Hawaii Expands Healthcare Access with New Facility in Kona

The state of Hawaii is collaborating with The Queen’s Medical Center to significantly enhance healthcare access on the west side of Hawaii Island. On March 13, 2024, Governor Josh Green announced a public-private partnership to establish a new medical facility, supported by $50 million in state bonds. The facility will be located adjacent to Queen’s planned hospital in Kailua-Kona and aims to address the growing healthcare needs of the rapidly expanding community.

New Outpatient Care Center to Address Local Needs

According to the memorandum of understanding signed between Hawaii Health Systems Corp. and Queen’s, the new outpatient care center will span 50,000 square feet. Governor Green emphasized the transformative potential of this initiative during a press conference, stating, “It will bring so much more healthcare to the Big Island that people will immediately see a change in their lives.” The governor noted that the west side of the Big Island has long been underserved, especially in terms of attracting and retaining healthcare professionals.

The facility is expected to reduce patient wait times and create hundreds of healthcare jobs on the island. Under the agreement, Queen’s will allocate three to five acres from its 30-acre property for the outpatient center, which will operate alongside the new hospital. Jason Chang, president and CEO of Queen’s, highlighted the importance of the center in providing integrated care, saying, “This new Outpatient Care Center will provide a seamless transition between inpatient and outpatient care.”

Enhanced Services and Community Impact

The outpatient facility will focus on clinical services, including diagnostic lab tests and routine checkups, along with space for doctors’ offices. In cases of emergencies, patients will have immediate access to the hospital located next door. Queen’s also plans to build a modern, 80-bed hospital in Kona, complete with a state-of-the-art emergency department and helipad for interisland patient transfers.

In addition to healthcare services, Queen’s is exploring an affordable housing program aimed at providing employees with the opportunity to purchase homes at below-market rates. This initiative addresses the broader challenges of workforce retention and housing affordability in the region, as acknowledged by Clayton McGhan, CEO of HHSC West Hawaii Region. He stated, “By teaming up with The Queen’s Health System and the state of Hawaii, we finally have a coordinated, sustainable way to tackle these issues together.”

Current efforts have already begun to yield results. Queen’s surgeons have started to rotate at Kona Community Hospital, enhancing local access to specialized services previously unavailable to residents, who often had to travel great distances for care.

Looking ahead, the HHSC is requesting the initial $50 million in state funding for the planning, design, and site preparation of the outpatient center, with further funding anticipated to complete the project. Governor Green disclosed that the state is expecting approximately $200 million per year over five years in federal grants to bolster rural healthcare in Hawaii. He also mentioned an allocation of $16.5 million in the upcoming fiscal year’s budget to compensate for the loss of enhanced federal tax credits affecting residents enrolled in the Affordable Care Act, which currently includes around 24,000 residents.

With the pressing need for improved healthcare infrastructure in Kona, Governor Green expressed optimism about the timing of this investment. “As a physician from the Big Island,” he stated, “this has got to be one of the happiest moments I’ve got.”