Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

What Hawaii Health Systems Corporation does

Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) is a public benefit corporation of the State of Hawaii, established by Act 262 in 1996 to operate the state's community hospital system. HHSC functions as the state's safety-net healthcare provider, operating 9 facilities across four regions (East Hawaii, West Hawaii, Oahu, and Kauai) with 847 licensed beds and approximately 2,500 employees plus 1,000+ affiliated physicians. Services include acute care (13,016 FY2018 admissions), long-term care, 24-hour emergency services (75,456 FY2018 ER visits), birthing services (1,872 FY2018 births), veteran care at state veterans homes, and skilled nursing. In 2017, HHSC divested operation of its three Maui Region hospitals to Maui Health Systems (Kaiser Foundation Hospitals LLC) under a 30-year lease, while retaining land and building ownership.

Core technology infrastructure includes a statewide Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system implemented via a $28.7 million Siemens Healthcare contract signed in July 2011, and a full-motion video teleconferencing system connecting all HHSC facilities with the University of Hawaii and partner hospital systems, originally funded by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. Patient-facing price transparency tools compliant with CMS 2020 Price Transparency Rules include machine-readable standard charges files and a consumer estimation tool covering 300 shoppable services across all regions. The system is HIPAA and Section 1557 compliant, with published Notice of Privacy Practices and a Civil Rights Coordinator.

HHSC's business model combines patient services revenue with state legislative appropriations. The FY2019 operating budget was approximately $542M, with roughly 21% (~$114M) derived from Hawaii State general fund support for safety-net services and capital improvements; a more recent disclosure cites a ~$650M operating budget with state funding at approximately 15%. HHSC is governed by an 18-member Board of Directors including the State Director of Health, regional CEOs, and community members. Nonprofit 501(c)(3) affiliates include the Hawaii Health Systems Foundation (fundraising) and Ali'i Community Care Inc. (assisted living and physician clinics). Customer segments span neighbor island residents, uninsured and underinsured patients, rural communities, and veterans.

Name

Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

Legal name

Hawaii Health Systems Corporation

Website

https://hhsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hawaii Health Systems Corporation is a state public benefit corporation operating 9 acute care, long-term care, and skilled nursing facilities across Hawaii's islands as the state's designated safety-net hospital system, serving all residents regardless of ability to pay.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Hospital System / Safety-Net Healthcare

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (6221), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Offices of Physicians (6211), Other Residential Care Facilities (6239), Ambulatory Health Care Services (621)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Skilled Nursing Care Facilities (8051), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Adult Day Health Centers (ADHC) (HLADAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

HIE Platforms & Network Services (Community/Regional/National) (HLACABAB)

Keywords

• Public hospital system
• Acute care services
• Long-term care
• Skilled nursing
• Safety-net healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Patient Services Revenue: Revenue from providing acute care and long-term care services to patients across Hawaii's neighbor islands
2. State Legislative Appropriations: General fund support from Hawaii State Legislature to fund safety-net services and capital improvement projects; approximately 21% of FY2019 $542M operating budget
3. State Funding: Approximately 15% of operating budget from general fund appropriations in fiscal year ending June 30, 2015; total operating budget approximately $650M

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HHSC operates a network of 9 acute care and long-term care facilities across the Hawaiian islands, delivering inpatient hospitalization, 24-hour emergency services, skilled nursing, birthing services, veterans care, and adult day health services. As the state's designated safety-net system, HHSC provides healthcare to all patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, supported by a statewide Electronic Medical Records platform and a telemedicine network linking all 12 HHSC facilities.

Product overview

Hawaii Health Systems Corporation (HHSC) is a public benefit corporation operating a network of 9 hospital and long-term care facilities across Hawaii's islands, organized into five regional systems: East Hawaii (Hilo Benioff Medical Center, Honoka'a Hospital and Skilled Nursing, Ka'u Hospital, Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home), West Hawaii (Kona Community Hospital, Kohala Hospital), Oahu (Leahi Hospital, Maluhia, Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home), and Kauai (Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital, Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital). The system operates 847 licensed beds and provides acute care, long-term care, skilled nursing, and emergency services. HHSC also maintains three nonprofit affiliates (Kahuku Medical Center, Ali'i Health Center, Roselani Place, Hawaii Health Systems Foundation) and offers patient-facing price transparency tools including a consumer estimation tool and machine-readable standard charges files for regulatory compliance. The system employs approximately 2,500 employees and serves as the state's safety-net healthcare provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hilo Benioff Medical Center The largest facility in the HHSC system and one of the largest employers in Hilo, providing acute care hospital services for the East Hawaii Region.
• Honoka'a Hospital and Skilled Nursing Originally opened in 1951 as a hospital serving the communities of Hamakua, North Hilo, and South Kohala, providing both acute and skilled nursing care.
• Ka'u Hospital A 21-bed critical access hospital providing both acute and long-term care including 24-hour emergency services and a Family Practice medical clinic.
• Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home A veterans care home built by the people of Hawaii to honor members of the military community and provide for their health and welfare.
• Kona Community Hospital A 94-bed full-service acute care hospital with 24-hour emergency services serving the West Hawaii community.
• Kohala Hospital Located in the rural town of Kapaau (North Kohala), opened in 1917, providing healthcare services to the North Kohala community.
• Leahi Hospital Located in Kaimuki on Kilauea Avenue, first opened in 1901 for tuberculosis care, now providing nursing home and adult day health services with continued institutional tuberculosis care.
• Maluhia A 158-bed skilled nursing facility and intermediate care facility established in 1923, offering Adult Day Health, home-delivered meals, and Geriatric Physician Services, with 97% average occupancy.
• Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital A critical access hospital serving the Kauai Region community.
• Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital A hospital facility serving the Kauai Region community.
• Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home A state veterans home operated by HHSC, with Ohana Pacific Health selected as the new operator in 2024.
• Price Estimator Tool (CMS Price Transparency) CMS-required consumer-friendly estimation tool providing gross charges and negotiated rates for 300 shoppable items and services, available for all HHSC regions in compliance with Price Transparency Rules.
• Machine-Readable Standard Charges File CMS-required machine-readable file containing negotiated charges for all items and services, available for download by facility.

