Rendering of the new Outpatient Care Center and the Queen’s Health Systems hospital planned for Kona (via State of Hawaiʻi)

(BIVN) – A landmark public-private partnership hopes to bring a new, 50,000 square-foot medical facility to West Hawaiʻi, to be located next to the future Queen’s Health Systems hospital previously announced for Kona.  

Governor Josh Green held a news conference on Wednesday to reveal Queen’s and the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation are joining forces to improve health care on the leeward side of Hawaiʻi island. The Governor will be seeking $50 million to fund the planning, design, and site work of the new facility.  

“It will be transformative,” said Governor Green. “It will bring so much more health care to Big Island, that people will immediately see a change in their lives.” 

photo courtesy the Office of Governor Josh Green

From a Kona Community Hospital news release:

The Queen’s Health Systems (Queen’s) and Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop an Outpatient Care Center in Kona that will house clinical services and office space and ensure continuity of care for patients throughout the community. Under this collaboration, Queen’s will donate approximately three to five acres of land to HHSC’s West Hawaii Region as the future site of a 50,000+-square-foot medical facility adjacent to the new hospital that Queen’s has already announced it is building.

“This new Outpatient Care Center will provide a seamless transition between inpatient and outpatient care, while creating a one-stop hub for primary and specialty care services that will reduce wait and travel times for patients,” said Jason Chang, President and CEO, The Queen’s Health Systems. “We are pleased to enter into this partnership with the state to deliver the care this community needs.”

HHSC is asking for an initial $50 million in state funding support for the planning, design, and site work of the new facility. As the project progresses, additional funding requests are expected to ensure the facility’s completion.

“This partnership represents exactly the kind of investment Hawai‘i Island needs and deserves,” said Governor Green. “By joining forces, Queen’s and HHSC are expanding access to primary and specialty care, reducing travel and wait times, and strengthening the healthcare workforce in West Hawai‘i. The state is proud to support this effort, and this new Outpatient Care Center will bring us closer to ensuring every family can receive high-quality care in their own community.”

This historic public-private partnership represents a unique opportunity to expand access to essential health care services for a growing community, made possible through a shared investment between the state and Queen’s.

“We are always exploring ways to improve health care delivery, with our focus being on strengthening access, addressing physician shortages, and keeping care local,” said Clayton McGhan, CEO, West Hawaii Region, HHSC. “Patients have already begun seeing the benefit of our collaboration, as Queen’s surgeons are now rotating at Kona Community Hospital. Together, we are working to recruit much-needed providers and expand specialty care, and our planned Outpatient Care Center is a crucial component of our joint efforts.”

The new Outpatient Care Center will be located in the central part of Kailua-Kona to ensure area patients have easy access to services. The construction of the new medical center is expected to provide jobs and once completed will enhance West Hawaii Region’s ability to attract and retain providers at a time when the region is facing a critical physician shortage.