Kea‘au to get its own health center

Hilo Benioff Medical Center is planning to build an outpatient clinic on approximately nine acres of land in Kea‘au.

The clinic, Kea‘au Benioff Health Center, will improve access to medical services in the underserved Puna District.

Puna faces numerous health care challenges including increasing demand through rising population, overcrowding and accessibility issues.

“Our people in the Puna and Ka‘u districts have some of the state’s greatest health care needs,” said Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter, who chairs the East Hawaii Regional Board. “We are honored to put our full support toward the building of the Kea‘au Benioff Health Center.”

The estimated price tag for the project is $60 million.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and wife Lynne, Big Island residents, recently pledged $25 million toward the project, and Gov. Josh Green, a physician, has pledged to work to secure a matching $25 million for construction.

“I am grateful for the generosity of the Benioff ‘ohana and the foresight and planning of Dan Brinkman and his team,” said Green. “Our administration is committed to finding a substantial portion of the funding to make this project happen to provide more health care access on Hawaii Island.

“We will work closely with the Legislature to be sure to meet everyone’s needs.”

Brinkman, East Hawaii Regional CEO of Hawaii Health Systems Corp. and Hilo Benioff Medical Center, said the Benioffs are “fully committed to this project in Kea‘au.”

“It is a continuation of a Benioff and Green partnership as a fundamental extension with Hilo Benioff Medical Center to continue the momentum to improve health care on Hawaii Island,” he said.

The Benioffs previously donated $50 million to help fund expansion and improvements at Hilo Benioff Medical Center.

According to a 506-page draft environmental assessment prepared by Land Planning Hawaii and released last week by the state, plans include construction of a single-story, 36,000-square-foot medical office building complex consisting of a clinical wing and a behavioral health wing. Also proposed are parking stalls and loading zones.

The subject property is at 16-790 Kea‘au-Pahoa Road, near Kea‘au High School.

According to the county Property Tax Office website, the owner of the property is RJL LLC, whose members are Hilo businessman Roland Higashi, a former member of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources, his wife, Jan Higashi, and their daughter, Laurie Higashi, a real estate agent.

The site is zoned agricultural, and the property was subdivided in February 2024 from a larger 26.76-acre parcel.

On-site supporting infrastructure is expected to include driveways, electricity, water, storm water management and wastewater disposal facilities. There is no county sewer line in the area. Wastewater would be processed through an on-site facility that provides secondary treatment, as required by the state Department of Health.

According to the draft EA, there are no sensitive biological, hydrological, archaeological, cultural or other resources present on the previously cleared site.

The proposed facility would provide urgent care services seven days per week, including holidays, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Primary care services, specialty clinic services such as cardiology, imaging services including X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds, laboratory services, plus behavioral health and counseling services would be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The facility will provide outpatient care only and will not have an emergency room, will not receive ambulances, and will not provide drug rehabilitation services.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, and planners anticipate the facility will serve more than 100 patients daily.

According to Census data, Puna is the fastest growing area in the state. The population of the district has increased from about 31,000 people in 2000 to almost 52,000 people in 2020 — and is expected to top 75,000 by 2030.

“For the past two decades, Puna had been leading the population growth in East Hawaii,” said state Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, who represents Puna. “The Kea‘au Benioff Health Center is a recognition of that growth. We also look forward to the behavioral health services that will be offered at this clinic, which services are in short supply throughout East Hawaii.”

Existing health care services in Puna are insufficient to serve the growing population, especially urgent health care and specialty services. The entire district has only two small emergency health clinics — both branches of the East Hawaii Health Clinic, in Kea‘au and Pahoa. Urgent care services are only provided by these clinics between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. in Kea‘au and 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.in Pahoa.

Additionally, access to specialty care, EKG and imaging services are limited in Puna and currently are offered only at the Kea‘au East Hawaii Health Clinic.

By the fifth year of operation, officials estimate staffing at the Kea‘au Benioff Health Center to be at 95 staff and 25 providers.

“We are excited to introduce this health center that has been in development for several years,” said Brinkman. “There are numerous benefits that come with a project of this scope and size that will improve access to health care for many generations to come and provide opportunities for meaningful careers in health care.”

A video about the Kea‘au Benioff Health Center can be viewed at https://youtu.be/4wFLrwCIv-A.

The EA document is available at https://planning.hawaii.gov/erp/environmental-notice/.

Public comments will be accepted until Dec. 9 and can be emailed to john@landplanninghawaii.com.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.