We had quite a magical gathering last weekend in support of healthcare providers and healers on the Big Island of Hawai'i.
The Hawaiian islands currently face a unique healthcare crisis, but neighboring and more rural islands like Kauai and Big Island have been especially devastated by the lack of: affordable and quality holistic care, access to quick and efficient emergency services, and culturally responsive mental health services. We also continue to grapple with increasing physician and nurse suicide, and in places like Hawai'i with exorbitant costs of living and shamefully low wages, the mental health of our healthcare providers is particularly impacted, driving them off the island and away from the profession altogether, further exacerbating this crisis. While we appreciate and support the efforts taken at the state and federal levels, attempting to react to this crisis, we are interested in proactively addressing these issues locally. How can we cultivate community that is empowered to take action and pool our resources to support real people in real time?
Here is what WE are doing about it!
It was an honor to co-create this event with HI Vibration Farm, as we came together to offer our services to the land and share a beautiful and nutritious meal. Through this intentionally curated event, we were able to unpack very heavy issues. We created several calls to action and look forward to regular follow up gatherings to support integration into our communities and to build solidarity.
Read what residents stated as their most urgent concerns:
Access to holistic childcare
Affordable housing for caregivers
Systemic and structural racism in healthcare system
Shortage of healthcare practitioners (doctors, nurses, therapist, social workers)
Increased wait times to see providers
Poor quality of care due to healthcare provider burnout increases patient deaths
Must travel to Oahu for specialty services/trauma/surgery
Expensive insurance coverage
Lack of natural, healthy foods to local community (Hawai'i islands import over 85% of foods)
Need more preventative care options
Spiritual healing vs. medical healing
Lack of access to land
Lack of support with breaking unhealthy habits/patterns/addictions
Isolation of the elder population
Better knowledge of plant medicine and herbal formulations
Greed as a motivator in providing treatment
The feedback from community members who participated confirmed that we need more localized grassroots initiatives if we hope to reimagine and shift current states of health for ourselves, the earth and all our kin.
See more photos and video here!
