Patients who hadn’t sought health care in years flocked to clinics when a temporary pandemic program expanded Medicaid access to the commonwealth’s guest worker population.

Hawaii CARES, which receives local calls from the 988 lifeline, now faces the challenge of efficiently connecting callers with in-person crisis mobile outreach.

The initiative will include using social and print media campaigns in public and charter schools on the Big Island.

The Department of Health said it has received about 2,800 doses of the Jynneos vaccine and more than 1,000 doses have been administered.

Kidney failure afflicts Pacific Islanders at much higher rates, but for reasons that some say amount to discrimination, they don’t get transplants as often.

Gov. David Ige said the number of drug overdose deaths exceeded traffic fatalities in the islands this year.

Hawaii ranked in the lowest third nationwide for the educational and economic well-being of children in the 2022 Kids Count Data Book.

Experts also warn it may be a matter of time as the coronavirus continues to evolve.

Many people also reported cutting back on their food budgets due to financial woes, according to the findings.

The Office of Wellness and Resilience will be temporarily housed in the governor’s office.