HOPE Services Hawaiʻi recently celebrated the blessing and grand opening of Kahua Kahe Mālie Integrated Care Hub (ICH), a new medical respite and behavioral health care facility in Ainaloa. The blessing ceremony was held at TreeFern Drive, marking a major milestone in expanding care for Hawaiʻi Island’s homeless population.

The Integrated Care Hub represents a significant expansion of HOPE’s medical respite program, which began in 2021 with just four beds at their women’s shelter. Thanks to key partnerships with Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, the State of Hawaiʻi’s Office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions (Ohana Zones), the County of Hawaiʻi, and Ohana Health Plan, the program has grown to provide critical care for individuals recovering from illness or injury while experiencing homelessness.

Kahua Kahe Mālie offers medical respite and wraparound services, including wound care, chronic disease management, medication support, and behavioral health care, in a stable and supportive environment. The facility features 24/7 housing staff, mental health professionals, case managers, and an on-call APRN prescriber, ensuring comprehensive care for residents.

The new Ainaloa location, made up of two houses next door to each other, now co-locates two previously separate programs—Hilo based Wilder House and Kuleana House—allowing for more efficient service delivery and enhanced care coordination. Additional support from AlohaCare, United Healthcare, and HMSA allows beds to be added, strengthening the program’s positive impact on the community.

Referrals to the programs are made by the partner organizations, who are also providing partial funding. Additional operational funds are being provided by the State of Hawaiʻi Governor’s Office of Homelessness & Housing Solutions, and the County of Hawaiʻi– Office of Housing & Community Development’s Homelessness and Housing Fund.

Patients are scheduled to begin moving into Kahua Kahe Mālie on August 1.

 

Photo credit: Hope Services Hawaiʻi