Medical school seeks Hawaiians

The Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence in the John A. Burns School of Medicine has received a federal grant of $973,825 to try to increase numbers of native Hawaiian students in health professions.

The funding, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be used to create at least six faculty and three staff positions to carry out recruitment and retention programs for native Hawaiian students, the medical school announced.

“;Native Hawaiians are highly underrepresented in health professions careers, particularly in medicine,”; Dr. Nanette Judd said. She directs the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence and the Imi Ho'ola Post-Baccalaureate Program.

She said the center's vision “;is to promote the physical and mental health of all Native Hawaiians by improving the recruitment and retention of health professionals of Native Hawaiian ancestry.”;

NEIGHBOR ISLANDS

B&B permit applications soar on Maui

Since Maui's new bed-and-breakfast permitting system took effect a year ago, the Planning Department has processed and approved more than twice as many permits as it did in the previous 11 years, the Maui News reported yesterday.

Since the law took effect in January, would-be B&B operators have filled out 61 applications, Planning Director Jeff Hunt told the newspaper. Thirty-three have been approved since the department began processing permits under the new system in March.

The council approved a B&B ordinance last year that puts the special-use permit approval process under the planning director, who has authority to approve applications outside of the hotel/resort districts, except on agricultural land. For ag land the application goes to the island's planning commission for approval and must have a state-approved farm plan.

The law caps the number of B&Bs on Maui at 400.