HMSA partners with Malama I Ke Ola Health Center, Queen’s, and Hawaii Independent Physicians Association to address obstetrician shortage on Maui

WAILUKU, HI - The Hawaii Medical Service Association announced today a solution to address the obstetrician shortage on Maui through a unique partnership with Malama I Ke Ola Health Center, Queen's University Medical Group (Queen's), and Hawaii Independent Physicians Association (Hawaii IPA).

HMSA's immediate, short-term solution for expectant Maui moms impacted by the obstetrician shortage included arranging travel and appointments for them to receive care on Oahu with Queen's physicians. Understandably, flying to Oahu is not always ideal during pregnancy.

"We believe maternity care is vitally important and HMSA is committed to ensuring our members have access to quality, affordable care," said Stefanie Park, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer, HMSA. "We are grateful to our health care provider partners who stepped up to create this solution for our Maui moms and hope this is the start of greater stability and access to care on Maui."

Malama I Ke Ola Health Center, a well-established federally qualified health center, has expanded its capacity to accommodate all moms on Maui who need care on-island.

"As our staff at Malama I Ke Ola Health Center pivoted to meet the sudden gap in obstetric care on the island of Maui, the HMSA team quickly became thought partners with us toward a solution," said John Vaz, CEO, Malama I Ke Ola Health Center. "They recognized that this problem affected the whole community of Maui and not just their members. In our conversations, HMSA showed appreciation for the work Malama I Ke Ola Health Center has done in providing uninterrupted care for the community over 30 years. I'm excited their team would like our health center to be one of their partners in a longer-term and sustainable solution for obstetric access on Maui."

HMSA's current solution to Maui's obstetrician shortage includes the following key partnerships and actions:

• HMSA is working with Malama I Ke Ola Health Center to expand their clinic space and helped them add another local physician to their obstetrician group at the end of 2023.
• HMSA is working with Queen's to add full-time obstetricians who will live and work on Maui. Until new obstetricians are onboarded, Queen's created rotating on-island coverage with some of their most experienced obstetricians to build secure infrastructure and access to medical care for the Maui community including Bliss Kaneshiro, M.D.; Robb K. Ohtani, M.D.; Shandhini Raidoo, M.D.; and Reni A. Soon, M.D.
• HMSA collaborated with Hawaii IPA to provide clinical space for additional obstetrician presence at Hawaii IPA's Specialty Clinic office in Kahului.
• HMSA continues to work with Hawaii Pacific Health to coordinate care for babies who may need access to neonatal intensive care unit services on Oahu.

Lori Ann Davis, assistant vice president, Provider Experience, HMSA added, "Our plan would not have been possible without all entities coming together. We each had an important, individual piece to contribute, but together we formed a comprehensive solution. We are grateful to our partners for going above and beyond to care for our community."

About HMSA

Caring for the people of Hawaii is our promise and our privilege. Working together with employers, partners, and physicians and other health care providers, we promote well-being; develop reliable, affordable health plans; and support members with clear, thoughtful guidance.

HMSA is the most experienced health plan in the state, covering more than half of Hawaii's population. As a recognized leader, we embrace our responsibility to strengthen the health and well-being of our community.

Headquartered on Oahu with centers statewide to serve our members, HMSA is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

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