GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $600,000 FOR KO`OLAULOA COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER

For Immediate Release:  June 30, 2008

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released a $600,000 grant-in-aid to the Ko‘olauloa Community Health and Wellness Center (KCHWC) to construct a new clinic. 

KCHWC will lease 10,000 to 20,000 square feet of land from Kahuku Hospital where it plans to erect portable structures to expand services to underserved residents in the area.  The additional space will be used for a primary care provider clinic; outreach offices; psychological practice offices; dental facility; family planning and teen clinic; administrative offices; offices for computer networks and electronic medical record and billing system; and meeting rooms.

“The public-private partnerships the State maintains with community health centers, like the Ko‘olauloa Community Health and Wellness Center, play a valuable role in ensuring low income and underinsured individuals and families receive affordable health care as well as preventive medical services,” said Governor Lingle.  “Health and wellness is a personal responsibility of each individual, and the community health center helps provide residents access to necessary services.”

The Ko‘olauloa Community Health and Wellness Center is a private, non-profit, community-based Federally Qualified Health Center serving residents in Ko‘olauloa, Kahuku and other North Shore communities on O‘ahu.  The center’s priority populations include the poor, uninsured, underinsured, homeless, native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, immigrants, agricultural workers, youth and the elderly.

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For more information, contact:

Chiyome Fukino, MD 
Director, Dept. of Health 
Phone: (808) 586-4410

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043