Photo Courtesy Keith Erickson/The Garden Island
Ground was broken Wednesday in Princeville for the Makana North Shore Urgent Care Clinic. Scheduled to open next year, the 7,000-square-foot facility will be located just off the highway behind the Hanalei Fire Station and just west of Foodland.
It will provide around-the-clock services from a team of board-certified local and traveling emergency medical physicians.
Founded by Dr. Ted Kimball and a group of emergency room doctors from Utah, the new Makana North Shore Urgent Care Center will offer 24/7 service focusing on urgent and after-hours care. In the spirit of cooperation, the center will work with local primary care physicians, allowing them access to x-ray and lab services at cost and will encourage patients to follow up with their local primary care physicians.
Additionally, the Makana North Shore Urgent Care Center will offer free continuing education to North Shore firefighters, lifeguards and EMS personnel. The clinic also plans to work with nursing students at the Kauai Community College, fund a college scholarship, and provide a shadowing program for North Shore students interested in healthcare careers.
The clinic estimates it will serve about 15,000 residents as much as double that number in visitors. Currently anyone in need of after hours emergency assistance must now travel to Kapaa, losing precious minutes en route.
Funding for the $4.2 million project was made possible through USDA rural federal development loans and the local nonprofit Kauai North Shore Community Foundation. KNSCF is committed to enhancing the culture, health, and education opportunities in the community through charitable giving, said foundation president Bob Doyle.