Quentin Burdick program: working in rural communities in Hawaii.
BACKGROUND
Because rural health disparities are complex and require solutions that involve a diversity of partners, the Hawaii Quentin Burdick Rural Health Interdisciplinary Program (QB) has provided opportunities for students in health-related fields to live and work in rural communities on the islands of Molokai, Lānai, Kauai, and Hawaii. The QB program is a hands-on, experiential learning program that allows students to gain insights on engaging community members to meet the health needs of the community.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to describe the Hawaii QB Program and share the details of the community health projects of three public health graduate students, related to community-based participatory methods.


METHODS
Participating in training seminars, site visits, and a summer rural practicum helped students to develop their knowledge and skills for working in rural communities in the future.


CONCLUSIONS
Specific principles of community-based participatory approaches, such as assessing community needs, utilizing community assets, and ensuring sustainability, were crucial to the process of community collaboration.
Chung-Do
Jane
J
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Hawaii, Manoa.
Ahedo
Angelina
A
Gentry
Lauren
L
D003150:Community Health Workers / Q000193:education*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D012424:Rural Population