West Hawai‘i Region of Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation to celebrate opening of new infusion center on Big Island

West Hawai‘i Region of Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation invites the public to join the celebration for its newly expanded infusion center at Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua on the west side of the Big Island.

A blessing ceremony for the new infusion center is planned for 3 p.m. today (Feb. 6) at Kona Community Hospital, located at 79-1019 Haukapila St., with several officials to be in attendance.

Officials attending include:

• West Hawaiʻi Region Chief Executive Officer Clayton McGhan.
• Big Island state Rep. Jeanné Kapela.
• Big Island state Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa.
• Joshua Stolaroff with Stolaroff Foundation.

An infusion center is an outpatient facility that provides patients with IV therapy for conditions such as autoimmune disorders, infections, immune deficiencies and cancer, among others.

It often comes at a lower cost and offers specialized care, comfortable environment and convenient access, allowing for services to not have to bleed into other hospital departments — in Kona’s case, for example, its surgical suite.

The new center will double the hospital’s treatment capacity from 6 to 12 chairs and significantly enhance patient privacy, safety and comfort.

Additional features include privacy barriers, negative-pressure isolation room for higher‑risk patients, dedicated waiting area for families and more.

These improvements are designed to increase access to care and reduce the need for specific procedures to be performed in the hospital’s surgical suite.

Visit the Kona Community Hospital website or call 808-322-9311 for additional information or with any questions.

Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation — created in 1996 by Hawaiʻi Legislature and established with the signing of Act 262 into law — is a public benefit corporation charged with managing community hospitals and other healthcare facilities, primarily acting as a “safety net” provider for the neighbor islands.

It is the largest healthcare provider on the neighbor islands, operating 9 primary facilities and several other smaller healthcare services locations.

Primary facilities on the Big Island

• Hilo Benioff Medical Center.
• Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo.
• Kona Community Hospital.
• Kohala Hospital in Kapaʻau.
• Honokaʻa Hospital and Skilled Nursing.
• Kaʻū Hospital in Pāhala.

Primary facilities on Kauaʻi

• Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea.
• Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapaʻa.

The organization’s focus is on rural, acute and long-term care.

Visit the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation website for additional information.