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The inaugural cohort of HPU's Physician Assistant program.
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The white coat ceremony began with a Hawaiian blessing by Kumu Kiliona.
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HPU Graduate College of Health Sciences Dean Tricia Catalino.
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HPU Associate Professor and PA Program Director Leocadia Conlon.
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HPU PA Program Director Shayna Inafuku.
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Gov. Josh Green delivered a pre-recorded video message to the inaugural PA cohort.
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Keynote speaker Scott A. Denny.
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PA class president Helene Agbayani.
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PA student Caitlin T. designed the class pin.
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PA students reciting the oath.
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HPU Graduate College of Health Sciences faculty and staff.
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The white coat ceremony signifies the end of the didactic phase and the start of the clinical phase.
The atmosphere inside HPU’s downtown Honolulu campus recently shifted from one of quiet study to profound anticipation. For the HPU Physician Assistant (PA) program, the white coat ceremony was far more than a formal event, but a beautiful start of a new chapter that signified the culmination of months of rigorous academic preparation and the commencement of a deep professional responsibility. As the University’s inaugural cohort, these PA students do not merely represent an HPU milestone. They stand as the frontline of a new era for healthcare delivery, specifically designed to serve the unique needs of Hawai‘i and underserved populations across the U.S.
An HPU physician assistant student celebrating at the white coat ceremony on February 7.
This February 7 ceremony marked a pivotal transition in a demanding 24-month Master of Medical Science journey. For the class of 2026, the act of putting on the white coat serves as a physical and symbolic bridge between two distinct worlds: the didactic phase and the clinical phase. Having navigated an exhaustive period of synchronous and asynchronous remote learning, paired with high stakes campus immersions, these students have successfully built a scientific foundation through the expertise of experienced faculty. Now, they move into a space where "theory meets the pulse," transitioning from being learners in a classroom to being providers in a clinical setting where their knowledge will be tested in real time.
The ceremony began with Kumu Kiliona’s blessing, anchoring the event in the spirit of the islands, while remarks from HPU Acting Provost Brenda Jensen, Ph.D., HPU Dean of the Graduate College of Health Sciences Dean Tricia Catalino, PT, DSc, and Associate Professor and PA Program Director Leocadia Conlon, PhD, MPH, PA-C, emphasized the gravity of this inaugural step and the hard work it took for the students to get to this milestone. Assistant Professor and Director of Admissions for the PA Program Shayna Inafuku provided a particularly moving message, aligning the symbolism of the white coat with the Hawaiian values that define the HPU PA Program. This cultural integration ensures that as these "homegrown" professionals enter the workforce, they remain grounded in a mission of integrity, humility, and the prioritization of patient dignity.
The importance of this cohort was further underscored by the support of state leadership, including a special message from Gov. Josh Green, M.D. In a nation where physician assistants act as vital force in healthcare, these students are entering a profession that is essential to expanding access to care, particularly in the unique geographical and rural landscapes of the Hawaiian Islands. By preparing this inaugural class to serve where physician shortages are most acute, HPU is actively working to ensure that quality healthcare is a right determined by need, not by a patient’s zip code.
The ceremony's keynote address was delivered by Scott A. Denny, MSPA, AAHIVS, PA-C, Medical Director of HIV and PrEP Services for Kaiser Permanente Hawai'i, a figure whose career embodies precisely the kind of clinician these students are being called to become. Denny challenged the in students to carry an unrelenting curiosity and the discipline to think critically in all clinical situations. He reminded the students that medicine is rarely black and white, and that the providers who serve their patients best are those who ask better questions, sit with complexity, and never stop learning. His message was both a charge and an inspiration, delivered by someone whose own professional journey reflects those very principles.
As these pioneers head out into their intensive clinical rotations covering seven required disciplines, including emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and behavioral health they carry the significance of being "the first". During the ceremony, student voices like Caitlin T., who designed the class pins and class president Helene Agbayani, who recited the student oath, highlighted the shared bond of this unique group. While they are supported by the program, their true legacy lies in the path walked for every HPU PA student who will follow. They leave the downtown campus not just as students, but as compassionate professionals ready to fulfill their mission to care for the communities of Hawaiʻi and beyond.
To learn more about the HPU PA program, click here.
