Hawaii Homeless Healthcare Hui (H4) has transitioned to the Kalihi-Palama Health Center (KPHC) effective January 17, 2023.
H4 was established in 2017 as a nonprofit, grassroots organization to provide a medical clinic and medical respite at the city-owned Punawai building on Kuwili Street. Since its inception, H4 has remained committed to improving the health and well-being of homeless and underserved populations through partnerships with government, other health care and social service providers, and the community.
The goal of the program was to provide the homeless population access to a wider range of care and services.
“We want to ensure access to care and sustainability,” said Darlena Chadwick, RN, Board Chair of H4. “We believe that this transition will enable our mission to be continued without disrupting the existing health care infrastructure that already exists in the neighborhood. We believe KPHC is best equipped to deliver quality care and services as it is a fixture in the community and knows the needs of the homeless population in this area.”
H4 opened its first clinic in 2018 as a response to a community need and priority and also began delivering services through other clinics. In the winter of 2020, H4 centralized Honolulu operations at the Punawai Medical Respite program on Kuwili Street.
The majority of the financial support for H4 has been provided by its founding organizations: HMSA, Island Hospice and The Queen’s Health Systems.
Kalihi-Palama Health Center is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that plays a crucial role in the Kalihi-Palama community as a provider of health and social services to patients who typically face significant barriers when accessing health care. KPHC is located in the heart of Kalihi-Palama and serves more than 20,000 patients annually.
“We are grateful for the work of H4,” said Emmanuel Kintu, D.Mgt, MBA, Chief Executive Officer & Executive Director of KPHC. “We also want to thank Gov. Green, who is a co-founder of H4, and our founding organizations. H4’s partnerships with the City & County of Honolulu, the state, KPHC and many other community partners including the Institute for Human Services, have resulted in an opportunity to provide a vulnerable population with enhanced access to comprehensive health care with wraparound services including medical care, medical respite, hygiene facilities and housing.”
H4 will become a wholly-owned and operated subsidiary of KPHC. KPHC plans to retain the H4 staff during this transition.
KPHC is a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) which is regulated by the Health Resource and Services Administration (HRSA). HRSA approved KPHC’s request to open a medical clinic at the Punawai location. It will become a new site for KPHC to be known as KPHC Punawai.
The City & County of Honolulu approved H4’s request to undergo a Change of Control which will transition control and management of H4 operations to KPHC. KPHC will use some of the funding provided by the Stupski Foundation to support opening the medical clinic.
