Naleen Andrade, MD, Executive Vice President of Native Hawaiian Health and Chief Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice (DEIJ) Officer for The Queen’s Health Systems (Queen’s), has been selected to receive a 2022 ʻŌʻō Award from the Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce (NHCC).
Dr. Andrade’s leadership roles and lifelong commitment to supporting Native Hawaiian Health issues played a major role in the selection process for her ʻŌʻō Award nomination.
“Part of our evaluation criteria asks for applicants’ impact in the community. Dr. Andrade has exemplified her impact which is evidenced by her accomplishments in her successful career,” said Timmy Wailehua, Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce Board President.
Dr. Andrade leads Queen’s transformative work within its Native Hawaiian Health and DEIJ programs, spearheading system-wide implementation of Queen’s initiatives in these key areas. A significant part of her role is working in collaboration with other health care and community-based organizations.
“On behalf of our entire Queen’s ‘ohana, I would like to congratulate Dr. Andrade on this well-deserved honor,” said Jill Hoggard Green, PhD, RN, President and CEO of The Queen’s Health Systems. “We are extremely thankful for the incredible work she has done in our community to improve the health and well-being of Native Hawaiians. We are fortunate to have her at Queen’s to assist us in our efforts to expand access to care for Native Hawaiians and to enhance our DEIJ initiatives.”
Dr. Andrade is a tenured professor of psychiatry at the University of Hawai‘i John A. Burns School of Medicine. She earned her BA in biology at the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo.
Since 1977, the NHCC has presented the ʻŌʻō Award to Native Hawaiians who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the Native Hawaiian community. Since it was first awarded, the ʻŌʻō has become one of the most prestigious and coveted awards specifically for Native Hawaiians, and has become a symbol of inspiration for young Native Hawaiians. The ʻŌʻō itself is made from precious hardwoods firmly rooted in the ‘āina. Today, the tool is used as NHCC’s symbol representing each award recipient’s keen sense of firmly rooted values, business acumen, skill, and dedication to service – key ingredients for sustaining success in modern Hawai‘i, while maintaining ancient traditions and values.
The award will be presented to Dr. Andrade at a gala on Friday, October 21, at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
