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Gov. Josh Green announced Tuesday that $65 million in state funding and a Kaiser Permanente investment will be used to restore and reopen Kula Hospital, which was damaged by Kona low storms in March.
"Kula Hospital has been a cornerstone of the Upcountry Maui community for generations and we are committed to bringing this historic facility back stronger and more resilient," Green said in a news release. "Our collective goal has been to repair what was damaged and to make the facility stronger and more resilient, while preserving the history and character that make Kula Hospital so special."
Kula Community Association President Jordan Hocker said she knows association members will be relieved to learn about the rebuilding plans, including the restoration of nearby emergency services. It is more than a 15-mile drive from Kula to Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku.
"It gives us more security," Hocker said. "It makes a huge difference."
Green said the state's $42 million commitment, together with Kaiser Permanente's $23 million investment, will help restore critical health care services.
The storms forced the closure of Kula Hospital's Emergency Department and more than 100 long-term care beds, displacing 109 patients.
Hale Makamae residents with intellectual disabilities were temporarily relocated to Oahu after the storms. They have since returned to Maui and are staying at an interim location on the Maui Memorial Medical Center campus.
The governor's office said detailed construction planning is continuing and Maui Health will share a reopening timeline once it is confirmed.
The office said the project cost may change as planning and construction details are finalized.
The project includes repairs and modernization of interior spaces and essential building systems, including resident rooms, activity rooms and nurse stations. Exterior windows and doors will also be replaced with custom, weather-protective units designed to meet historic-preservation requirements and better protect the facility from future severe weather.
Wade Ebersole, Maui Health interim chief executive officer, said this is an important moment for Kula Hospital and the Upcountry community.
"We can now move forward with restoring Kula Hospital and bringing care back to this campus," Ebersole said.
Ebersole said Maui Health is grateful to the state, Kaiser Permanente, elected officials and other partners.
"I want to recognize our Kula Hospital and Hale Makamae teams who have continued caring for patients and residents through months of change and uncertainty," Ebersole said. "We want to thank our residents, families and the Upcountry community for their patience and trust throughout this recovery."
Ed Chu, president and chief executive officer of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, said restoring Kula Hospital is essential to protecting access to emergency, inpatient and long-term care for Upcountry Maui.
"This investment will rebuild a stronger, more resilient facility where patients and residents can receive high-quality healthcare close to home, while helping Maui's healthcare system withstand future emergencies," Chu said.
Greg A. Adams, Kaiser Permanente chair and chief executive officer, said the Maui investment is one of the ways Kaiser Permanente is improving the health of the communities it serves.
"Ensuring that healthcare services are available to the people who need them is a critical first step in helping a community be healthy," Adams said.
"We're pleased to be able to dedicate these resources to help support Maui families and the community as a whole."
Kula Clinic is open and continues to serve the Upcountry community. Kula Hospital's Emergency Department remains temporarily closed. Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or go to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department.