Hawai‘i Care Choices

What Hawai‘i Care Choices does

Hawai‘i Care Choices is a Hawai‘i nonprofit corporation (501(c)(3), EIN 99-0218512) founded in 1983 as Hospice of Hilo by Shigeko Chang and rebranded to its current name in 2019 to reflect its expanded service portfolio. Headquartered at 1011 Waiānuenue Avenue in Hilo, the organization operates an integrated continuum of care across four core programs: a Medicare-certified Hospice program delivering 24/7 end-of-life care wherever patients call home; the Kupu Palliative Care program providing symptom management and care coordination for individuals with serious illness; a Bereavement Care program offering free community grief support, counseling, and children's camps; and the Pōhai Mālama Care Home, a licensed Adult Residential Care Home (ARCH) offering private-pay 24-hour personalized care with memory support and short-term respite stays. Outpatient Kupu Care Clinics operate in Hilo (590 Kapiolani St, opened July 1, 2025) and Waimea, with services extending into North Hawai‘i (Hāmākua, Waimea, North and South Kohala) beginning February 2026 through a partnership with North Hawai‘i Hospice.

The organization's technology stack is deliberately light: a telehealth platform supporting in-person and virtual palliative consultations, a Wix-hosted marketing website, a YouTube-published Let's Talk Healthcare TV/podcast series, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram). No proprietary AI/ML or data products are disclosed. The business model blends multiple revenue streams — Medicare/Medicaid/insurance reimbursement for hospice and now Med-QUEST-covered palliative services, private-pay residency at Pōhai Mālama (long-term care insurance accepted), and a charitable contributions layer spanning individual donations, corporate sponsorships (notably Allstate's presenting sponsorship of Celebration of Life), memorial gifts, Hawaii Island United Way workplace giving, planned giving/bequests, and grants from Hui Pohala and the Hawai‘i Department of Human Services Med-QUEST Division. The organization is led by CEO Brenda S. Ho, employs 101–250 staff, and operates with no parent company, no disclosed funding rounds, and no institutional investor ownership.

Name

Hawai‘i Care Choices

Legal name

Hawai'i Care Choices

Website

https://hawaiicarechoices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Hawai‘i Care Choices is a Hilo, Hawai‘i-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating since 1983 that delivers an integrated continuum of Medicare-certified hospice, palliative (Kupu Care), bereavement, and licensed residential (Pōhai Mālama Care Home) services to seriously ill and elderly patients and families across East and North Hawai‘i.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

In-Home Hospice Physician / Nurse Practitioner Visits (HSABAFAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Respite Hospice Care (Short-Term Relief) (HSABAFAD), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE), Care Management & Care Coordination (Home & Community-Based) (HLAFAEAL)

Keywords

• Hospice care services
• Palliative care programs
• Bereavement support services
• Residential adult care
• Community health nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Hilo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Medicare/Insurance Reimbursement: As a Medicare-certified hospice program, services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurance plans. Hospice care typically has no cost to patients or families.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Nonprofit funding through individual donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., Allstate presenting sponsor), memorial gifts, workplace giving through Hawaii Island United Way, and planned giving/bequests.
3. Private Pay (Pōhai Mālama Care Home): Residential care home operates on private-pay basis with long-term care insurance accepted. Provides an alternative revenue stream for non-reimbursable residential services.
4. Med-QUEST Palliative Care Benefit: New palliative care benefit available through MedQUEST state program, expanding coverage for Kupu Care services and increasing reimbursement opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Hawai'i Care Choices is a nonprofit, Medicare-certified provider of hospice, palliative (Kupu Care), bereavement, and residential adult care (Pōhai Mālama) services serving East Hawai'i and, as of February 2026, North Hawai'i. Care is delivered primarily in patients' homes and at outpatient clinics in Hilo and Waimea, supported by a 24/7 clinical on-call line and an interdisciplinary team of nurses, social workers, chaplains, and volunteers.

