In an effort to help the estimated 93,000 people exposed to jet-fuel-contaminated drinking water, the , facilitated by the University of Hawaiʻi, held a training event for healthcare professionals with guidance on caring for patients using findings from recent research.
In July 2026, and partnering with the Center for Occupational and Environmental Health at University of California, Berkeley, the registry provided nearly 200 healthcare professionals with the most up-to-date guidance when caring for patients who were exposed to jet fuel in November 2021, including emerging recommendations for clinical evaluation, monitoring, treatment considerations and patient support. .
Drawing from a recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report, “Clinical Follow-up and Care for Those Impacted by the JP-5 Releases at Red Hill,” the registry’s webinar reached a national audience of participants.
“Broadly sharing the registry as the best method for collecting long-term health information is critical given the global dispersion of exposed military families that have relocated since the crisis occurred,” said Rosana “Sanie” Weldon, director of the Red Hill Registry.
Advancing care through provider education
The registry offers educational opportunities for both healthcare professionals and community members. In March, Seiji Yamada, a family medicine physician, director of medical student education, and faculty member at the , presented the registry’s first continuing education session for healthcare professionals during “Grand Rounds,” hosted virtually by Pali Momi Medical Center.
“Our website houses resources, such as fact sheets and reports, that Red Hill community members can utilize for their own health advocacy, including a letter to clinicians documenting the exposure,” said Weldon.
One of those resources is a examining the health effects of exposure to unburned kerosene-based jet fuels and other kerosene-based products in Environmental Health. Led by Veronica Carvajal, junior specialist at the and scientific coordinator for the Thompson School Registry Hub, the review is the first to focus on exposure to unburned jet fuel specifically and continues to inform the ongoing work of the registry.
“The Red Hill Registry offers an important opportunity for both community members and researchers to help close this gap, an increasingly urgent issue given the multitude of jet fuel contamination events that have occurred,” said Carvajal.
Since the 2021 fuel spill at Red Hill, additional spills have occurred across the country, underscoring the need to better understand the long-term health effects of pre-combustion jet fuel.
The registry’s next continuing education opportunity will be at the Western Occupational Health Conference hosted at the ʻAlohilani Resort in September, where registry staff will be keynote speakers.