2 Caring for West Hawaii’s Ohana Since 2005 WEST HAWAII COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER Realizing a Dream – Touring new Kealakehe Health Care Center Congratulations on 10 years of providing aordable healthcare to the West Hawaii Community. Health is wealth! 808.930.7700 www.hicommfcu.com Ancient stepping stones are preserved near the top of the driveway of the newly opened West Hawaii Community Health Center, situated in the ahupua‘a of Kealakehe. A shining example of a modern-day pu‘uhonua, the 10,500-square-foot center is a place of wellness, safety and healing for all who walk through our doors. South of Kealakehe High School on Keanalehu Drive, the new center offers ample parking and a magnifi cent vista of the Kona coast. A courtyard / breezeway separates the two main buildings – one devoted to dental and the other to primary medical for children and adults. Designed to serve approximately 5,200 patients and record over 20,000 patient visits the fi rst year, the spacious center evokes a sense of “place,” relaxation and comfort. Original, local art graces the walls throughout, part of a juried exposition in partnership with the Donkey Mill Art Center in Holualoa. The art will become the center’s permanent art collection as supporters purchase art to be gifted back to the center. The calming effect of the Hawaii-themed art, along with refi ned lighting and stylish interior décor, creates a healing environment for patients and staff alike. Architectural elements such as circular counters and custom hardwood cabinetry blend with purposeful carpeting and a contemporary color palette, evoking a simple elegance and comforting ambience. Tinted picture windows, some offering magnifi cent views, help to bring the beautiful Kona scenery indoors. With the only two, fulltime pediatric dentists on island, the center’s dental facility is divided into a children and an adult section. Dental services for children under 18, and emergency dental care for adults is provided. In the medical building, seven exam rooms help to minimize wait times for patients, along with consult rooms for behavioral health services, and patient service areas. The expansive, adjacent outdoor Pavilion was built to offer space for meetings, workshops, and community gatherings. “After eight long years of planning, WHCHC’s vision of providing a medical and dental facility on Department of Hawaiian Homelands, near the Villages of La’i’Opua in the Kealakehe ahupua’a, is fi nally a reality,” said Richard Taaffe, CEO of WHCHC. “We are grateful.”
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