Roughly 100 health care professionals, politicians and community leaders came out to celebrate the opening of Hilo Medical Center’s new East Hawaii Health Clinic across from the main hospital on Waianuenue Avenue on Friday.
The 20,000-square-foot, two-story building cost roughly $15 million and expands health services and cancer treatment options for Big Island residents.
“The idea of having services in this community that are available here, where you don’t have to get on a plane to go get them, is powerful,” said HMC CEO Dan Brinkman during the ceremony. “To do that, you’ve got to have a building.”
The first floor features an expanded cancer center already caring for patients and includes 18 infusion bays, five exam rooms, a healing garden, lobby, and compounding pharmacy.
Prior to the facility, there were just 12 chemotherapy treatment bays at HMC.
On the second floor, there are services for otolaryngology or ENT, general surgery, gynecologic surgery and vascular surgery along with 16 exam rooms and three procedure rooms.
“Hawaii Island sends more people to Honolulu for cancer care than any other island,” said Mayor Mitch Roth. “I’m hoping with this center here, that changes, and allows people to stay here with their families, with their friends, and to be able to go home quickly.”
Discussions on expanding cancer and oncology services at HMC began in the 1990s, but this project officially launched in 2020 after Brinkman and HMC Director of Public Affairs Elena Cabatu made a video showcasing the need for an expanded cancer center.
They showed the video to Hilo Rep. Mark Nakashima in the hopes of securing funding from the Legislature.
“Several years ago, I did tour the facility and I looked at what was happening and saw the cancer patients sitting in a small area, very crowded,” Nakashima said. “The danger of being susceptible to other people’s ailments could be rather catastrophic in cancer treatment, so it became obvious to us, the Legislature, that we needed to do something.”
The Legislature provided most of the funding, with additional support and construction by American Savings Bank, the Hilo Medical Center Foundation, Isemoto Contracting and others.
“It really took a community to pull all that together,” Brinkman said.
After the first round of funding, groundbreaking began in December 2020, and despite construction and shipping delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility was completed in May 2023.
“This is just the start of providing exceptional health care close to home,” said Hilo Medical Center Foundation’s Executive Director Lisa Rantz, who added HMC recently received a health profession shortage area designation, which will allow for more federal support in the future.
Also in attendance were Big Island Senators Lorraine Inouye and Joy San Buenaventura, as well as Amy Miwa, who serves as Gov. Josh Green’s East Hawaii liaison.
“For the longest time, you either went to your doctor, or you went to Honolulu,” Miwa said. “Now, we can stay here, stay on our island, and have serious stuff like complicated surgery, cancer treatment, trauma care, everything done right here.”
While emphasis was placed on the new state-of-the-art equipment and building, credit was also given to HMC staff.
“This is the place we bring our parents, this is the place we bring ourselves, and occasionally, our mayors,” said Dr. Kevin Wilcox, a radiation oncologist at HMC. “But I think that talking about buildings misses the big point, it’s the people in the buildings and the services they provide that are amazing.”
Several patients also spoke on the impacts of the new services and cancer center prior to the building receiving a traditional blessing by Kahu Kimo Awai.
Joe Skruch, a patient and East Hawaii Regional Board Member, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2020 and underwent 12 days of chemotherapy at the cancer center.
“I’m happy to be here today, but actually, I’m happy to be alive today,” Skruch said, adding he is now almost two years into remission. “I have the skills and knowledge of the medical oncology unit here to thank for that.”
Serina Naboa, a Hilo resident and mother of eight, was diagnosed with stage three inflammatory breast cancer in 2019. After being in remission for three years, her cancer returned, and she was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer.
“I looked at my children every day not knowing if today was the last day or not,” Naboa said, adding she considered going to the mainland for treatment until a friend recommended the cancer center.
“I’ve come to realize that the East Hawaii Cancer Center offers the same medication and same treatments that you can get anywhere else,” she said.
Even though she was told by another facility her cancer was incurable but treatable, she said her last scan showed there was no longer any evidence of active disease.
“That’s something I never even thought was possible to achieve, but I achieved it by getting treatment here in Hilo,” she said. “I hope this gives others hope, and if they’re questioning getting care here, please give them a try, just as I did.”
Email Grant Phillips at gphillips@hawaiitribune-herald.com