The Pacific Health Care Initiative & Pacific Island Health Officers Association’s (PIHOA) Collaboration

The Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) will coordinate a trauma care training program for medical personnel and civilians across the US Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI). PIHOA represents the health jurisdictions of Guam, American Samoa, Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Its partners in the program include the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS COT) and the Burn Blast Working Group, with support from the Defense Health Agency and the Uniformed Services University’s Military Civilian Medical Surge Program. Dr. Eileen Natuzzi, an affiliate of Georgetown University’s Center for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies, assisted in developing the program.

The program will also establish a regional training hub on Guam to provide ongoing trauma education. The goal is to prepare the region for a potential mass casualty incident (MCI). Medical readiness on a regional scale can also contribute to deterring military conflict.

The program grew out of PIHOA’s medical readiness think tank, established in 2025, which brings together participants from government agencies, professional organizations, and academia. Natuzzi, a key member of CANZPS Pacific Health Care Initiative, helped shape the think tank’s medical readiness agenda and will continue to work with PIHOA on the program’s implementation.