The Big Island Regional Health System Planning Overview presents a transformative vision for healthcare delivery on the Island of Hawai‘i. Anchored in the principles of “care close to home,” this aspirational plan addresses the pressing challenges of delivering healthcare in rural and isolated settings while leveraging innovation, sustainability, and community engagement to create a resilient and patient-centered healthcare ecosystem.
A critical component of the strategic plan is its integration with an academic health system, which offers unique opportunities to enrich care delivery and workforce development. This connectivity will provide training programs and fellowships for physicians and advanced practice nurses, particularly in specialized. Moreover, the academic partnership will offer rare training opportunities focused on the nuanced delivery of quality care in rural and remote settings. Graduate Medical Education (GME) and allied health provider training programs will also be established, fostering a vibrant pipeline of professionals equipped to address the specific healthcare challenges of the Big Island. By training healthcare providers locally and offering opportunities for them to live and work on the island, this integration ensures a sustainable and highly skilled workforce dedicated to meeting the Big Island’s long-term healthcare needs. At its core, this overview focuses on the development of a new hospital campus and on the future development of Kona Community Hospital:
This new hospital, QMC West Hawai‘i, will replace the aging Kona Community Hospital, delivering comprehensive inpatient and emergency care. Key features include a state-of-the-art emergency department, an Ambulatory Care Center in partnership with Ali‘i Medical Group, and a helipad to enhance inter-island and intra-island patient transfers.
The new QMC West Hawai‘i campus will offer a comprehensive range of patient-centered services, both inpatient and outpatient. These will include consultation and diagnosis, treatment and procedures, preventive care, chronic disease management, emergent and urgent care, and specialty clinics. Many of these services previously required travel to O‘ahu. With the establishment of the QMC West Hawai‘i campus, Big Island residents will benefit from the convenience of accessing high-quality, specialized care close to home.
Supporting the healthcare workforce is an adjacent housing development designed to attract and retain medical professionals by offering affordable, market-rate homes within a sustainable and connected community. Rural healthcare faces significant challenges in attracting and retaining skilled employees, with a primary obstacle being the shortage of affordable housing. To address this, Queen’s is exploring an innovative affordable housing program, offering employees the chance to purchase homes at below-market rates. These homes provide stability and a unique opportunity for employees to build wealth through equity with predetermined resale values.
This initiative not only enhances Queen’s ability to recruit and retain staff but also fosters deeper community ties as employees become homeowners. Financially secure and invested in their community, employees experience reduced stress, higher job satisfaction, and a stronger commitment to Queen’s and the communities it serves. Meanwhile, Queen’s benefits from a stable workforce, improved patient care, and a strengthened local economy. These outcomes align with the program’s vision to support the well-being of both its staff and the rural communities Queen’s serves.
This holistic approach, blending workforce development with financial empowerment, makes affordable housing a strategic and ethical investment for Queen’s.
Cost Estimate: $425,000,000
The redevelopment of Kona Community Hospital will include Skilled Nursing, Post-Acute Care, and Urgent Care facilities. It will also house a destination Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center, offering advanced recovery therapies and attracting patients from the Pacific Rim and beyond. These services are designed to improve local access while establishing Kona as a global leader in specialized care.
At the heart of Queen’s plans for the Big Island is engaging individuals with the vision, capacity, and commitment to support this transformative endeavor. Philanthropic investment is critical to advancing these plans and shaping the future of healthcare across Hawai‘i. To achieve this, Queen’s seeks to secure $125 million in private philanthropy to support the development of QMC West Hawai‘i, with the project set to begin once $50 million in gifts and pledges has been reached.
To honor the visionary leaders answering this call to action, a Founders’ Circle is being established to recognize the original donors to QMC West Hawai‘i’s development. Donors will be recognized at the following levels:
Interested parties considering donations larger than these levels should be discussed on a case-by-case basis to ensure appropriate recognition is provided. Commitments may be fulfilled through pledges spanning three to five years. These pledges will be solicited through the first half of 2025.
Through this developing strategic overview, the Big Island Regional Health System seeks to overcome the unique challenges of rural healthcare while setting a new standard for access, innovation, and sustainability. By combining advanced medical capabilities with community-focused solutions, this initiative will not only meet the growing needs of local residents but also position the Big Island as a destination for world-class care.
