Access to health care is the top issue facing Hawaii Island, assessment finds

Limited access to health care is the top issue facing Hawaii Island, particularly West Hawaii, a recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment found.

On the neighbor islands, especially for the Big Island and West Hawaii, the No. 1 issue is access to health care, said George Greene, president and chief executive officer of the Healthcare Association of Hawaii, which collaborated with the Healthy Communities Institute to conduct the statewide study on Hawaiis health-care needs.

Because many health services are based on Oahu, Hawaii County suffers from limited access to various types of care, including primary, mental and specialized care, the State of Hawaii Community Health Needs Assessment reads. The assessment, released Wednesday, was compiled by the Healthcare Association of Hawaii and the Healthy Communities Institute.

The islands geography exacerbates the issue by making transportation and the availability of care sometimes difficult to provide.

While data shows there is a lack of both primary care and specialty care available on the island; the shortage is especially severe in Puna, Kau and Waikoloa, according to the report. In the realm of mental health care, the island is facing a shortage in providers as well as a lack of substance abuse and mental health treatment options.

Access to health care is not about having an insurance card and the availability of clinics, said Greene. Its more than that. Its looking at transportation and how we get people to community services, language issues and cultures. Those barriers to health.

The report also pointed out several themes developed from the study of data: All groups experience adverse health outcomes due to chronic illness and health risk behaviors; greater socio-economic need and health impacts are found among certain groups and places in Hawaii; cultural and language barriers inhibit effective intervention for the most affected populations; and community health centers and schools are key community assets for effective interventions.

Individuals from all geographies, race, gender, and age groups experience poor health outcomes, according to the report.

High rates of chronic disease patterns, hospitalizations due to preventable causes and patterns of unhealthy behaviors are evidence.

In Hawaii County, many residents are affected by heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and asthma, according to the report.