Do No Harm sues federal government over Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 25
Do No Harm sues federal government over Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 25
The Utah-based group filed suit in March, claiming three members were denied scholarships due to lack of Native Hawaiian ancestry.
The lawsuit seeks to declare the program unconstitutional and open it to all applicants, challenging its race-based eligibility criteria.
Established in 1988, the scholarship has supported 324 healthcare professionals serving underserved Hawaiian communities, amid ongoing national efforts to challenge minority-focused programs following the 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-conscious admissions.
What happens to Hawaii's most vulnerable patients if this scholarship program is eliminated?
Could the legal definition of 'Native Hawaiian' be the key to this program's survival?
Does the 1893 overthrow of Hawaii's kingdom justify a race-specific health program today?
When does a remedy for past discrimination become a new form of it?
Is a doctor's shared ancestry essential for effective patient care, or is it irrelevant?
Do No Harm’s Federal Lawsuit Targets Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program’s Race-Based Eligibility
Overview
On March 30, 2026, the group Do No Harm filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, challenging the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program's requirement that recipients prove Native Hawaiian ancestry. This program, created after the 1985 E Ola Mau study revealed severe health disparities, has awarded over 360 scholarships since 1991 to build a culturally competent health workforce serving underserved Hawaiian communities. The lawsuit threatens to disrupt the 2026 scholarship cycle and could dismantle this vital pipeline, worsening health inequities. In response, Native Hawaiian leaders and communities have mobilized to defend the program as a necessary exercise of indigenous rights and a remedy for historical injustices.