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Kokua Program
| Topics |
Faith-based
Health promotion and disease prevention
Limited English proficiency
Minorities
Networking and collaboration
Women
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| States served |
Hawaii
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| Description |
Hui No Ke Ola Pono (Hui) was the lead agency in a consortium of six area health service providers, agencies, and universities that created and implemented the Kokua Program. The program got its name from the Hawaiian value "kokua" which means to help each other. The project's primary objectives were to reach and educate local women on breast and cervical cancer, and provide health screenings using culturally appropriate methods that reduce fear and anxiety. The project's primary goals were to provide the local uninsured female population with breast and cervical education, clinical breast exams, pelvic exams, Pap tests, mammogram screening, appropriate followup for abnormal results, case management, and transportation to clients. |
| Services offered |
Networking with community leaders to identify and establish gatekeepers who could help overcome language and cultural barriers was essential to reaching minority populations, particularly among Filipino women. These gatekeeper escorts helped schedule breast and cervical presentations in clients' homes or churches, aided in scheduling health-screening appointments, and provided translation services that bridged cultural and linguistic gaps and replaced anxiety with comfort. Another technique employed by the project to bridge cultural differences was providing health education in a "talk-story" manner that demystified Western clinical practices. In Hawaii, "talk-story" is an important social convention for sharing information informally, finding common ground, and getting to know each other. Using this method, the project staff were able to develop close relationships with the Native Hawaiian target group and gain their trust. |
| Results |
Outreach workers helped clients complete registration forms for screenings, eliminating the need for clients to stand in registration lines at screening facilities. The project established a Resource Center to provide health educational materials including pamphlets, brochures, and videos on breast and cervical cancer. Project staff also provided transportation and helped with child care while clients attended health screening appointments. The project was able to buy a van and remove geographic barriers by providing a client transportation system. Other results include diagnosing three women in the service area with cervical cancer and ensuring that they received proper treatment; diagnosing another three clients - through glucose screening - with diabetes and placing them on medication; and, through blood pressure screening, referring three women to physicians for further care and diagnosing two women with hypertension and placing them on medication. A client satisfaction survey indicated that clients felt the program was valuable and they wished to continue using the services. |
| Replication |
Because the Kokua Program uses as its basis the Hawaiian value of helping each other, the project model is applicable to any other rural community with or without cultural barriers. However, in culturally diverse settings, using the project model component of scheduling a group of four or five family members or friends for health screenings eliminates fear and embarrassment and helps create a natural support group for clients. Also in areas with language barrier issues, it is recommended that the project pay interpreters or hire outreach workers with language skills instead of relying on the availability of volunteer translators in order to increase client time scheduling possibilities. |
| Source |
Outreach Sourcebook, Vol. 9, 1999-2002, Office of Rural Health Policy
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| Contact person |
Lucille Caba, Program Coordinator
Kokua Program
Hui No Ke Ola Pono
95 Mahalani Street, Room 21
Wailuku, HI 96793
Phone: (808) 244-4647 |
| Date added |
July 11, 2005 |
Summaries of success stories are provided by RAC for your convenience. Please contact the success story contact person directly for the most complete and current information.
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