Queen’s and North Hawaii Hospitals Considering ‘Affiliation’

The state’s largest private hospital and the Big Island’s only private hospital are considering a “formal affiliation” with each other.

Neither Queen’s Health Systems, which operates The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, nor North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea are talking about what type of association is envisioned.

“The specific nature of any affiliation between Queen’s and North Hawaii will be determined and announced after due diligence is completed,” the two said in a joint statement issued this afternoon.

That due diligence by Queen’s, which is expected to take up to 120 days, will look into “physical and regulatory requirements” before moving forward, the statement said.

Both sides have signed a confidentiality agreement regarding the effort.

Queen’s has had a clinical affiliation with NHCH since 2005.

“Queen’s remains mindful and dedicated to our mission to provide in perpetuity quality health services to improve the well-being of Native Hawaiians and all the people of Hawaii,” said Art Ushijima, president of The Queen’s Medical Center. “North Hawaii Community Hospital shares a similar mission.”

“Queen’s was instrumental in the founding of NHCH, in the early fund-raising, and has consistently been very supportive of the needs of NHCH and our North Hawaii community over the years,” said Bob Momsen, chairman of North Hawaii’s Board of Directors. “Affiliating with Queen’s will dramatically improve our ability to fulfill our mission: Improving the health status of the people of North Hawaii.”

North Hawaii Community Hospital, which opened in May 1996, is an acute-care hospital with 33 licensed beds, 24-hour emergency services, 376 employees and 68 active physicians.

According to its website, Queen’s Medical Center has 505 acute-care beds and 28 sub-acute beds, with more than 3,000 employees and 1,200 physicians on staff.

In addition to the hospital, Queen’s Health Systems operates The Queen’s Health Care Centers, Queen Emma Land Co., Queen’s Development Corp., Queen’s Insurance Exchange, and Molokai General Hospital.

It also has ownership interests in CareResource Hawaii, Hamamatsu/Queen’s PET Imaging Center and Diagnostic Laboratory Services.