Hawaii lawmakers provide $25M for Big Island health center
The state has allocated $25 million for construction of the Keaau Benioff Medical Center in Puna.
Hawaii island lawmakers Friday announced they secured the funding during the legislative session that wrapped up in May. The new funding complements a $25 million donation from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne.
The estimated cost of the project is $60 million, and the state previously set aside $9 million for the facility.
State lawmakers said the Keaau clinic is sorely needed in Puna, the fastest-growing area in the state. The population of the district has increased from about 31,000 people in 2000 to almost 52,000 in 2020, and is expected to top 75,000 by 2030.
“This is about providing meaningful access for underserved communities,” said state Rep. Chris Todd, who represents Hilo and Keaau. “The people of Puna deserve timely, quality medical care. This funding brings us one step closer to that reality.”
The 36,000-square-foot center will provide urgent, primary and specialty care; imaging; behavioral health; and pharmacy services for tens of thousands of East Hawaii residents. It will become the fifth location in the East Hawaii region of the Hawaii Healthcare Systems Corp., the state’s public hospital system established in 1996.
According to a 506-page environmental assessment released in 2024, plans include construction of a single-story medical office building complex consisting of a clinical wing and a behavioral health wing on the 9-acre site.
The facility will provide outpatient care only and will not have an emergency room, will not receive ambulances and will not provide drug rehabilitation services.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2028, and planners anticipate the facility will serve more than 100 patients daily. The facility — on the mauka side of Highway 11, between Shipman Business Park and the Herbert C. Shipman Park — will have a staff of nearly 100 by its fifth year of service.
According to county tax records, the owner of the property is RJL LLC, whose members are Hilo businessman Roland Higashi, a former member of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources; his wife, Jan Higashi; and their daughter, Laurie Higashi.
The site is zoned agricultural, and the property was subdivided in February 2024 from a larger 26.76-acre parcel.
State Rep. Greggor Ilagan of Puna, who has championed better access to health care in the district, expressed his gratitude to his fellow lawmakers and the Benioffs, who previously donated $50 million to help fund the expansion of the Hilo Benioff Medical Center.
“This has been a long time coming, but we are united in our commitment to deliver for the people of Puna,” Ilagan said. “I’m thankful to my colleagues, the Benioffs and everyone who continues to believe in this vision.”
State Sen. Joy San Buenaventura of Puna added, “This facility is essential to public safety, disaster response and long-term health resilience in Puna. With this funding, we’re not just investing in a building; we’re investing in people.”
