Waianae Coast Comprehensive HC

Overview

Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) was established in 1972 to address the health needs of leeward O‘ahu’s rural communities.  In 1966, following the closing of a large sugar plantation that provided its own clinic, the community began a period of planning with the goal of developing adequate health services for Wai‘anae.  With the absence of any medical care in the community and a rapidly growing population, Wai‘anae was identified as having a poor health and disease profile.  Through collaborative, community-based efforts, residents and several agencies took responsibility for the development of a program concept to address the health service needs for Wai‘anae.  The Community Health Center has grown to provide comprehensive primary care services through a main clinic in Wai‘anae and four satellite clinics, and is a leader among health centers in practice/technology innovation.

Services

Wai‘anae Coast Community Health Center offers family practice treatment as well as a range of other services, including 24-hour emergency care, specialty services (orthopedics, urology, ob-gyn, allergy, etc.), laboratory and radiology services, dental, preventive health, case management, outreach, family planning, a teen clinic, perinatal case management, Native Hawaiian healing (lomilomi, ho‘oponopono, and lā‘au kahea) and integrated services, homeless outreach, adult day care, transportation, mental health treatment, substance abuse outreach and treatment, health career training, health professional training, and WIC services.

Special Populations/Health Issues

Native Hawaiians. With such a large proportion of the target population Native Hawaiian, the focus is on chronic diseases found to be high among Native Hawaiians: hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cancer, and asthma. In addition, there are extensive needs to address in the areas of mental illness, domestic abuse and family violence, substance abuse, motor vehicle injuries, and teenage pregnancies.

Patient Profile for 2006

• Ethnic groups served (top 3):  Native Hawaiian (51%), Caucasian (17%), Asian (16%).
• Unduplicated Patients: 26,936
• Patient Visits: 139,210
  • 19 years of age and under: 43%
  • 65 years of age or older: 5%
• Female: 56%
• Uninsured: 18%
• Medicaid: 48%
• Medicare: 7%
• Patients best served in a language other than English: <1%
• Patients with an income less than 200% of Federal Poverty Levell (FPL): 76%
• Homeless Patients: 1,048

Staffing 

WCCHC has the largest professional staff of all health centers in the state, employing physicians in family practice and internal medicine as well as specialists in allergies, general surgery, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedics, pediatrics, podiatry, psychiatry, and urology.  Other providers include nutritionists, nurses, substance abuse and mental health counselors, social workers, case managers, integrated health and Native Hawaiian traditional healers, and health educators.  

Federal Funding 

Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center is the grantee or subcontractor for:

• 330(e) Grantee
• 330(h) Health Care for the Homeless Sub-recipient
• Integrative Health
• Family Planning
• WIC

Federal Designations

• MUA