Kaiser plans clinic in Kapolei

Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is looking to build a major hub clinic on 5 acres near the Hawaii State Judiciary in burgeoning Kapolei.

Mary Ann Barnes, the new president of the state’s largest health maintenance organization, told the Hono­lulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday that the HMO is anticipating significant growth in membership in the coming years.

The organization, with 230,000 members, or 25 percent of the market, purchased the Kapolei land for $11.7 million in 2012.

Kaiser, both a medical provider and insurance company, has the capacity to gain another 70,000 members statewide, Barnes said.

A new full-service clinic would be built on Kamokila Boulevard and include a pharmacy, a laboratory and diagnostic imaging in addition to primary care and family medicine services.

Kaiser’s growth will "determine if, when and what we build" in Kapolei, said Kaiser spokeswoman Laura Lott. "People that have Kaiser like Kaiser. We’re very optimistic; we’re positioned well for future growth."

Kaiser already operates a 15,000-square-foot clinic in the area on the corner of Farrington Highway and Fort Barrette Road with five physicians and a pharmacy.

The organization invested $150 million over the past 18 months in upgrades and expansion of its Moanalua Medical Center and 20 other facilities.

Earlier this year, it opened a $50 million Kona medical office building and a new gastroenterology clinic to provide same-day surgeries at its Mapunapuna medical office.