Kaiser Permanente Affiliate Assumes Management of Maui County Community Hospitals

Historic endeavor ensures community hospitals will continue serving all people on the islands of Maui and Lanai

News Release from Kaiser Permanente

OAKLAND, Calif., July 3, 2017 -- On July 1, Kaiser Permanente affiliate, Maui Health System, officially assumed management of community hospitals and associated clinics from the state of Hawaii. This will enable continued health care delivery serving all people on the islands of Maui and Lanai. Maui Health System is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. 

The move is intended to provide stability for the community health system and is a natural extension of Kaiser Permanente's mission of providing accessible, high-quality affordable health care services and to improve the health of its members and the communities it serves. 

Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital and Lanai Community Hospital will continue to operate as community hospitals, serving all patients and community residents. The hospitals will be supported by Kaiser Permanente's industry-leading technology and substantial scale and operational experience.

Kaiser Permanente is the nation's largest non-profit integrated health care system, operating 39 of its own hospitals as part of caring for its nearly 12 million members across eight states and the District of Columbia. Kaiser Permanente hospitals are among the highest rated in the country for quality care outcomes and patient satisfaction.

"We are honored to be working with the state of Hawaii, other health plans, the local medical community and local officials to support continued access to hospital care for the people of Maui and Lanai," said Mary Ann Barnes, regional president, Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. "Ensuring people can have access to health care – and live healthier lives – is at the heart of our mission."

Kaiser Permanente currently serves nearly 60,000 residents on Maui, which is more than one-third of the island's population.

In April 2015, state legislators passed legislation that Hawaii Gov. David Y. Ige signed into law that enabled privatization for the Maui Region of Hawaii Health System Corp. Kaiser Permanente was selected to operate and manage the community hospitals for a number of reasons, including its commitment to invest in the people, services, facilities and technology that are essential to supporting care on Maui and Lanai. Other key factors were its innovative care model and nearly 60-year history of caring for the people of Hawaii. The transfer agreement was signed in January 2016.

"It has been a long journey to bring us to this historic transition," Ige said. "We have a great appreciation for Kaiser Permanente's commitment to the people of Maui and Lanai. Improving health care infrastructure for our residents is the type of success that can be accomplished when public and private organizations come together. This transfer brings stability and new opportunities for quality, innovation and long-term sustainability for patients and the entire community."

Kaiser Permanente has had a presence in Hawaii since 1958, when industrialist Henry J. Kaiser opened a 143-bed hospital near Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu. Kaiser Permanente currently cares for more than 250,000 members in Hawaii. Over the past several years, Kaiser Permanente has worked to increase accessibility on neighboring islands, including opening the Lihue Clinic on Kauai in February 2016 and Kona Medical Office on Hawaii Island in July 2014. Kaiser Permanente and its Moanalua Medical Center regularly are given top marks in national surveys of quality of care and patient safety.

About Maui Health SystemMaui Health System, community hospitals and associated clinics affiliated with Kaiser Permanente, includes Maui Memorial Medical Center, Maui Memorial Outpatient Clinic, Kula Hospital, Kula Clinic, and Lanai Community Hospital, and associated clinics, and serves the people of Maui and Lanai. The facilities under Maui Health System are open to all patients regardless of health insurance coverage. Maui Health System is committed to delivering high quality, affordable, patient-centered health care and improving the health of the community. Maui Health System is supported by Kaiser Permanente's industry-leading technology systems, evidence-based medicine and nationally recognized care quality. For more information, go to mauihealthsystem.org.

About Kaiser PermanenteKaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 11.8 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.