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For Immediate Release

January 23, 2024

75th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting Recap

November 18 – 22, 2024

Pohnpei, FSM

Pacific Health Leaders Convene in Pohnpei for the 75th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting

PIHOA Executive and Associate Board Members and their Designees. Top (left to right) - Shiro Sigrah (Designee, Kosrae State DHS), James Cooper-Nurse (Designee, Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center) Calvin Johanes (Designee, Public Health, Palau MHHS), Lilian Posadas-Perez (CEO, Guam Memorial Hospital), Tommy Gabriel (Designee, LBJ Tropical Medical Center), Dr. Bosco Buliche (Director, Chuuk State DHS), Martina Reichhardt (Designee, Yap State DHS), Dr. Ngirachisau Mekoll (Director, Clinical Services, Palau MHHS), and Stuard Penias (Director, Pohnpei State DHS). Bottom (left to right) - Marcus Samo (Secretary, FSM Department of Health and Social Affairs), Theresa Arriola (Director, Guam Department of Health and Social Services), Gaafar Uherbelau (Minister, Palau MHHS), Francyne Wase-Jacklick (Designee, RMI MOHHS), and Ben Sili (Designee, American Samoa DOH).

PIHOA brought together regional health leaders, policymakers, and partners for the 75th Executive Board Meeting (EBM) in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) from November 18-22, 2024. The five-day event, held at the College of Micronesia National Campus, addressed critical health challenges, showcased regional successes, and charted pathways for collaborative action to improve health outcomes across the Pacific.


The meeting opened with a closed-door Strategic Planning Retreat, where PIHOA board members and associates refined the organization’s mission and outlined key strategic priorities. The retreat focused on actionable interventions and measurable performance outcomes, setting a solid foundation for the week’s discussions.

Day two welcomed invited guests, including His Excellency Aren B. Palik, Vice President of FSM, whose address highlighted the dual challenges of climate change and non-communicable diseases. The Vice President underscored the urgency of regional collaboration to combat these health crises. Updates from member jurisdictions demonstrated remarkable progress:

  • Yap’s success in cervical cancer prevention through the Pacific Against Cervical Cancer (PACE) Project.
  • Guam’s Medicaid enrollment drive for COFA citizens, increasing healthcare accessibility.
  • Palau’s ambitious hospital reconstruction project, symbolizing a commitment to modernized healthcare infrastructure.
  • The Marshall Islands’ strides in strategic health planning, establishing a roadmap for future initiatives.

A central theme of the third day was workforce development, as leaders explored strategies to address critical shortages of healthcare professionals in the region. Key topics included the rising burden of non-communicable diseases, advancing health security, and adapting to climate-sensitive health issues like vector-borne diseases. Partner organizations shared innovative solutions, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in tackling these challenges.

Building on these discussions, the FDA and PIHOA formalized a partnership agreement to strengthen public health systems in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands. This collaboration focuses on regulatory development, resource-sharing, and improving the safety of foods, cosmetics, and medical products to address the region's pressing health challenges.


The final meeting session, held behind closed doors, centered on updates from the PIHOA Secretariat and a review of key discussions from the week. A pivotal outcome was the formation of a USAPI Health Workforce Development Technical Working Group, a critical step toward addressing the region’s public health workforce crisis. The day concluded with renewed commitments to sustainable health solutions and collective action.

On the final day, attendees toured healthcare facilities in Pohnpei, including Pohnpei State Hospital and private clinics, to gain firsthand insights into local health systems. The meeting concluded with a visit to Nan Madol, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient stone city provided a moment of reflection on the resilience and cultural heritage of the Pacific Islands.


The 75th PIHOA EBM highlighted the region’s collective strength in addressing shared health challenges. Leaders left Pohnpei with a unified vision for advancing health equity and resilience in Pacific Island communities.

