(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center’s Street Medicine Outreach program will be terminated at year-end.

For the last few years, the HICHC Street Medicine team has been helping unsheltered individuals on Hawaiʻi island by providing medical care and behavioral health support.

“Unfortunately, the grant-driven program focusing on the homeless population living on the streets in Hilo, Kona, Puna and Ocean View was not successful in getting funding for calendar year 2026,” said HICHC Chief Operating Officer Victoria Hanes. “As a result, and after deep reflection, Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center made an extremely difficult decision to discontinue this program. We know, unequivocally, that these services are desperately needed across our island and we will continue services through our brick-and-mortar locations across the island.”

The moves comes only a few months removed from the 21st annual International Street Medicine Symposium held in Hilo.

Although HICHC Street Medicine staff will no longer be present in encampments or in the field, “HICHC will ensure that community-based organizations have clear and easy pathways to refer patients into its clinics”, the Center says, by providing designated referral phone lines and direct access points to connect individuals to primary care.

Hawaii Island Community Health Center says it currently serves 40,000 patients a year. HICHC plans to “add 32 new primary exam rooms across four new sites in Hilo, Kona, Pahoa and Naalehu to serve an additional 15,000 patients,” the Center says. “Once operational, Hawaii Island Community Health Center will operate 29 clinics around the island.”