Hawaii County panel approves $90M Keaau Health Center

A Hawaii County panel has cleared the way for Hilo Benioff Medical Center to build an outpatient medical clinic in Keaau.

The Windward Planning Commission voted 5-0 Thursday to approve a use permit for Keaau Benioff Health Center, a one-story 40,000-square-foot facility on 20 acres of agricultural- zoned land and a special permit for a 1.5-mile paved driveway to the facility on a 3.27-acre corridor, 2.65 acres of which is zoned agricultural and 0.62 acres zoned urban.

The land is owned by W.H. Shipman Ltd. and is on the mauka side of Highway 11 between Shipman Business Park and the Herbert C. Shipman Park.

Voting to green-light the project were Chairman Louis Daniele III, Vice Chair Chantel Perrin and commissioners Tom Fratinardo, JoNelle Fukushima and Paul Montz. Absent and excused were commissioners Lauren Balog and Kanoe Wilson.

“It really is a great spot. I mean, it’s a hub for everything from the south,” Hilo Benioff Medical Center CEO Dan Brinkman told commissioners. “I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say, over time, almost everyone in that area will get some benefit — some direct, some indirect. It’s not a small thing.

“I think it will also really have a positive impact on the economic development of the area, as well.”

Groundbreaking is expected expected in spring 2027 with completion near the end of 2028 or early 2029, at an estimated cost of $90 million, with about two-thirds of that total already raised. The state Legislature approved $25 million last year, in addition to $9 million it had previously set aside for the project, and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and wife Lynne have pledged $25 million in matching funds.

Brinkman told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald in late February he was exploring additional funding options. “We are confident, though, that the project will be completed,” he said at the time.

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

The facility would provide outpatient care only but not an emergency room or drug rehabilitation services. The clinic will not receive ambulances, although ambulance transportation of patients from the facility to the HBMC may occur when warranted.

The plans call for 204 paved perpendicular parking stalls, with 22 of those stalls compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

It’s also expected to alleviate patient traffic in the emergency room at HBMC, reportedly the second- busiest ER in the state behind only The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, a benefit Fukushima described as “huge.”

“I live right next to the hospital, and I think (of) the relief that it would provide, as well, from everybody having to come all the way on that narrow road we live on and, you know, the parking situation and just the safety of that area,” she said.

The project was given a favorable recommendation by Planning Director Jeff Darrow, and testimony was universally in support, whether in person, online or in writing. Much of that testimony came from employees of HBMC and connected facilities — including the smaller East Hawaii Health Clinics in Keaau and Pahoa.

“We simply do not have the space or resources to meet the need that is already here,” said Dr. Mindy Prows, a psychiatrist and medical director of outpatient mental health for East Hawaii Health Clinics. “Across Hawaii, about one in five adults experiences mental illness, and about one in three high school students report persistent sadness or hopelessness. But these are not just statistics to me. These are the people that I see in my office every single day.”

Prows said the new Keaau facility, when built, “would give us room for up to 17 behavioral health providers and allow us to offer much more comprehensive care, including psychiatry, individual, family and group therapy, psychological assessment and newer treatments available for treatment-resistant depression.”

Dr. Shauna Paylor, a family practitioner at East Hawaii Health Clinics, said “it’s been a little hard to keep up with the demand” at the current Keaau clinic.

“Currently, we’re limited by space to allow much more growth,” Paylor testified. “In just over five years, we have over 2,000 primary care patients with just two providers in the clinic. Patients call to establish care with us, and we are not able to accommodate them in a timely manner.

“The new health center would allow us to give more comprehensive care, since our services will be all in the same building.”

Susie Osborne, principal at Kua o Ka La Public Charter School and president of the Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee, described the project as “clearly a much-needed facility that will expand access to local healthcare for residents of East Hawaii.”

“This project fully aligns with the recently adopted General Plan 2045, the Puna Community Development Plan and the Keaau Village Master Plan — all of which recognize the importance of improved access to facilities that support the health and well-being of our communities,” she testified.

Dean Cevallos, principal at Keaau High School, called the need for accessibility the clinic would provide Puna residents as “clear and urgent.”

“I have attended the planning meetings, and I believe the developers have carefully considered and responded to the concerns raised by the community. Their efforts indicate a commitment to moving this project forward responsibly,” he said.

“As a high school principal, I also see tremendous educational opportunities associated with the proposed medical center. Our students — particularly, those enrolled in healthcare pathways — currently have limited access to internships and hands-on learning opportunities, because most medical facilities are located in Hilo.”

Jennifer Zelko, who chairs Hawaii Health Systems East Hawaii Region board, noted the rapid growth in Puna. According to census data, the district has seen its population increase from about 31,000 people in 2000 to nearly 52,000 people in 2020. That tally is expected to top 75,000 residents within the next six years.

“Too many residents still have to travel into Hilo for care. We see the impact of that every day on patients and their families,” she testified.