Product overview

Hawai'i Care Choices is a nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization serving East Hawai'i since 1983. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of care services: Hospice Care (core Medicare-certified program providing end-of-life care wherever patients call home), Kupu Palliative Care (specialized symptom management and support for serious illness, available in-home or at Kupu Care Clinics in Hilo and Waimea), Bereavement Care (free community grief support including counseling, groups, and children's programs), and Pōhai Mālama Care Home (licensed residential care home for kūpuna). Community engagement programs include the annual Celebration of Life lantern ceremony and Season of Light holiday memorial event. The organization expanded its palliative care services to North Hawai'i in February 2026 through a partnership with North Hawai'i Hospice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospice Care Medicare-certified specialized medical care for people with life-limiting illness, delivered wherever a patient calls home with 24/7 access to services including pain management, medications, medical equipment, caregiver respite, and volunteer companionship.
• Kupu Palliative Care Specialized palliative medical care for people living with serious illness such as cancer, heart disease, COPD, Alzheimer's, and kidney disease. Focused on relieving symptoms, supporting complex medical decision-making, and addressing emotional, social, and spiritual needs; available in-home or at clinic locations, including a Med-QUEST-covered benefit for eligible patients.
• Bereavement Care

Quantifiable outcome

• One palliative care patient reduced ER visits from monthly to none over 4 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Hawai'i HospicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Expansion of Kupu Palliative Care Program into North Hawai'i through dedicated clinic space within North Hawai'i Hospice office. Increases access to palliative care for residents in Hāmākua, Waimea, and North/South Kohala. Collaboration allows North Hawai'i patients to receive compassionate, expert support earlier in their illness journey.
• Hawai'i Island Adult Care (HIAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing strong circle of support for East Hawai'i's kūpuna and their caregivers. HIAC offers daytime connection, purposeful activities, caregiver respite, and medication support while Hawai'i Care Choices extends support through Pōhai Mālama for short-term and long-term residential care.
• Community First HawaiiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree community presentations on Advance Health Care Directives, educating East Hawai'i residents about end-of-life planning and the importance of having conversations about wishes. Volunteer presenters help families prepare legally and emotionally.
• Allstate Insurance (Kris Speegle)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerKris Speegle, Allstate agent and Rotarian, served as presenting sponsor for Celebration of Life 2019 event. Has personally referred customers to Hawai'i Care Choices services and provides ongoing community support.
• Green Point NurseriesminorOthersGenerously donates anthuriums weekly for volunteer team to deliver to patients and families in facilities and residences, adding beauty and comfort to care settings.
• We Honor Veterans ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans pinning ceremony program recognizing hospice patients who served in the U.S. military. Involves veteran volunteers and coordination with military representatives for formal recognition ceremonies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Navian Hawaii: Hawai'i-based nonprofit hospice and palliative care organization (formerly Hospice Hawaii) serving O'ahu and Hawai'i Island. Directly comparable as a Hawaii-focused nonprofit offering hospice, palliative care, and bereavement services.

Broad incumbents

• Bristol Hospice: National multi-state hospice operator with a broad portfolio of hospice and palliative services. Comparable as a hospice-focused provider but operates across many states versus HCC's island concentration.
• Gentiva: Large national hospice and home health provider. Comparable as a hospice services incumbent with similar patient population (seriously ill, end-of-life) but at much broader national scale.
• Amedisys: Major U.S. home health, hospice, and palliative care provider (acquired by UnitedHealth/Optum). Overlaps with HCC's hospice, palliative, and home-based service model but at national scale.
• Enhabit (formerly Encompass Home Health): National home health and hospice operator providing home-based skilled nursing, therapy, and hospice services. Comparable through shared home health and hospice delivery model.
• The Queen's Health Systems: Hawai'i-based integrated nonprofit health system operating hospitals and outpatient services. Comparable as a major Hawaii healthcare provider that generates hospice and palliative referrals and operates in the same market.
• Hawaii Pacific Health: Hawai'i-based nonprofit health system including Straub, Kapiolani, and Wilcox Medical Centers. Comparable as a major regional referral source for HCC (Kapiolani cited as a referral partner) operating in overlapping geographies.

Regional players

• Hale Makua Health Services: Maui-based nonprofit providing skilled nursing, rehab, and long-term care for kūpuna. Comparable as a Hawaii-focused nonprofit elder care provider offering residential skilled care and community health services.
• St. Francis Healthcare (Hawaii): Hawai'i-based Catholic nonprofit providing elder care, home health, and community health services. Comparable as a faith-based Hawaii nonprofit delivering aging and home-based care services.

Others

• Kōkua Mau: Hawai'i statewide hospice and palliative care collaborative promoting advance care planning and provider education. Comparable as a Hawaii hospice/palliative ecosystem organization aligned with HCC's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmOu-GSH8xSsp0-3l5lONZw
• Facebookfacebook.com/HawaiiCareChoices
• Instagraminstagram.com/hawaiicarechoices
• Xx.com/HiCAREChoices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hospice-of-hilo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hawai‘i Care Choices