(CORRECTION) PIHOA E-Blast: 2023 PPHFP - Application Announcement

CORRECTION - The program start/end dates are August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2025.

For Immediate Release

May 4, 2023

The Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program is Accepting Applications Until June 30, 2023

Photo Above - Johnica Castro, a PPHFP cohort 2 Fellow participates in a sign-waving event in Guam to bring awareness to World AIDS Day.

The Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program (PPHFP) is a two-year professional development program that provides promising career-minded individuals with robust and practical hands-on learning experiences and training for various public health career pathways. The program offers many opportunities to learn from and work directly with highly experienced and seasoned frontline public and community health professionals in the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs).

The goal is to prepare new college graduates and early career professionals for a successful career in organizations focusing on public and community health to meet emerging and future public health challenges in the USAPIs.

The PPHFP is a collaborative effort between the USAPIs’ departments/ministries of health, the Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The USAPIs include the US Pacific Island Territories: Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), and American Samoa; and the US Freely Associated States (FAS): Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), and the Republic of Palau.

Photo Above - PIHOA Secretariat Staff and PPHFP Fellows from Cohorts 2 and 3 pose for a photo at the 72nd PIHOA Executive Board Meeting Sponsored Dinner in Honolulu.

Testimonials from Fellows

LaDonna Engichy

2020 PPHFP Fellow, Cohort 1

STD/HIV/Viral Hepatitis Program

Bureau of Communicable Disease Control

Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services

"The fellowship provided me with a wide variety of valuable experiences. I worked on the front line alongside the Guam Public Health staff, engaged with community stakeholders, and conducted investigations with a visiting CDC team. I am eager to apply the skills and knowledge I've gained to serve the communities within the Pacific. I've gained a deep understanding of how health disparities impact people and would like to be part of the public health workforce to help reduce disease burden, especially among Pacific Islanders.”

Gizelle Kwon

2020 PPHFP Fellow, Cohort 1

Tinian Health Center

Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Bureau

CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation

“This fellowship has helped me to understand the local healthcare system and network with others to create long-term solutions on behalf of the entire CNMI community. I gained a tremendous amount of skills that enhanced my capabilities to support my pursuit of furthering my career and education. I strive to continue to be a health champion for Tinian, the CNMI, and the Pacific Region.”

Why Become A Fellow?

Pacific Public Health Fellows will:

Acquire skills and knowledge that will enhance their future public health career.
Gain an understanding of the wide array of employment opportunities in the field of public health.
Learn how to use the foundational knowledge learned in the PPHFP to work with USAPI communities to assure and improve health outcomes.
Network and make lasting connections with experienced health experts across many health care sectors in the Pacific region.
Gain exposure to internationally renowned global health leaders from agencies such as the CDC, the World Health Organization (WHO), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), and others.
Enhance their professional credentials through the completion of program activities and milestones.

Testimonials from Host Site Supervisors

Vince Aguon

Host Site Supervisor

Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services

“We have benefited tremendously from the fellowship program, both in terms of building the region’s cadre of public health professionals and increasing our capacity to fill gaps in areas of need.”

Amber Lynn Mendiola

Host Site Supervisor

CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation

“As a supervisor, I have been delighted with the experience that both we and the Fellow have gained. Gathering and analyzing data that will be used to develop evidence-based policy, systems, and interventions for the island of Tinian is a considerable achievement.”

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About the Pacific Islands Health Officers' Association

The Pacific Islands Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA) mission is to improve the health and well-being of the USAPIs by providing, through consensus, a unified credible voice on health issues of regional significance. Established in 1986, PIHOA is governed by and represents the collective interests of the USAPI health leadership from American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau.

PIHOA’s Secretariat, comprised of executive, administrative, and technical staff and consultants, provides support to the USAPI health agencies and leadership in the following priority areas: health workforce development; epidemiology and surveillance; health systems performance improvement; laboratory services; regional health leadership and policy advocacy; and, Pacific health security. PIHOA has two offices in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and Hagåtña, Guam.

Media Contacts

Billie Hiraishi

Communications Officer

billieh@pihoa.org

Jade San Nicolas Chennaux

Pacific Public Health Fellowship Program Administrator

jadec@pihoa.org