Hawaii has no land border and no neighboring state, so there is no driving to a bigger hospital when local options run out. That geography shapes how care is organized across the islands. Our directory covers 51 hospital listings in four counties, from large medical centers in Honolulu to small rural hospitals on the Big Island, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai. This page explains who runs these facilities, how they differ by island, and what to do when you need one.

How Hospitals in Hawaii Are Licensed, Owned and Paid For

The Hawaii Department of Health licenses hospitals through its Office of Health Care Assurance. That office also inspects facilities for the federal Medicare program, so a hospital that accepts Medicare has normally passed both state and federal review. If you have a safety or quality complaint, start with the hospital's patient relations office. If that does not settle it, ask the Office of Health Care Assurance how to file a formal complaint.

Ownership is more varied than many newcomers expect. Nonprofit systems run most large Oahu hospitals. Pali Momi Medical Center in Aiea is part of Hawaii Pacific Health, and Queen's Medical Center West in Ewa Beach belongs to The Queen's Health Systems. Several neighbor island hospitals, including Hilo Medical Center and Kona Community Hospital, are part of Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, a public body the state created to operate community hospitals.

Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe is a different kind of facility. It is the state's public psychiatric hospital, and admission generally comes through the courts or the state mental health system rather than a walk-in visit. Military families and veterans may also use federal facilities such as Tripler Army Medical Center, which sit outside our listings.

Payment rules also differ from most states. Under the Hawaii Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974, employers must offer health coverage to most employees who work at least 20 hours a week. As a result, many residents carry employer plans from insurers such as HMSA or Kaiser Permanente. Low-income residents can apply for Med-QUEST, the state's Medicaid program, which the Department of Human Services runs. Before a planned visit, confirm that both the hospital and the doctors working in it take your plan.

Oahu's Hospital Cluster in Honolulu County

Nearly two-thirds of our Hawaii listings sit in Honolulu County, which covers the island of Oahu. Honolulu alone has 21 listings, and the island is where most specialty care in the state is concentrated. Patients from other islands are often flown here for cardiac, trauma, cancer and pediatric care.

In urban Honolulu, you will find Saint Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii on Liliha Street, Kuakini Health System on North Kuakini Street, and Kokua Kalihi Valley at 2239 North School Street. Kokua Kalihi Valley is a community health center serving the Kalihi neighborhood, so think of it as primary care rather than an emergency room. Pali Momi Medical Center sits at 98-1079 Moanalua Road in Aiea, and Castle Medical Center is at 640 Ulukahiki Street in Kailua on the Windward side.

Outside town the picture changes. Wahiawa General Hospital serves Central Oahu from Lehua Street. Kahuku Medical Center, at 56-117 Pualalea Street, serves the North Shore. On the Leeward side, the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on Farrington Highway offers community-based care. Ewa Beach has two listings: Queen's Medical Center West and Kahi Mohala, a behavioral health hospital. Waimanalo Health Center on Kalanianaole Highway fills a similar community role on the southeast shore.

Traffic matters more than distance here. The H-1 freeway can back up for miles at rush hour, and Farrington Highway is the main road along the Waianae Coast, with few alternatives. If your visit is not urgent, plan around commute times. In an emergency, call 911 and let the ambulance crew decide where to take you.

Neighbor Island Hospitals in Hawaii, Maui and Kauai Counties

Outside Oahu, hospitals are smaller and each one covers a wide area. Hawaii County, which covers the Big Island, has the longest distances. Hilo Medical Center at 1190 Waianuenue Avenue anchors the east side, and Kona Community Hospital in Kealakekua anchors the west. Smaller facilities fill the gaps: Kohala Hospital in Kapaau, Hale Ho'Ola Hamakua in Honokaa, and Kau Hospital in Pahala. Driving between Hilo and Kona takes a long time, so in an emergency choose the closest facility, not the one you know best.

On Maui County, which includes Maui, Molokai and Lanai, Maui Memorial Medical Center at 221 Mahalani Street in Wailuku is the main acute-care hospital. Kula Hospital in upcountry Maui, Molokai General Hospital in Kaunakakai and Lanai Community Hospital in Lanai City serve smaller communities. Because Molokai and Lanai are separate islands, a serious case there usually means a transfer by air to Maui or Oahu.

On Kauai County, Wilcox Memorial Hospital at 3420 Kuhio Highway in Lihue is the main hospital. Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea serves the west side, and Mahelona Medical Center in Kapaa serves the east side. Kauai has few through roads, so a closure can add real time to a trip. Learn your nearest hospital before you need it.

Several of these small rural hospitals operate under the federal critical access hospital program, which caps inpatient beds at 25 and supports emergency and basic inpatient care in remote areas. Expect stabilization and transfer for complex cases rather than a full range of specialists.

What to Bring and When to Use a Hawaii Emergency Room

Federal law requires any hospital with an emergency department to screen and stabilize anyone who arrives with an emergency, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. Billing questions come afterward. Call 911 for chest pain, stroke signs, severe bleeding, serious injuries, trouble breathing or a suspected overdose. For a mental health crisis, call or text 988.

