that even more people can benefit from this program," stated Senator Akaka.