Transforming Rural Health: Award-Winning Kauaʻi Medical Student Champions Change | University of Hawaiʻi System News

Erin Evangelista’s commitment to enhancing rural health recently earned her the Excellence in Public Health Award from the U.S. Public Health Service. As a fourth-year medical student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), Evangelista has been dedicated to tackling healthcare gaps in rural areas long before she set foot in medical school.

“It felt like a full circle moment,” she shared, reflecting on her current role in JABSOM’s inaugural Kauaʻi Medical Training Track. Living and training on the island has deepened her understanding of the unique healthcare needs faced by these communities.

Evangelista’s passion started early on. After moving from California to the Philippines at age 12, she observed the struggles in health education and access. “We didn’t know what being a physician or a nurse meant,” she said. Her background in engineering provided her a different viewpoint on healthcare access while working with the U.S. Public Health Service in South Dakota, particularly on Indian Health Reservations.

Since joining the Kauaʻi Medical Training Track in 2022, Evangelista noticed significant gaps in the healthcare services available to residents. This inspired her to create the Kauaʻi Health Education Initiative, designed to boost health education and career opportunities for local high school students. She realized that many felt they lacked the same opportunities as their peers on Oʻahu. “A lot of students were saying they didn’t have what we had access to,” she stated.

Looking ahead, Evangelista wants to stay on Kauaʻi as an OB/GYN after her residency. “The community is tight-knit, and I’m excited to see how health resources will grow and improve here,” she said. This vision aligns with a broader trend targeting rural health disparities. According to a 2022 report from the National Rural Health Association, rural areas face more significant health issues than urban ones, including higher rates of chronic diseases and limited access to care. Initiatives like Evangelista’s are pivotal in bridging these gaps.

For more on Erin Evangelista and her impactful work, check out JABSOM’s coverage of her journey here.

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