Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 31, Number 2, 1 February 2014 — Loretta Fuddy remembered as a lifelong advocate for Hawaiian health [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Loretta Fuddy remembered as a lifelong advocate for Hawaiian health

By Harold Nedd \ative Hawaiian leaders fondly remembered the late Health Department Director Loretta Fuddy as a "ehampion for equity," whose presence helped coalesce diverse groups to improve the heahh of Hawai'i's indigenous people. In mourning her tragic death, her close colleagues on the Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā Native Hawaiian Heahh

Consortium portrayed a woman who was a lifelong advocate for improving Native Hawaiian heahh and wellness. "We were all shocked to hear the news of Loretta's passing, an incredible tragedy that claimed a trusted colleague, a passionate leader and a friend," said JoAnn Tsark, project director of 'Imi Hale Native Hawaiian Cancer Network, a program of Papa Ola Lōkahi. " 'Deliana,' as she preferred to be called, personally engaged in discussions and meetings, contributing her refreshingly frank and passionate perspective and support of the consortium's goal to 'maximize our actions and harness resources to create progressive j turning points for our heahh in the 21 st century,' " Tsarksaid. Tsark worked closely with Fuddy on the consortium before Fuddy's death on Dec. 11, after a plane she and eight others were on crashed off the coast of Moloka'i. She was the lone fatality. As news spread of her passing, OHA Ka Pou-

hana, CEO Kamana'opono Crabbe, also a consortium member, released a statement calling Fuddy "a progressive leader who was a strong advocate for improved services for children and people with disabilities" and "a ehampion for equity and Native Hawaiians who suffer many heahh disparities." "Her legacy will be long and the foundation she leaves will help the people of Hawai'i for many years to eome," he said.

As the top executive at the Department of Heahh, Fuddy sat on the board of directors for Papa Ola Lōkahi and helped to co-found the Native Hawaiian Heahh Consortium. "Her presence and wisdom contributed mueh to the formation of Nā Limahana o Lonopūhā and in bringing organizations, both state and private, and people together working toward improving the heahh of Native Hawaiians," said Keawe'aimoku Kaholokula, chairman and associate professor in the Department of Native Hawaiian Heahh at the John A. Burns School of Medieine. "Not only will her passing impact all people of Hawai'i, h will have a greater impact on our

Native Hawaiian community." Kaholokula described Fuddy as "a ehampion of social determinants of heahh," such as inequities in education, housing and employment as well as discrimination, whieh have the greatest impact on the heahh and well-being of Native Hawaiians. "She not only understood this, but was eommhted to seriously addressing them," he said. "In all of my interactions with her, I was impressed by her commitment to improve the heahh of the poor, underserved and indigenous peoples and how she was able to articulate the issues that needed to be addressed. She also had so mueh wisdom on how to effectively navigate the political and eeonomie challenges often present in this line of work." Asked to describe Fuddy's legacy whh the eonsortium, Kaholokula said: "She was committed to supporting our eall for a Native Hawaiian Heahh Improvement Task Force. By making this happen, h will honor her by continuing her vision and passion." ■

Loretta Fuddy

Fuddy sat on the board of directors for Papa Ola Lōkahi and helped co-found the Native Hawaiian Health Consortium. This May 2012 photo shows Fuddy with fellow POL board members, standing from left, Hardy Spoehr, Loretta Hussey, Analika Nahulu, Loretta "Deliana" Fuddy, David Lovell, Kilipaki Vaughan and Miehelle Malia Hiraishi. Seated, from left, are Betty Jenkins, Dr. Kekuni Blaisdell and Vivian Ainoa. - Courtesy: Papa Ola Lōkahi