Hawaii

Hawaii, the Aloha state, is comprised primarily of eight islands in the Pacific Ocean. Hawaii’s landscape is unique in that it exhibits towering volcanoes, lush valleys, and sandy beaches. It is the only state that has its own official native language. Hawaii covers 6,423 square miles, with a 2015 estimated population of 1,431,603 people – 268,163 living in rural Hawaii (USDA-ERS). Honolulu, the capital, is located on the island of Oahu. The state’s largest cities are Honolulu, Hilo, Kailua, Kaneohe and Waipahu. Hawaii is the most racially and ethnically diverse state in the nation. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 26.7% of the state’s population is white, 37.3% is Asian, 9.9% is Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 2.6% is African American/Black, and 10.4% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (U.S. Census, 2015).

Hawaii Rural Healthcare Facilities

There are 25 hospitals in Hawaii (Kaiser, 2014), 13 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 9 hospitals identified as Critical Access Hospitals (Flex Team, 12/2015). There are 2 Rural Health Clinics in Hawaii (CMS, 2015), and 14 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 69 sites in the state (NACHC, 2014).

Selected Social Determinants of Health for Rural Hawaii

Most Hawaiians have some form of health insurance coverage, although 5% of its residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2014). According to the Economic Research Service, The average per-capita income in 2014 for residents of Hawaii was $46,034 although rural per-capita income lagged at $36,279. The ERS reports, based on 2010-2014 ACS data, that the poverty rate in rural Hawaii is 17.2%, compared with 10.0% in urban areas of the state. 9.0% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 9.3% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma according to 2010-2014 ACS data reported by ERS. The unemployment rate in rural Hawaii is 4.4%, while in urban Hawaii it is 3.5% (USDA-ERS, 2015).

Data Sources
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Rural Health Clinic List; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; National Association of Community Health Centers: Key Health Center Data By State; U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets

Contacts

There are more organizations related to Hawaii in the organizations section.