"We certainly appreciate and value the level of engagement and participation from all who attended the recently concluded PIHOA Board meeting this past week. It is a promising indication that, as an organization, we are poised for further growth and development through strengthened partnerships and the lessons we have learned from the COVID pandemic."

Gaafar Uherbelau

PIHOA Board President

Minister of Health and Human Services (MHHS)

Republic of Palau

The PIHOA Secretariat wishes to convey a heartfelt mahalo and thank you to all of you who could join us in Honolulu for the 72nd PIHOA Executive Board Meeting. Our sincere gratitude for your participation, support, valuable comments, inputs, and meaningful dialogue! 

We hope you can continue to join us and support PIHOA’s important work at our next PIHOA Executive Board Meeting, tentatively planned for the fall of 2023 in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Check out the PIHOA Facebook Page for additional meeting photos!

72nd PIHOA Executive Board Meeting Agenda

Day 2, Tuesday, April 4 (Closed Session) - PIHOA Business Meeting

Day 3, Wednesday, April 5 (Open Session) - PIHOA Regional Initiatives

Regional Human Resources for Health Initiative

• Dr. Kristine Qureshi, Technical Consultant, HRH, PIHOA - Regional Human Resources for Health (HRH) Initiative: Summary Progress of Key Programs and Activities
• Jeff Matsumoto, Technical Consultant, Vice President and Project Lead, DataHouse, and Kelli Gonsalves, Data Analyst, DataHouse - Overview of the HRH Database and Dashboard
• Mindy Sugiyama, Technical Consultant, HRIT Specialist, PIHOA - HR Management Systems Strengthening: ORANGE Software Support
• Dr. Angela Techur-Pedro, Pacific Basin Primary Care Office Coordinator
• Dr. Yvette Paulino, Technical Consultant, PPHFP, PIHOA - Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program
• Dr. Brian Mangum, Technical Consultant, PIPHTC/WPRPHT, PIHOA (virtual) - Pacific Islands Public Health Training Center

Regional Laboratory Strengthening Initiative

• Dr. Vasiti Uluiviti, Regional Laboratory Strengthening Coordinator, PIHOA - Regional Laboratory Strengthening Initiative: Summary Progress on Key Programs and Activities
• Manasa Mainaqelelevu, Technical Consultant, Regional Lab Program Specialist, PIHOA - Strengthening Lab Management Toward Accreditation, Hospital Lab Handbook Progress
• Stephanie Kern-Allely, Regional Communicable Disease (CD) Epidemiologist, PIHOA - Genomic Sequencing for Public Health
• Anne Marie Santos, Laboratory Administrator, Guam Public Health Laboratory, Division of Public Health, Guam DPHSS (virtual) - Guam Regional Public Health Lab: Setting the Stage for an Integrated Approach for Regional PH Laboratory Support and Center of Excellence for Lab-Based Workforce Development and Research for the USAPIs

Regional Health Information Systems (HIS), Performance Management (PM), and Health Security (HS) Initiative

• Dr. Gillian Dunn, Regional HIS and PM Coordinator, PIHOA - Regional Health Information Systems (HIS), Performance Management (PM), and Health Security (HS) Initiative: Summary Progress on Key Programs and Activities, One Health Framework of Action
• Stephanie Kern-Allely, Regional CD Epidemiologist, PIHOA - Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response: COVID-19 Response Success
• Dr. Limb Hapairai, Regional Medical Entomologist, PIHOA - Health Security and Vector-Borne Disease Control Update
• Hélène Le Mouëllic, SHIP Program Manager, PIHOA - Strengthening Health Interventions in the Pacific (SHIP)

Rebranding the USAPI Regional NCD Emergency Crisis Response

• Emi Chutaro, Executive Director, PIHOA - Regional NCD Emergency Crisis Response: Reflections and Next Steps
• Dr. Haley Cash, Regional NCD Epidemiologist, PIHOA - Regional NCD Surveillance and Monitoring Framework
• Iris Matthews, Evaluation Consultant Team Lead, Stellar Group - Preliminary Findings from the Evaluation of PIHOA's 2010 Emergency Declaration on NCDs
• Dr. Mark Durand, Technical Consultants, PIHOA - NCDs in the USAPIs - Who's Problem?
• Dr. Stevenson Kuartei, Palau Senator and Private Physician, former Palau Minister of Health and PIHOA Board President - Have the Islands Moved?

Day 4, Thursday, April 6 (Open Session) - Partner Engagement

Opportunities for Strengthening USAPI Public Health Infrastructure

• Steve Reynolds, Senior Public Health Advisor, PHI Grant, Division of Jurisdictional Services, National Center for STLT Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, CDC (virtual) - An Overview of CDC's Strengthening USAPI Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems Grant Program
• Lindsey Myers, ASTHO (virtual) - Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems Grant - ASTHO's Approach
• Dr. Paul Kuehnert, President and Chief Executive Officer, PHAB - Strengthening U.S. Public Health Infrastructure, Workforce, and Data Systems Grant: PHAB Overview
• Montrece Ransom, Director, National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training, NNPHI - National Network of Public Health Institutes
• Dr. James Kucik, Director, Data Modernization Initiative Implementation Unit, and Deputy Director of Public Health Science and Surveillance, Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC (virtual), and Dr. Heather Strosnider, Senior Advisor for Data Modernization and Surveillance, Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology, CDC (virtual) - CDC Technical Support for Broader PHI Development Work - Data Modernization Initiative (DMI)

Future Directions for Enhancing Pacific Health Security Engagements

• Dr. Stephanie Williams, Ambassador for Regional Health Security, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia - Partnerships for a Healthy Region
• Dr. Michael O’Leary, Technical Consultant, USAID - USAID Support and Engagement in Global Health Security, Preparedness, and Response to Infectious Disease Threats and Outbreaks
• CDR Matthew Johns, Regional Administrator, HHS Region 9 - Building Lasting Resilience Nationwide: The Federal Plan for Equitable Long-Term Recovery and Resilience
• Todd Talbert, Associate Director, Program Planning and Development, Division of State and Local Readiness, Center for Preparedness and Response, CDC - Public Health Response Readiness Framework

Climate and Health Risks in the Pacific

• Dr. Lara Studzinksi, Regional Director-Micronesia, Pacific Community - Sustainable Pacific Development Through Science, Knowledge, and Innovation
• Dr. Sunia Soakai, Deputy Director, Public Health Division, Pacific Community - Overview of the SPC Public Health Division and Pacific Regional Priorities, and the Interface Between Climate and Health

Day 5, Thursday, April 6 (Closed Session) - PIHOA Business Meeting