The five U.S. territories and three freely associated states are collectively referred to Island Jurisdictions or Island Areas. Each island jurisdiction has its unique context, history, needs, and relationship with the United States. To learn more about each jurisdiction's health system, history, and relationship with the United States, please visit ASTHO’s Island Jurisdictions 101 page.
To address health equity in the island jurisdictions is to confront a long history of colonialism. Island communities have many strengths, including emphasizing the wellbeing of community and resilience through challenging times and conditions. Island communities have a pre-colonial history of healthy lifestyles and diets and using data to navigate the oceans. Current health equity efforts build on these strengths. Island jurisdictions’ equity initiatives focus on using data for decision-making, extending health services to all, and engaging communities and partners. To learn more about the islands’ health equity work, please visit the ASTHO’s Islands Health Equity Framework webpage.
“I chose to get into this field of work because I wanted to be a part of the 'better days', but realizing that in order to get 'to the better' there needs to be people to get 'through the challenges'. Our people deserve nothing less, so I wake up everyday striving to give them everything I got.”
Halina Palacios, Chief of Clinic Services, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, CNMI
Passport requirements vary across island jurisdictions! Please visit usa.gov for current requirements.
For U.S. territories, no visa is required. Visa requirements vary in freely associated states. Learn more at Republic of Palau, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia.
Island jurisdictions cover seven time zones, spanning -6 ET in American Samoa to +17 ET in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Visit ASTHO island area profiles for information on time zones.
Not necessarily. English is the official language of business in all island jurisdictions except for Puerto Rico. In Puerto Rico, English and Spanish are the official languages. For this reason, Spanish is highly recommended for working in Puerto Rico.
To find local governmental public health jurisdictions, see - www.naccho.org
