Nearly 100 community members, healthcare partners, elected officials, and supporters gathered last week to celebrate the opening of the Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center’s (H3RC) new Kauaʻi office.
The event, which took place on June 5, marked an important milestone in expanding access to sexual health services, HIV prevention and care, overdose prevention, and gender-affirming healthcare for Kauaʻi residents, according to a news release from Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center.
“This office represents our commitment to the people of Kauaʻi and to the belief that everyone deserves access to compassionate, stigma-free healthcare,” said Heather Lusk, Executive Director of the Hawaiʻi Health and Harm Reduction Center.
The event welcomed several guests, including Kauaʻi Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami, Dr. Diane Felton, Chief of the Communicable Disease and Public Health Nursing Division for the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, and David Peters, Chief Executive Officer of Hoʻōla Lāhui Hawaiʻi.
The celebration began with a traditional Hawaiian blessing, honoring the importance of health, healing, and community as H3RC embarks on this new chapter of service to Kauaʻi.
Guests toured the new facility, met with staff, and learned more about the services H3RC now offers on Kauaʻi. Programs available through the office include HIV and STI testing, HIV case management, overdose prevention services, gender-affirming healthcare, and other health and wellness resources designed to meet the needs of Kauaʻi’s diverse communities.
The opening comes just months after H3RC expanded to Kauaʻi following the closure of Mālama Pono Health Services, ensuring critical public health and support services remain available to residents of Kauaʻi.
