Hawaiʻi Island Health Centers to Receive IT Funds

The Bay Clinic’s Hilo Family Health Center on Kinoole Street. Courtesy photo.

Fourteen Hawaiʻi health centers are receiving funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services for information technology enhancements, including three recipients on Hawai‘i Island.

The funding includes more than $66,000 for the Hilo Bay Clinic, $46,000 for the Hamakua Health Center in Honoka‘a, and $55,000 for the West Hawai‘i Community Health Center in Kona.

The funds will support health information technology enhancements to accelerate health centers’ transition to value-based models of care and increase engagement in delivery system transformation.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) said the 14 centers will receive a total of $753,064. The funding is part of more than $87 million provided by HHS to 1,310 health centers in every US state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin.

“Health centers across Hawaiʻi provide high-quality health and wellness services that our communities depend upon,” said Rep. Gabbard. “Yet, in Hawaiʻi and in states across the country, remote locations, lack of funding and staff shortages make it difficult to keep up with rapidly changing healthcare technology,”

According to Rep. Gabbard, this is the first award since 2009 that supports health centers’ improvement and ability to purchase IT equipment.

“Investing in our local health centers will increase information sharing, improve electronic healthcare record systems and expand access to comprehensive, quality care for people in every county across the state,” Rep. Gabbard added.

Following are the Hawaiʻi organizations are the Hawaiʻi recipients of the HHS health IT enhancement funds:

BIG ISLAND

· Hilo – $66,682 for the Bay Clinic
· Kailua-Kona – $55,174 for the West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center
· Honokaʻa – $46,535 for the Hamakua Health Center

OTHER ISLANDS

· Hāna – $42,428 for the Hana Community Health Center
· Līhuʻe – $46,320 for Hoʻola Lahui Hawaiʻi
· Honolulu – $73,739 for the Kalihi-Palama Health Center
· Honolulu – $54,075 for Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services
· Kahuku – $48,198 for the Koʻolauloa Community Health and Wellness Center
· Lānaʻi City – $41,749 for the Lanaʻi Community Health Center
· Kaunakakai – $42,884 for Molokaʻi Ohana Health Care
· Waiʻanae – $81,237 for the Waiʻanae District Comprehensive Health and Hospital Board
· Honolulu – $55,087 for the Waikiki Health Center
· Waimānalo – $46,056 for the Waimānalo Health Center
· Wailuku – $52,900 for the Community Clinic of Maui