Nine Molokaʻi residents just earned their certifications as clinical medical assistants. This will allow local health care providers to increase their patient loads, as well as train and retain local workers in medical fields.
“What we really were looking at is workforce need in our community, more importantly, in our health pathways, just because we see that, that's where the biggest gap is for us,” said Olelo Schonely Spencer, Career and Technical Education program coordinator at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College’s Moloka’i campus.
The college has offered nurse aid courses in the past, which have been popular. But this certification was a first for both Maui and Molokaʻi.
“We talked to all the different community partners and [they] came back that they would definitely be interested if we could bring a medical assistant program here, that they would want their employees to basically up-skill,” Schonely Spencer explained. “Because we don't have any certified medical assistance in any of our primary care facilities right now, up until this course.”
Those who participated already work at Molokai General Hospital and Nā Puʻuwai Native Hawaiian Health Care System, and the organizations partnered to provide on-the-job training for the certifications.
Medical assistants support physicians by performing administrative and clinical tasks, like preparing exam rooms, administering vaccines, taking patient vitals, and collecting and examining labs. They also learned EKG, blood drawing, and injection training.
“This partnership has significantly enhanced the quality of care at our Rural Health Clinic by advancing clinical skills, improving patient safety, enhancing the patient experience, increasing operational efficiency, and fostering professionalism and accountability,” said Punahele Alcon, Molokai General Hospital director of outpatient and business services.
“Molokai General Hospital firmly believes in the importance of investing in education, as it plays a vital role in improving quality, safety, and efficiency, while also strengthening the capacity of our community.”
The certification, through the National Healthcareer Association, was offered free of charge through a partnership with Good Jobs Hawai’i.
Schonely Spencer said the certification was highly received.
“We didn't really think we'd have nine right out of the gate,” she said. “[We thought] oh, just a couple, you know, just to kind of see if this is going to work. And it kind of exceeded all of our expectations.”
Schonely Spencer herself became a certified proctor for the exam so students wouldn’t have to travel off-island.
Starting this month, the UH Moloka’i campus is also launching its first practical nursing cohort. It’s a hybrid program that will allow students to complete coursework and clinical rotations on island, while traveling to Maui just once a semester.
“We'll have our first cohort of practical nurses at the end of 2025 so I feel like these are all stepping stones for us to be able to offer more like higher level health training or health programs,” Schonely Spencer said.
It’s all with the goal of increasing both health care and career opportunities on Moloka’i.
“We want to improve patient care. We want to increase patient load. We want to have homegrown healthcare workers,” she said.
