About Our Organization
There are 69 members of the Hawaii Academy of Physician Assistants (HAPA), who are also members of the national American Academy of Physician Assistants AAPA. Membership is not automatic or synonymous with settling in the Islands: there are several PAs who live and work in Hawaii who do not belong to HAPA, and there are other PAs who are attached to the military.

Most PAs in Hawaii have been here for some time, but a handful of new PAs arrive every year. Having said that, only about 180 PA certificates have ever been issued by the state of Hawaii. Since there are no PA schools in the Islands, all of us have been trained on the Mainland. And although Hawaii is spread out among several islands it’s still a small place, so most PAs get to meet one another sooner or later.

Membership
If you'd like to join HAPA, download the Membership Application and mail it to us.

PAs in Hawaii
PAs in Hawaii are located on the four principal islands: Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the “Big Island.” Unless you are on the same island, meetings and visits require interisland commuter flights. Logistics and costs are a major barrier to many activities, healthcare not the least among them.

Despite our 25-plus year presence in Hawaii--and the very real contribution PAs have made to health service delivery here--we are still unnoticed in many quarters. In some areas, the medical community has had little or no experience with PAs, and what they do know is often negatively biased and based upon hearsay. Some parts of the healthcare system, however, appreciate our presence and contribution of many years.

The Hawaiian Lifestyle
Hawaii is far away from the US Mainland: there’s a five-hour time difference from the East Coast during Standard Time (fall and winter), and a six-hour time difference during Daylight Savings Time--you’ll want to keep this in mind before you make a call! The best time to phone Hawaii during business hours is between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. East Coast time.

Hawaii is “different,” socially and culturally--newcomers from the Mainland often feel welcome initially, but inevitably go through some culture shock:

• The pace of life is a little slower here, and priorities tend to place home and family life above the professional worlds we work in.
• The cost of living is high--$6/gallon for milk, more than $3.50/gallon for gas--and the salaries tend to be lower than mainland averages. The differential is about 35 percent, all things considered.
• Housing is among the most expensive in the United States. Virtually everything needed to run a home must be imported by plane or ship.
• A visit to the Mainland is expensive; a family of four spends $5,000 to $6,000 on average for a two-week trip to the East Coast.
• The average length of stay for a single professional in Hawaii (any type of profession) is about 18 months; you either love it and find a way to put it all together, or you give it up and go back. Be cautious when applying for a position; explore it carefully.

Given all this, Hawaii is a wonderful place to live and work--most of us have chosen to take the good with the bad and make this home. And we at the Hawaii Academy are ready to help you in anyway we can, so please contact us by phone, fax or e-mail whenever the need arises!