Farrington Health Academy The Farrington Health Academy was founded in 1991 by the healthcare industry and the Hawaii Business Roundtable. Concerned about the rise in demand for healthcare workers and the labor shortage, a task force was formed by Kaiser administrator, Ron Mikolajczyk at the same time the Roundtable had retained the services of a consulting firm (BW Associates) to analyze the educational environment in Hawaii. Both groups produced reports with recommendations to boost educational quality at all levels and for Hawaii to consider developing a "school within a school." The hospital task force decided to undertake the creation of a health academy and chose Farrington High School because of its location in a low income district and because the school had an educator who possessed both nursing and education credentials. In so doing, the task force sought to improve the morale of the school and the community with the creation of this model program. Farrington High School agreed to establish the Health Academy. Six organizations signed a compact to support the academy: Kaiser Permanente, The Queen's Medical Center, Castle Medical Center, Kapiolani Medical Center, University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii Community Colleges. Members of the Health Academy Steering Committee, formed in July 1990, and the Healthcare Association of Hawaii (HAH) gave strong support to the initiative. Financial support has come from several areas. Kaiser Foundation contributed an initial grant of $75,000 along with equipment and help in setting up the classrooms. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations provided financial support through its ASSET program, and a Kellogg grant enabled the University and Community Colleges to increase their support to the Academy. The most important support came from the State legislature when Senator Rosalind Baker helped secure an appropriation of $345,000 for the 1991-92 biennium. Today, the Academy continues to receive dedicated funding under "current services." HAH contributes $1,500 each year for induction and graduation ceremonies, and members also contribute considerable in-kind resources, such as staff time for mentoring and work-study. Facilities routinely donate equipment and supplies. In addition to the foregoing, HAH chairs the Health Academy?s Steering Committee which is comprised of representatives from the University of Hawaii, the Community Colleges, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Department of Education, Department of Health, the principal of Farrington High School, industry leaders and Academy teachers. The Committee coordinates industry activities and advises on curriculum. In 1996, the Healthcare Association won the National Association of State Councils on Vocational Education Award for outstanding business support for vocational education programs. HAH's vice president accepted the award in Washington, D.C. The Academy has an enrollment of 150 students and four classes of approximately 50 students each have graduated from Farrington Health Academy thus far. Its extraordinary focus on building basic educational skills, interdisciplinary learning including problem based learning, mentorships and internships, and emphasis on pursuing education beyond the secondary level earned the Health Academy the U.S. Secretary of Education's Award for Outstanding Vocational-Technical Education Program in April, 1996. In recognizing the Academy's excellence, Secretary Richard W. Riley noted the exceptional support provided by the industry and specifically mentioned both the mentoring and work study programs. Working together for the health of Hawaii's people since 1939. Home | Acute Care | Long Term Care | Legislative Watch | Members | Emergency Management About HAH | Programs & Publications | News | Calendar | Patient Safety Contact us