Who we are
St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawai'i uplifts families through compassionate care and a strong commitment to community. Guided by our mission to provide excellent, 'ohana-centered hospice and supportive services, we remain rooted in our core values of grace, peace, unity, and legacy. Every team member plays a vital role in living this mission with heart, dedication, and a spirit of service. We cultivate a supportive environment where excellence is nurtured, teamwork is celebrated, and each person's contribution is valued. At St. Francis, healthcare is more than a profession-it's a calling. We welcome you to join our team and help carry forward our legacy of caring for Hawai'i's people with purpose and aloha.
About the role
The CulturalIntegration Specialistis responsible fordesigning, stewarding, and sustaining culturally grounded hospice care pathways that align with cultural values, practices, and community expectations. This role places a strong emphasis on advancing health equity and improving access to culturally responsive end-of-life care for underserved, underrepresented, and historically marginalized populations.
The position serves as a trusted bridge between the hospice organization and diverse communities, actively addressing barriers to care, disparities in end-of-life services, and gaps in culturallyappropriate support. The CulturalIntegration Specialistensures care is delivered with cultural humility, authenticity, and integrity while fostering inclusive, community-informed models of care that honor each patient's lived experience, beliefs, and traditions.
Partnership & Trust-Building
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with underserved communities, including Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, immigrant, rural, low-income, and linguistically diverse populations.
- Identifyand address systemic barriers to hospice access, such as mistrust of healthcare systems, cultural stigma, financial constraints, and language access needs.
- Engage community leaders, kupuna, faith-based organizations, grassroots groups, and non-traditional partners to co-create culturally responsive care approaches.
- Facilitate listening sessions, outreach events, and culturally safe spaces to elevate community voice and inform program development.
- Serve as a primary liaison between St. Francishospice and community groups.
Cultural Care Program Design & Stewardship
- Leadthe development and stewardship of culturally grounded hospice care practices that are responsive to the unique needs of underserved populations, including adaptations for language, literacy, cultural beliefs, and family structure.
- Identify, vet, andmaintain ethical partnerships with culturally specific end-of-life care practitioners.
- Define appropriate use, timing, consent, and boundaries for cultural practices in hospice settings.
- Ensure cultural practices are not misused, commodified, or applied performatively.
- Integrate traditional healing practices, spiritual care approaches, and culturally meaningful rituals into hospice care in ethically appropriate ways.
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to ensure care plans reflect social determinants of health and equity considerations.
- Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness in reducing disparities in hospice utilizationand patient/family experience.
- Researchesandidentifiesopportunities for grant funding to support Cultural Care Program initiatives.
Internal Education & Cultural Competency Support
- Serve as a cultural advisor and resource to clinicalleadershipand interdisciplinary teams.
- Support internal education focused on cultural humility and values in end-of-life care.
- Provide guidance in culturally sensitive situations.
- Participate in strategic planning and organizational initiatives related to health equity, cultural responsiveness, and community engagement.
- Track and analyze program metrics related to hospice access,utilization, patient satisfaction, and health equity outcomes among underserved populations.
- Maintain accurate CRM records for contacts, outreach activities, events, and referral source attribution.
- Coordinate partner agreements related to cultural care programs.