Bay Clinic, Inc. and West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center have successfully merged.  On July 1, the new Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center began servicing 40,000 Big Island patients, providing them with medical, dental, pharmacy, behavior health services at locations in Hilo, Keaau, Pahoa, Kau, Kealakekua, Kealakehe, Waikoloa and Kailua-Kona.

Over the past nine months, management teams from Bay Clinic, Inc. and West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center conducted an assessment on how to merge the operations in the areas of leadership, management, finances, manpower, IT, facilities, regulatory approvals, compliance and liabilities.

“Merging the Bay Clinic and West Hawaiʻi Community Health Center into a single entity is having immediate effects on patient health care island-wide. A more comprehensive scope of care, increased access to providers, greater economies of scale and the opportunity to add new clinic locations are the immediate benefits the Hawaiʻi Island community will see,” said Hawaii Island Community Health Center CEO Richard Taaffe in a press release.

The new Hawaiʻi Island Community Health Center Board of Directors is led by Board Chair Mike Matsukawa and Vice Chair Haidee Abe.

Visit www.HICommunityHealthCenter.org  for locations, services and hours of operation or call 808-333-3600 (East Hawaiʻi) and 808-326-5629 (West Hawaiʻi).