Students meet to discuss the challenges, initiatives in rural medicine

The Partnership for Social Medicine recently hosted a symposium - Rural Medicine: Challenges and Initiatives, highlighting the unique strengths and struggles of health care in Hawaii's rural communities. Dr. Nicole Apoliona served as a guest speaker, offering a compelling reflection on her experiences as a rural physician on Maui and insights from the Maui Healthcare Stakeholders' Summit.

The event also featured a presentation from the Rural Health Interest Group's Lucas Chun and Maya Nishida who shared their project on improving Hilo's AED access and utilization. The symposium underscored the importance of collaboration, community orientation and data driven advocacy in addressing physician shortages and strengthening healthcare systems across Hawaiʻi's rural islands.