Big Island Community Health Centers Receive Slice of $23M Federal Allocation

Fourteen community health centers across Hawai‘i will receive $23,749,447 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue providing health care services to underserved communities.

West Hawai‘i Community Health Center and Bay Clinic on the Big Island will receive around $3.5 million between them in the allocation. The two health centers announced late last year their intent to merge into one organization.

“Community health centers provide quality, affordable health care to Hawai‘i families every day,” Sen. Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, said in a news release Tuesday about the allocation. “This federal funding will give our health centers the resources they need to continue providing care and keep people healthy.”

The funding comes from the Health Center Program administrated by HHS. Health centers offer primary health care services to people regardless of their ability pay, often serving as the main source of care for those geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. These centers have also played an important role during the pandemic, offering COVID testing, treatment, and vaccination services and expanding patient access to care through telehealth.

The more than $23 million in total funding includes:

· $2,846,540 for the Kalihi-Palama Health Center on O‘ahu

· $2,842,708 for the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on O‘ahu

· $2,399,784 for Kōkua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services on O‘ahu

· $2,092,715 for the West Hawai‘i Community Health Center on Hawai‘i Island

· $1,733,204 for the Waimānalo Health Center on O‘ahu

· $1,501,345 for the Bay Clinic on Hawai‘i Island

· $1,496,879 for the Community Clinic of Maui

· $1,490,824 for the Ko‘olauloa Health Center on O‘ahu

· $1,460,219 for the Lānaʻi Community Health Center

· $1,332,369 for Hāmākua-Kohala Health on Hawai‘i Island

· $1,287,159 for Waikīkī Health on O‘ahu

· $1,233,746 for Hāna Health on Maui

· $1,026,896 for Ho‘ōla Lāhui Hawai‘i on Kaua‘i

· $1,005,059 for Moloka‘i ‘Ohana Health Care