VNR: Nearly $800K in new funding from HCF, Kaiser supports UH’s Maui wildfire study

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Two new grants totaling nearly $800,000 will support the University of Hawaiʻi's ongoing Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES), a long-term effort tracking the health impacts of the 2023 Lahaina fires on Maui residents.

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation has awarded $450,000 through its Maui Strong Fund, and Kaiser Permanente has committed $337,500 to the study. The funding will help sustain health screenings, follow-up visits and community outreach as researchers continue monitoring the physical and mental health effects of wildfire exposure.

"This support allows us to keep showing up for the Maui community over the long term," said study co-lead Ruben Juarez, professor at the UH Economic Research Organization (UHERO). "The willingness of residents to participate and return for follow-up visits reflects a level of trust that is essential for understanding the full health impacts of the fires-and for responding in ways that truly help families over time."

The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation funding was awarded through the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative, which was established in response to the Maui wildfires. The collaborative coordinates a variety of funders to streamline funding opportunities for community service providers and organizations.

"The Hawaiʻi Community Foundation, through its Maui Strong Fund, is a proud participant of the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative, which has awarded over $9 million in funds to support organizations that are assisting those impacted by the fires," said HCF CEO and President Terry George. "Efforts like the MauiWES not only help to provide continued health and mental health support to survivors but also help us to be better prepared and ultimately more resilient in the face of future disasters."

"Kaiser Permanente's commitment to funding the Maui Wildfire Exposure Study reflects the belief that strong, community-focused research should guide long-term recovery and future preparedness," said David Tumilowicz, senior director of marketing and community health, Kaiser Permanente. "As climate-driven wildfires become more frequent and destructive, we need clear, reliable health and environmental data to understand exposure risks, improve clinical care, and strengthen public health systems throughout the United States. MauiWES is providing essential insights that support Maui's healing, while helping communities everywhere become more resilient in the face of future disasters."

The grants arrive at an important moment for the project. In December 2025, MauiWES surpassed its 3,000th completed appointment. More than 2,000 participants have taken part since the study began, and more than 1,000 have already returned for follow-up visits, reflecting sustained engagement and growing trust within the community.

Launched after the deadly wildfires that destroyed large parts of Lahaina, MauiWES is a collaboration among UHERO, John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) and UH Maui College. The study provides free health screenings while generating data to better understand the long-term health consequences of wildfire smoke, environmental exposure and disaster-related stress.

Health challenges continue for residents

The study's latest findings, published in August 2025 in JAMA Network Open, show that health challenges persist nearly two years after the fires. Many participants reported ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and breathing problems, alongside measurable differences in lung function indicators among those living closest to the burn zone. Mental health impacts also remain widespread, with a substantial share of participants screening positive for depressive symptoms and anxiety.

At the same time, researchers found that strong social support was linked to better mental well-being and fewer days of poor health, even among those with high wildfire exposure. While social connections supported mental health, they did not offset physical effects, highlighting the need for continued medical monitoring and care.

"These new grants come at a critical time," said co-lead Alika Maunakea, professor in the Department of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology at JABSOM. "They ensure we can continue monitoring both physical and mental health effects more than two years after the fires, while strengthening the community-based approach that our findings show is critical to recovery."

Juarez and Maunakea recently returned from the first Los Angeles Fires Health Research Conference, held in commemoration of the first anniversary of the fires, where they presented findings from MauiWES to help inform the response to the Los Angeles fires. Teams from University of Southern California, University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University and Harvard University are exploring similar cohort-based approaches informed by lessons from MauiWES for the Altadena, Eaton and Palisades fires.

See more UH News stories on MauiWES.

More about MauiWES

The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is a longitudinal research initiative designed to understand the health and social impacts of the 2023 Maui wildfires. Led by UH Economic Research Organization and the John A. Burns School of Medicine, in collaboration with University of Hawaiʻi Maui College and multiple community partners, the study provides free health screenings while collecting survey data and biospecimens from affected residents. MauiWES aims to generate evidence that supports individual care, informs public health response, and improves disaster recovery for wildfire-impacted communities in Hawaiʻi and beyond.

More about Hawaiʻi Community Foundation's Maui Strong Fund

The Maui Strong Fund was activated in August 2023 by Hawai'i Community Foundation to respond to the devastating effects of the wildfires on Maui's people and places. With support from donors across Hawai'i and around the world, the Maui Strong Fund quickly mobilized financial resources for trusted nonprofit partners on the ground. The fund has committed more than $155 million to more than 200 local organizations and continues to focus on long-term recovery and stabilization. For resources and more information on Maui wildfire recovery, visit strongerhawaii.org. To learn more about the Maui Strong Fund, or to donate, visit hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/strengthening/maui-strong-fund.

More about Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.

More about the Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative

The Maui Recovery Funders Collaborative, established in response to the 2023 Maui wildfires, is a philanthropic network designed to leverage and coordinate funding. It reduces the burden on organizations seeking grant funding by providing a single-entry point process, enabling applicants to reach a variety of funders through a streamlined approach. To date, the MRFC has awarded more than $9 million with more than 80 awards. For more information, or to view a full list of participants, visit https://mauirecoveryfunders.org

Link to video and sound (details below): https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/mtCT2n2yzk

VIDEO:

BROLL: (1:45)

0:00-1:45 - Shots of MauiWES collection events

SOUNDBITES:

Ruben Juarez, UHERO Professor and MauiWES co-lead

(0:15)

"This is extremely important right now. We continue seeing some of the physical as well as mental health issues so this funding allows us to continue operating. So we appreciate Kaiser as well as Hawai'i Community Foundation for continued supporting the Maui community with this."

Terry George, Hawai'i Community Foundation CEO and President

(0:17)

"The purpose of the Maui Strong Fund which was established by the Hawai'i Community Foundation was to make sure we could support the recovery of the communities and all the people affected by the wildfires in Lahaina and in Kula and the Wildfire Exposure Study has been critically important."

Alika Maunakea, JABSOM professor and MauiWES co-lead, who has family roots on Maui

(0:18)

"I'm so grateful to not only witness the recovery, but also to work hand in hand with our community partners and the survivors in the aftermath of the fires, learning about their experiences, being able to understand their needs and be able to kind of give that back to the community-figure out how we can serve them better."

(0:19)

"We invite those individuals who have been affected by the fires either directly or indirectly to come and join the Maui Registry which is Mauiregistry.org online and they can learn about what we've done in the study but also to receive some of the same resources that participants in the study receive and get linked to some of the healthcare services that we've been able to partner with."