Who We Are

Kōkua Mau is a statewide Movement to Improve Care.  Kōkua Mau is comprised of individual and organizational champions and supporters from hospitals, education, consumers, insurance, long term care and hospices.


Kōkua Mau’s vision is a community where: the people of Hawai‘i are treated with dignity, compassion and love throughout their lives.

To make that vision a reality, Kōkua Mau’s mission is: to weave a lei of caregiving and support so that the people of Hawai‘i facing serious illness can live in the place of their choice, with relief of pain and suffering and according to their values, beliefs and traditions.


Kōkua Mau is the leader of statewide movement related to hospice care, palliative care, end-of-life care, and advance care planning and serves as the umbrella organization and central hub for local individuals and entities in these fields.  Kōkua Mau does not provide clinical care but instead leverages partners’ innovative work to effect greater community change.

Nationally, Kōkua Mau is recognized as a movement to improve care by the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO), one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Community-State Partnership grantees, and a state organization leader in integrating palliative care into organizational activities and purpose.

Kōkua Mau partners include major medical centers, hospices, insurers, health profession schools, government agencies, health organizations and community individuals. and it has been recognized with national awards as a leader in end-of-life care and innovation.  Our advisors represent the expertise, change agents and leaders who spearhead this work.

National Awards:

2018 Community Service Award by the Mits Aoki Legacy Foundation

2013 Trailblazer Award during the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s (NHPCO)

Rallying Points (A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation end-of-life care initiative)
2004 “National Coalition of the Year” Community Coalition Award of Excellence, Statewide Coalition

Harvard University Kennedy School
2002 Innovations in American Government Award, Finalist