A new health clinic opened Monday inside the Waialua Shopping Center, giving North Shore residents a local option for primary and preventive care. The Waialua Health Clinic, run by Wahiawa Health, sees patients of all ages, from infants and keiki to adults and kupuna, and operates from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The clinic sits in Suite A4 at 67-292 Goodale Avenue, next to Jerry's Pizza in the shopping center, according to Wahiawa Health. As reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, walk-ins are welcome, though appointments are recommended, and the clinic accepts both state and private insurance alongside a sliding-fee discount program based on family size and income.
Bev Harbin said the mission behind the new site is straightforward: families should be able to receive timely primary care, behavioral health support and wraparound services in their community regardless of financial circumstances. Harbin added that the goal is to promote health, wellness and prevention and reduce emergency room visits by helping people get care before concerns turn into emergencies, and said walk-in visits are welcome when patients need care right away, per the Star-Advertiser's report.
Two Years of Listening Before Breaking Ground
Harbin said Wahiawa Health spent two years listening to Waialua residents, community leaders, farmers, schools and local organizations about their health care needs before settling on this location. Those local voices, Harbin said, shaped both the clinic's services and its placement, aiming to bring culturally respectful, compassionate care closer to home. A 2024 community health needs assessment had already identified challenges residents faced in accessing quality care and getting timely appointments in the area, the outlet reported.
After Wahiawa General Hospital's emergency room temporarily closed, Kahuku Medical Center became the closest remaining emergency room for much of the North Shore, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. The need for closer care became especially visible after severe Kona-low storms hit the region in March, when flooding, flooded roads and school closures affected North Shore communities, as previously reported by Hoodline's North Shore washout coverage.
Storm Pop-Up Operated While Permanent Clinic Was in the Works
In the aftermath of that flooding, Wahiawa Health deployed a free pop-up medical clinic at Waialua Elementary School, offering first aid, wound care, antibiotics and prescription help to residents who couldn't easily reach a hospital. The Star-Advertiser reports that Wahiawa Health was already planning the permanent Waialua Shopping Center clinic while the pop-up was still operating.
The timing lines up with a broader federal milestone: Wahiawa Health became a fully funded Section 330 Federally Qualified Health Center on August 1, a status managed by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. That designation qualifies the organization for direct federal grant funding, enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and additional resources for medically underserved populations. HRSA awarded Wahiawa Health a $650,000 grant through its New Access Points initiative specifically to open the Waialua site, per the Star-Advertiser's reporting.
Addressing a Statewide Shortage of Primary Care Doctors
The clinic's opening lands amid a severe, well-documented shortage of primary care providers across the islands. The University of Hawaii's annual Physician Workforce Assessment, released in December 2024, found the state faced a deficit of 152 full-time equivalent primary care physicians, according to testimony submitted to the Hawaii State Legislature. State lawmakers responded by exempting private medical practices from the General Excise Tax effective January 1, 2026, and by expanding student loan repayment assistance for healthcare workers, as detailed by Aloha State Daily.
Wahiawa Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center. The Waialua location offers behavioral health services, geriatric care, diabetes management, telehealth and medication delivery, and its behavioral health program specifically provides specialized therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, substance addiction, anger management and smoking cessation.
Pharmacy Delivery and a Dedicated Local Care Team
Medication delivery is among the services offered at the Waialua clinic, and Wahiawa Health operates a pharmacy. The clinic's staff includes nurse practitioners, a registered nurse, a licensed clinical social worker, a therapist and a care coordinator, according to the Star-Advertiser. The clinical team includes Nurse Practitioners Fuentes and Nguyen, Licensed Clinical Social Worker Werner, and Lead Outreach and Care Coordinator Kaohu, per Wahiawa Health's staff listing.
Community health workers at the clinic also help patients navigate insurance benefits and connect them with housing, food, financial assistance and transportation support, rounding out the wraparound services Harbin described. Patients can reach the Waialua Health Clinic at 808-377-4200 to schedule an appointment, or contact Wahiawa Health at [email protected] with general questions.
