HONOLULU – Satellite Healthcare Inc., a nonprofit, top-rated provider of kidney dialysis and related patient services, and three other nonprofit partners, announced today the upcoming opening of Hawai’i Kidney Care at Kuakini. The center will provide dialysis to patients who live with end-stage renal disease in addition to other health conditions that contribute to their vulnerable health status.
A first-of-its-kind facility within Hawai‘i, the center is a partnership between Satellite Healthcare, The Queen’s Health System, Kuakini Support Services Inc., and Hawai’i Medical Service Association subsidiary, Integrated Services Inc.
“Kidney disease is a profound problem in Hawai’i, affecting almost 20 percent of residents,” said Jeffrey Goffman, Satellite Healthcare CEO. “Satellite Healthcare and our partners have extraordinary capabilities in delivering the spectrum of services to people with chronic conditions and help them live their best lives possible.”
Hawai‘i Kidney Care at Kuakini was created to address the epidemic of kidney disease on the island, as well as a lack of care facilities to enable high-risk patients to be discharged from the hospital to receive their dialysis treatments. The center will provide both in-center dialysis and home dialysis training for patients who choose to dialyze at home, a treatment known for faster recovery times and superior outcomes.
“Queen’s is continuously looking for ways to provide accessible, high-quality, compassionate care to the people of Hawai‘i. We are grateful for this partnership and are pleased that this innovative center will offer the treatments, comfort and convenience that will improve the quality of life for dialysis patients and their families,” said Jason Chang, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, The Queen’s Health System.
Garret Sugai, HMSA Vice President, Strategic Execution and President, Integrated Services Inc. added, “It is truly HMSA’s privilege to be a partner in this initiative and help expand access to care for some of the people who need it most. We know kidney disease affects the lives of so many of our family and friends here in Hawai‘i and there is much work to be done.”
“Kuakini is pleased to partner with Queen’s, HMSA, and Satellite Healthcare in the opening of a new outpatient dialysis center to serve the community, said Gary Kajiwara, President and CEO of Kuakini Health System. “This project is a Kuakini story coming full circle as we started the second outpatient dialysis facility on Oahu in the mid-1970s and then transferred this facility to a private provider in 1983 and the facility moved off the Kuakini campus in 1996. Kuakini recognizes the critical need to address the increasing number of persons with chronic kidney disease.”
The center hosted a blessing ceremony this morning where partners from Satellite Healthcare, Queen’s, Kuakini, and HMSA marked its opening on the Kuakini Health System campus.
