Hawaii Health Systems Corporation – Kauai Region

Kauai's healthcare network within Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

The Kauai Region is the regional division of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) that brings together the healthcare facilities on the island of Kauai. Its origins date back to 1996, when the Hawaii State Legislature passed Act 262, the law that led to the creation of HHSC and the integration of Kauai's facilities into that public corporation. The entity itself defines itself as a "safety-net" network: it serves the surrounding communities without conditioning care on the patient's ability to pay.

Two hospitals and seven clinics on the island

The network consists of two hospitals and a group of primary care and urgent care clinics distributed across various towns on Kauai:

• Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital (KVMH), in Waimea
• Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital (SMMH), in Kapaa
• The Clinic at Waimea
• The Clinic at Port Allen
• The Clinic at Kalaheo
• The Specialty Clinic at Kalaheo
• The Clinic at Poipu / Urgent Care at Poipu
• The Clinic at Lihue
• The Clinic at Kapaa

The entity notes that its primary care clinics are strategically located in various towns across the island to facilitate access to care for both residents and visitors. The network also includes Kawaiola Pharmacy.

Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital

KVMH is named in honor of Kauai's veterans and has been part of the community since 1957. It is classified as a full-service Critical Access Hospital (CAH), a U.S. designation for critical access hospitals in certain areas.

Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital

SMMH originally opened in 1917 as a 50-bed hospital for local tuberculosis patients. In 1996 it joined the HHSC Kauai Region healthcare network, and in 2005 it became a CAH hospital and opened a 24-hour emergency department.

Primary care, specialties, and urgent care

The network's care offering combines primary care at clinics across the island, a specialty clinic in Kalaheo, and an urgent care service in Poipu. The site includes a provider search tool ("Find a Provider") to locate physicians within the organization.

Patient services and health education

The network has a patient portal and offers childbirth education classes, with an associated registration form. It also publishes price transparency information and allows online bill payment. Regarding privacy, it shares its Notice of Privacy Practices and its Part 2, as well as the Notice of Availability.

Languages and accessibility

The entity states that it complies with applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws and rules and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, or marital status. Its language access services cover, in addition to English, Ilocano, Tagalog, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Samoan, Marshallese, Hawaiian, Bisayan, Pohnpeian, Spanish, Chuukese, Tongan, Vietnamese, and Lao. Regarding web accessibility, the organization states that it is working to improve the usability of its site and offers a contact for those who encounter difficulties accessing content.

Employment, volunteering, and public procurement

The region publishes its own job openings and a volunteer application form. In the legal section, it maintains public procurement information with procurement contacts, open solicitations, and contract awards.

Operational notices featured on the site

The site displayed several operational notices: extended weekend hours for urgent care starting October 3, 2026; the temporary closure of The Clinic at Kalaheo starting Thursday, August 13, 2026; and the region's transition to a cashless system starting September 1, 2026. The "Walk with a Doc" activity was also announced.