Healthcare disparities in paradise? Hawaii Lt. Gov. Josh Green, MD, discusses health equity leadership and Hawaii’s COVID response with Bill Finerfroc...

Hawaii has long held the record for the highest average life expectancy in the US. The islands also enjoy some of the lowest COVID-19 infection and mortality numbers along with high vaccination rates. Dr. Green attributes near-universal healthcare coverage and a strong emphasis on primary care with Hawaiians good life expectancy, but Native Hawaiians live comparatively shorter lives. Parts of Hawaii are still in many respects the frontier, with poverty rates exacerbated by COVID’s impact on tourism, and difficult access to specialist care being important aspects of the disparities equation.