Background: Lacking an infrastructure to assist the general public with tobacco cessation, a community needs assessment was developed and as a result, the State of Hawai'i, Department of Health, Tobacco Control and Education Prevention partnered with the University of Arizona HealthCare Partnership to provide best practices 'Brief Intervention' and 'Tobacco Specialist' trainings for community members.

Hui Malama Ola Na `Oiwi, one of five Native Hawaiian Health Care Systems (NHHCS), serving the island of Hawai'i, was the first to train staff in this program. This proved to be the initial step to having staff trained and certified from all the systems, to developing a NHHCS system-wide protocol for tobacco cessation services for Native Hawaiians, and for more effective community outreach and education.

Strategy: Our strategies included: * Investing in training staff at the community level * Incorporating brief intervention in client services and outreach education (1:1 direct sessions and group sessions, e.g. canoe clubs) * Working with community outreach staff in other NHHCS on the value of brief intervention training and skills * Providing training in other sites, such as American Samoa, to share methodology and to maintain skills

Conclusion: Building community capacity in tobacco cessation is critical for targeting medically underserved and uninsured Hawaiians. Integrating these new skills in an organization build agency capacity. Sharing skills and providing training to others reinforces and strengthens an individual's skills for positive lifestyle changes and 'connects' us with other Native Peoples.

"Our cultural sameness bridges the oceans, our cultural differences strengthen those bridges".