Hana Health

Overview

Hāna Medical Center was built in 1964 at the site of the community’s old plantation hospital and operated under the auspices of Maui Memorial Hospital.  Hāna Health (HH) was incorporated in late 1994 and has been providing services since 1997.  Hāna is one of the most isolated areas in the state, separated from the rest of the island by a two-hour drive over a winding two-lane road subject to wash-outs during periods of torrential rains.  The area has approximately 2,500 residents in small settlements scattered over 233 square miles, including the Hawaiian homesteads Kahikinui and Ke‘anae/Wailua.  Not all homes have electricity, telephones or running water.  As the third poorest community in the state with unemployment at 13%, 47% of families fall below 200% of federal poverty guidelines.

Special Populations/Health Issues

Native Hawaiians; geographically isolated community.  HH’s health concerns reflect those of the predominant Native Hawaiian population: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  Urgent care services are utilized most heavily for open wounds, asthma, fractures, and abdominal pain.  Many of the worst health indicators throughout the islands are found in Hāna. For example, the rate for inadequate prenatal care is 68%, far exceeding the County and State averages.

Services

HH provides the full range of primary care services including medical and dental care, well-child care, routine immunizations, women’s health care, and treatment for common health problems, chronic disease management, mental/behavioral health problems and traditional healing services including lomilomi therapy.  All services, including x-rays, laboratory and pre-packaged medications, are provided on a sliding fee scale based on household size and income.  HH’s physicians provide urgent care services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  Although not an emergency room, HH works in cooperation with American Medical Response and Maui Memorial Medical Center to stabilize and transport patients with emergent medical conditions.

HH provides more than 35,000 healthy meals and snacks annually to Hāna’s elderly, as well as to participants in the center’s fitness, chronic disease management, and youth wellness programs.  The Organic Farm Project provides a substantial amount of the produce used in the nutrition program.

In recent years, HH has provided the majority of school-based behavioral health services for Hāna High and Elementary School students and their families.  Hāna’s kupuna benefit from healthy diet programs, home-delivered meals, exercise programs, case management, home health care, transportation assistance, and family caregiver training and support services.  HH’s family-focused diabetes management program is designed to educate and support families dealing with this chronic disease, and prevent the need for dialysis.  HH is working to impact the health of current and future generations in Hāna through the provision of scientifically based, culturally appropriate preventative programs.

Patient Profile for 2006

• Ethnic groups served:  Native Hawaiian (47%), Caucasian (44%)
• Unduplicated Patients: 1,732
  • 19 years of age and under: 29%
  • 65 years of age or older: 10%
• Female: 51%
• Uninsured: 25%
• Medicaid: 18%
• Medicare: 9%
• Patients best served in a language other than English: 0%
• Patients with an income less than 200% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

Staffing

HH employs family practice physicians, pediatricians, dentists and a psychologist.

Federal Funding 

Hāna Health is a 330 (e) grantee.

Federal Designations 

• MUP
• Primary Care HPSA
• Dental Health HPSA
• Mental Health HPSA