Milestone agreement to strengthen health care in West Hawaiʻi

Health care delivery will be transformed in West Hawaiʻi with a milestone collaboration between Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation West Hawaiʻi Region, The Queen’s Health Systems, and Aliʻi Health Center as they enter a shared workforce agreement.

The groundbreaking agreement comes after 1 1/2 years of strategic dialogue to enhance the health care sector on Hawaiʻi Island.

This initiative brings together Kona Community Hospital, Kohala Hospital, and provider groups from The Queen’s Health Systems and Aliʻi Health Center under a unified effort to keep care local and strengthen specialty services on the island.

“This agreement represents a huge step forward in how we collaborate to meet the needs of our West Hawaiʻi communities,” said Dr. Jeffrey Palmgren, chief medical officer of West Hawaiʻi Region. “By sharing our workforce and aligning our goals, we can build a true physician group culture that supports our current providers, attracts new talent, and ultimately keeps our patients from having to leave the island to get the care they need.”

The agreement will allow health care providers from all three organizations to deliver services across each other’s facilities, creating a seamless, patient-centered care experience and enhancing access to specialized care close to home.

“This partnership reflects the power of working together with a shared vision of community-centered care,” added Dennis Tognoli, interim CEO of Aliʻi Health Center. “We’re proud to be part of this initiative, which will expand services, improve continuity of care, and create new opportunities to grow our local health care workforce.”

The shared workforce model aims to:

• Keep health care local by reducing the need for off-island referrals.
• Expand access to a broader spectrum of specialty care.
• Foster a unified physician group culture for improved recruitment and retention.
• Develop a pipeline of future providers through graduate medical education.

“At Queen’s, we are deeply committed to our mission to provide quality health care services to improve the well-being of all the people of Hawaiʻi,” said Dr. Whitney Limm, executive vice president of clinical integration and chief physician executive at The Queen’s Health Systems. “This partnership sets the stage for sustainable growth in the region’s health care system, ensuring that patients receive high-quality, coordinated care.”

Dr. Daphne Edmonston Hemmings, a general surgeon with Queen’s University Medical Group, which is a prestigious team of more than 750 providers representing 17 specialties, will be the first physician to provide care to West Hawaiʻi patients under this new agreement beginning Friday, June 6.

“We thank West Hawaiʻi Region and Aliʻi Health Center for this innovative partnership that will deliver access to a broader network of providers and services, advance workforce development, and improve the overall health of West Hawaiʻi communities,” said Dr. Rick Bruno, president of Queen’s University Medical Group. “Queen’s is pleased that this agreement will mean better care and an enhanced experience for patients on Hawaiʻi Island.”