{"id":229254,"date":"2026-02-10T13:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=229254"},"modified":"2026-02-10T13:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T23:28:12","slug":"nalani-blaisdell-brennan-honored","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2026\/02\/10\/nalani-blaisdell-brennan-honored\/","title":{"rendered":"National honors recognize UH<\/abbr> medical school psychiatrist\u2019s leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
\"Nalani
Helen (Nalani) Blaisdell-Brennan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Helen (Nalani) Blaisdell-Brennan, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at M\u0101noa John A. Burns School of Medicine<\/a> (JABSOM<\/abbr>), has recently received multiple national honors recognizing her leadership, mentorship and commitment to mental health equity.<\/p>\n

A JABSOM<\/abbr> alumna, Blaisdell-Brennan was named a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association<\/abbr> (APA<\/abbr>), a designation reserved for psychiatrists who demonstrate sustained and outstanding contributions to the field. She was also recognized as an APA<\/abbr> Mental Health Equity Champion for her work expanding access to culturally responsive care and improving outcomes for underserved populations.<\/p>\n

“Mental health equity means that every person has a fair opportunity to achieve the highest possible level of mental well-being, regardless of socioeconomic status, geographic location, or cultural identity,” said Blaisdell-Brennan.<\/p>\n

Blaisdell-Brennan holds leadership roles at the local, state and national levels, including president-elect of the Honolulu County Medical Society and service on the American Psychiatric Association<\/abbr> Assembly Executive Committee, where she is president of the American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian Caucus. She has also received two national APA<\/abbr> awards recognizing excellence in practice and mentorship.<\/p>\n

Psychiatric care rooted in culture and community<\/h2>\n

With nearly two decades of experience, Blaisdell-Brennan emphasizes psychiatric care that considers cultural identity, community and lived experience. Her work has included advocacy for telehealth access and workforce development to support care in underserved areas.<\/p>\n

“Cultural humility means recognizing that we don\u2019t hold all the answers,” she said. “Our patients do. They bring the wisdom of their ʻohana<\/span>, their community and their lived experience into the healing process.”<\/p>\n

“Dr. Blaisdell-Brennan\u2019s work continues to elevate mental health care in Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> and beyond,” said JABSOM<\/abbr> Dean Sam Shomaker. “Combining clinical leadership, advocacy, and a focus on equity to advance practice in ways that are both respectful and impactful is everything we aim to do at JABSOM<\/abbr>, and we congratulate Dr. Blaisdell-Brennan on these honors.”<\/p>\n

Blaisdell-Brennan is the daughter of Kekuni Blaisdell, a physician who was among the founding faculty of JABSOM<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n

Read more at JABSOM<\/abbr><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Helen (Nalani) Blaisdell-Brennan, recently received multiple national honors recognizing her leadership, mentorship and commitment to mental health equity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":229257,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[598,31,1157,242,440,9],"class_list":["post-229254","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","tag-faculty-recognition","tag-john-a-burns-school-of-medicine","tag-mental-health","tag-native-hawaiian-health","tag-psychiatry","tag-uh-manoa","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t