Quantifiable outcome

• 847 licensed beds across 9 facilities serving 3 islands
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Ohana Pacific HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2024Selected to operate the Daniel K. Akaka State Veterans Home, expanding veteran care services.
• CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)coreOthers · 1 January 2021Regulatory relationship for CMS Price Transparency Rules compliance requiring machine-readable files and consumer estimation tools.
• Maui Health Systems (Kaiser Foundation Hospitals LLC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 January 2017In 2017, HHSC transferred management and operation of three Maui hospitals (Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, and Lanai Community Hospital) to Maui Health Systems under a 30-year lease agreement. HHSC retains ownership of land and buildings while MHS operates the facilities.
• Siemens HealthcarecoreTechnology or Integration · 28 July 2011$28.7 million contract for Electronic Medical Records system implementation across all HHSC facilities statewide.
• Kahuku Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2007501(c)(3) affiliate critical access hospital and long-term care facility in rural Oahu's North Shore, incorporated to preserve hospital operations.
• Ali'i Community Care Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2000501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate incorporated to build and operate assisted living facilities statewide. Operates Roselani Place on Maui and Ali'i Health Center in Kona.
• Hawaii Health Systems FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 1999501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate established to raise funds and obtain gifts and grants for the entire HHSC system, and assist HHSC facilities in developing their own foundations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Cambridge Health Alliance: Massachusetts public hospital system operating Cambridge Hospital, Everett Hospital, and Somerville Hospital. Comparable to HHSC as a public, community-based health system with similar scale (~3 hospitals), safety-net mission, and academic/teaching affiliations.
• LA County Department of Health Services: Public hospital system serving Los Angeles County, operating four major hospitals and a network of clinics as a safety-net provider. Comparable to HHSC in mission, public funding dependence, and patient population mix focused on uninsured and underinsured residents.
• Alameda Health System: California public hospital authority operating Highland Hospital and several acute care facilities serving Alameda County. Directly comparable to HHSC as a publicly governed safety-net health system with similar scale, multi-facility operations, and dependence on public funding.
• The Queen's Health Systems: Hawaii's largest private non-profit hospital system, anchored by The Queen's Medical Center in Honolulu. Comparable to HHSC as a multi-facility Hawaii health system serving a similar patient mix, though operating as a private non-profit rather than a state public benefit corporation.
• NYC Health + Hospitals: The largest public hospital system in the US, operating safety-net hospitals across New York City. Directly comparable to HHSC as a state/municipal public hospital corporation providing acute and long-term care to underserved populations with significant government appropriations.
• Cook County Health: Public hospital system serving Cook County (Chicago), with flagship Stroger Hospital and a broad network of community health centers. Comparable to HHSC as a public safety-net system providing acute care, specialty services, and population health programs to vulnerable populations.
• Hawaii Pacific Health: Hawaii-based non-profit health system operating multiple hospitals and clinics across Oahu and neighboring islands. Directly comparable to HHSC as the other major multi-island hospital network serving Hawaii's population with similar acute and specialty care services.

Broad incumbents

• CommonSpirit Health: One of the largest non-profit hospital systems in the US, formed through the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. Comparable to HHSC in operating acute care hospitals across multiple geographies with non-profit governance, though at much larger national scale.
• HCA Healthcare: The largest for-profit hospital operator in the US with 180+ hospitals and 2,400+ care sites. Comparable to HHSC as a multi-facility acute care operator, though operating at vastly greater scale and as an investor-owned company rather than a public benefit corporation.

Regional players

• Maui Health Systems: A Kaiser Foundation Hospitals LLC subsidiary that assumed operation of HHSC's three Maui region hospitals under a 30-year lease in 2017. Highly comparable as it operates hospitals that were previously part of HHSC, sharing clinical and operational DNA while now serving under a private integrated delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kona-community-hospital

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries14 records

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 Hawaii Health Systems Corporation