Meeting Documents and Presentations

75th PIHOA Executive Board Meeting Agenda

Day 1, Monday, November 18 (Closed Session)

PIHOA Board Strategic Planning Retreat

Day 2, Tuesday, November 19 (Open Session)

Feature Presentations from FSM, Palau, Guam, American Samoa, and RMI - Strategic Priorities and Updates

FSM Strategic Priorities and Updates


Palau Strategic Priorities and Updates

  • Bureau of Hospital Services – Darnelle Worswick, Administrator, Belau National Hospital
  • Bureau of Public Health – Calvin Johanes, Director, Division of Environmental Health, Palau MHHS (designee for Sherilynn Madraisau, Director, Bureau of Public Health, Palau MHHS)


Guam Strategic Priorities and Updates

  • Guam Strategic Innovations – Theresa Arriola, Director, Guam DPHSS; Lilian Perez-Posadas, CEO, GMHA; and Dr. James Cooper-Nurse, Deputy Director, GBHWC (designee for Carissa Pangelinan, Director, GBHWC)


American Samoa Strategic Priorities and Updates


RMI Strategic Priorities and Updates

Day 3, Wednesday, November 20 (Open Session)

Partnership Engagements and Progress and Future Directions on Selected PIHOA Regional Initiatives

Profiling of the USAPI Health Workforce


USAPI One Health

  • USAPI One Health Concept Climate Change & Health, and Vector Management – Dr. Gillian Dunn, Regional HIS and Health Security Coordinator, PIHOA Secretariat; Dr. Limb Hapairai, Regional Medical Entomologist, PIHOA Secretariat; Jacquelyn Lefagoyal, Techincal Consultant/Program Assistant, PIHOA Secretariat; Calvin Johanes, Chief DEH, Palau MHHS; and Masatomo (Tom) Nadeau, NPEHA Member and Chief Environmental Public Health Officer, DEH, Guam DPHSS


Regional USPAI NCD Emergency Declaration Response and HIS Strengthening


Strengthening CDC Engagements and Coordination in Support of Public Health Development Efforts in the USAPIs

  • CDC Capacity Building Initiatives in the USAPIs – Dr. Hazel Dean, Director, Office of Partnership Support, Public Health Infrastructure Center, CDC, Sam Taveras, Director, Office of Insular Areas, Public Health Infrastructure Center, CDC


FDA Engagements in the USAPIs

  • FDA Office of Import Operations – Carla Fernandez, DWCI Supervisory Consumer Safety Officer; Jeffery Brown, Consumer Safety Officer and Pacific Island Project Liaison for the Immediate Officer on behalf of Dan Solis, Assistant Commissioner for Import Operations, Office of Regulatory Affairs, FDA; Mark Abdoo, Associate Commissioner for Global Policy, FDA (pre-recorded video remarks)


FSM National Office of Veterans Affairs, Status of US Veterans Affairs Support for COFA Veterans


Regional Laboratory Strengthening Initiative: Progress and Future Directions

Day 4, Thursday, November 21 (Closed Session)

PIHOA Board of Directors and Associate Member Business Meeting

Day 5, Friday, November 22 (Open Session)

Facilitated Tour of Health Facilities in Pohnpei and Nan Madol UNESCO World Heritage Site

Check out the PIHOA Facebook Page for additional meeting photos!

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About the Pacific Islands Health Officers' Association


PIHOA's mission is to improve the health and well-being of the USAPIs by providing, through consensus, a unified, credible voice on health issues of regional significance. Established in 1986, PIHOA is governed by and represents the collective interests of the USAPI health leadership from American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. 

 

PIHOA’s Secretariat, comprised of executive, administrative, and technical staff and consultants, provides support to the USAPI health agencies and leadership in the following priority areas: health workforce development; epidemiology and surveillance; health systems performance improvement; laboratory services; regional health leadership and policy advocacy; Pacific health security; and, partnership engagement and coordination. PIHOA has two offices in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and Hagåtña, Guam.


Contact


Billie Hiraishi

Communications Officer

billieh@pihoa.org