RENDERING COURTESY THE QUEEN’S HEALTH SYSTEMS
The Queen’s Health Systems has announced plans to build a new 80-bed hospital in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, aimed at addressing the growing healthcare needs of West Hawaii. The new facility will be located next to the Kailua-Kona Costco on a 30-acre site and is expected to include a medical office building and a helipad, designed to facilitate quicker transportation to trauma care centers on Oahu.
The hospital will span 250,000 square feet and is expected to employ about 300 healthcare professionals, including staff, nurses, doctors, and other specialists. The $400 million to $500 million project is set to break ground in two to three years, with completion anticipated in about five years.
In addition to the hospital, Queen’s plans to build 150 units of below-market-rate housing for hospital staff. This initiative aims to address the region’s critical shortage of affordable housing, which has made it difficult to recruit and retain healthcare professionals, particularly specialists. The housing will provide options for staff to rent or purchase units at below-market rates, with future sales restricted to other hospital employees at similar rates.
The hospital will focus on diagnostic cardiology, neurology, general surgery, and an emergency room to stabilize patients for transfer to Oahu’s Queen’s Medical Center. For some neighbor-island patients, the journey to Honolulu’s trauma center can take up to three to four hours. After calling 911, patients are taken by ambulance to a local hospital, diagnosed, transported to an airport, flown to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, and then transported by ambulance to the hospital.
To address this issue, a twin-engine H145 helicopter is scheduled to be delivered to Queen’s in 2026. The helicopter, funded by philanthropists Lynne and Marc Benioff, will be staffed by Hawaii County crews to fly patients directly to Queen’s trauma center, cutting down on travel time. Marc Benioff, co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, and his wife Lynne have already donated $5 million to support healthcare workers on Hawaii Island, in addition to $30 million in state funds to pay off student loans for healthcare workers in the state.
This new hospital will provide much-needed healthcare resources to the west side of the island, where the Kona Community Hospital, operating with only 94 beds, has struggled to meet the growing demand for specialized care. The Queen’s facility aims to ease some of the pressure on the Kona Community Hospital, which often relies on telemedicine and patient transfers for specialized treatment.
Governor Josh Green expressed strong support for the project, emphasizing the importance of affordable housing as part of healthcare. The new hospital will also work closely with the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine, providing students and post-graduate residents opportunities to gain hands-on experience.
Jason Chang, President and CEO of Queen’s Health Systems, stated that the project would help create a regional health system for the Big Island, offering better access, more specialists, and improved care to the north and west sides of the island. Chang emphasized the importance of building workforce housing alongside the hospital to retain staff in a region where recruiting healthcare professionals can be challenging.
West Hawaii Queen’s Hospital Project Highlights:
- 80 beds, 250,000 square feet
- 300 staff, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers
- 150 units of below-market-rate condos and apartments for healthcare workers
- Groundbreaking in two to three years, completion in five years
- Estimated cost: $400 million to $500 million
The Queen’s Health Systems’ Kailua-Kona hospital is set to become a key part of the regional healthcare system, offering more access, specialists, and care for the residents of West Hawaii.
