Hawai'i Island Area Health Education Center
The HOME RUN initiative is a comprehensive rural healthcare workforce program funded by part of a $188.9 million federal grant under Hawaii's Rural Health Transformation Program. It splits into two core tracks: the Education Award Program for students and the Rural Workforce Investment Program for active professionals.
Both tracks require a five-year full-time work commitment in a designated rural area of Hawaii, which covers all neighbor islands and specific rural zip codes on Oʻahu.
1. HOME RUN Education Award Program
This pathway funds the pipeline by offering free tuition and fees to healthcare students who agree to practice in rural communities upon graduation. Key institutional allocations include:
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Medical & Health IT Students: A $28 million fund managed through the Hawaii/Pacific Basin AHEC to make medical school and health information technology training entirely free.
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Hawaiʻi Pacific University (HPU): Received a $10 million grant to fully fund tuition, fees, and mentoring for healthcare students.
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Chaminade University: Received a $5 million grant over five years targeting students pursuing graduate degrees in healthcare and behavioral health fields.
2. HOME RUN Rural Health Workforce Investment Program
Managed via partners like the HBMC Foundation, this program distributes direct financial incentives and cash payments to actively practicing or newly recruited professionals. It is divided into four distinct tiers:
Program Categories
Allied Health & Upskilling: Up to $50,000
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Assists allied professionals with certifications, licensures, or expanding their scope of practice.
Provider Retention: Up to $75,000
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Mitigates turnover by financially rewarding experienced providers already serving rural sectors.
Provider Recruitment: Up to $100,000
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Attracts new medical talent and relocates healthcare practitioners into shortage areas.
Rural Practice Leadership: Up to $200,000
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Sustains local healthcare infrastructure by backing high-level medical leadership positions.
https://www.hbmcfoundation.org/homerun
https://www.hbmcfoundation.org/homerun-faqs
3. Integrated Pipeline Initiatives
The broader HOME RUN framework also funds structural workforce resources managed by the state, including:
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High School Certificates: Developing early entry pathways into healthcare for local high schoolers.
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Nursing Transition Programs: Providing structured transition-to-practice programs for new nurse graduates.
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New Training Sites: Funding the setup of rural clinical residencies and training rotations on neighbor islands.