For a planned or non-urgent visit, bring the following:

The phone numbers in our listings are main lines. Call ahead to confirm visiting hours, departments and whether a clinic accepts walk-ins. Kokua Kalihi Valley, Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and Waimanalo Health Center are community health centers. They often handle routine care at lower cost than an emergency room, and you can ask about sliding-fee options if you are uninsured.

Visitors should check whether their home insurance covers care in Hawaii, since networks here can be narrow. For any scheduled procedure, you can request a written price estimate and later ask for an itemized bill. Hospitals must publish their prices under federal transparency rules, which gives you something to compare.

Hospitals across Hawaii provide a full range of medical services from emergency and trauma care to specialized treatment programs, with public and nonprofit facilities playing a particularly important role in serving uninsured and rural populations throughout the state.

Hospitals locations are available in 23 cities across Hawaii. They are spread across 4 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Honolulu, Wailuku, Waimea, which serve as major medical centers with academic teaching hospitals, trauma centers, and specialized treatment facilities for the surrounding region.

Residents of Hawaii should know their nearest emergency room location before a medical crisis occurs, and should check their insurance network to understand which hospitals in the state are covered under their plan.

Hospitals by Counties

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Residents of Hawaii who face large hospital bills should ask about financial assistance programs before the bill goes to collections. Most hospitals are required to notify patients about charity care options, and applications can often be submitted months after a visit.

Browse Hospitals by county across Hawaii to find the nearest location.

Planning Ahead for Hospital Care in Hawaii

The best time to learn your nearest hospital is before anyone is sick. Look up the closest emergency department to your home, your workplace and the places you visit often. On Oahu, that might be three different hospitals. On a rural stretch of the Big Island or Kauai, there may be only one within an hour's drive.

Our listings use some city labels that can confuse a search. Honolulu and Urban Honolulu both appear as city names for facilities in the same urban area, so check the street address instead of relying on the city field. Saint Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii, for example, is listed under Urban Honolulu at 2226 Liliha Street, while Kuakini Health System is listed under Honolulu at 347 North Kuakini Street. Both are in town.

Hawaii hospitals also plan for hurricanes, tsunamis, floods and wildfires. During a warning, hospitals stay open but roads may close. Keep at least a week of prescription medication on hand, and keep a charged phone and a printed medication list in your bag. Before scheduled surgery, ask whether the hospital and surgeon are in your plan's network, whether you need prior authorization, and whether inter-island travel is covered.

Maui Memorial Medical Center, at 221 Mahalani Street in Wailuku (808-442-5101), is the main acute-care hospital for the island of Maui. Kula Hospital at 100 Keokea Place serves upcountry communities, and Maui Clinic Medical Center at 53 South Puunene Avenue in Kahului can be reached at 808-877-2023. Molokai General Hospital in Kaunakakai (808-553-5331) and Lanai Community Hospital in Lanai City (808-565-6411) serve their own islands. Call ahead to confirm which services each site offers, since smaller facilities may not provide every service around the clock. For anything life-threatening, call 911 rather than driving yourself.

Small hospitals such as Lanai Community Hospital, Molokai General Hospital and Kohala Hospital are built to stabilize patients, not to offer every specialty. If you need cardiac surgery, advanced trauma care or neonatal care, the emergency team will arrange a transfer to a larger hospital, often on Oahu, by ground or air ambulance. The receiving hospital must agree to accept you first. Ask the care team who is arranging transport, whether your insurer has been notified, and how family members can follow you. Air ambulance can be very costly, so check your plan's coverage and ask a hospital social worker or case manager for help.

The Hawaii Department of Health licenses hospitals through its Office of Health Care Assurance, which also surveys facilities for Medicare certification. Start by contacting the hospital's patient relations or risk management office, and put your concern in writing with dates, names and what happened. If the answer is unsatisfactory, contact the Office of Health Care Assurance about a licensing or safety complaint. Disputes with a private insurer go to the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. For Med-QUEST problems, contact your health plan or the Med-QUEST Division. Keep copies of every letter and bill.

Federal HIPAA rules give you the right to see and copy your records. Contact the hospital's health information management or medical records department. Most require a signed authorization form and photo ID. Hospitals generally must respond within 30 days, and they may charge a reasonable, cost-based fee for copies. Many also offer online patient portals where you can read test results. If you are moving your care to another island, ask the hospital to send records directly to your new doctor. Call the main number for the facility, such as Hilo Medical Center at 808-974-4700, and ask to be connected to the records department.

In a crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 if someone is in immediate danger. Kahi Mohala, at 91-2301 Old Fort Weaver Road in Ewa Beach (808-671-8511), is a behavioral health hospital on Oahu; call to ask about assessment and admission. Hawaii State Hospital in Kaneohe (808-247-2191) is the state's public psychiatric hospital and is generally not a walk-in service. Community health centers, including Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center and Kokua Kalihi Valley, often offer counseling or can refer you. On the neighbor islands, start with your primary care provider or the nearest emergency department.

Hilo Medical Center (1190 Waianuenue Avenue, 808-974-4700) is the main hospital on the east side. Kona Community Hospital (79-1019 Haukapila Street, Kealakekua, 808-322-9311) serves the west. Smaller facilities cover remote districts: Kohala Hospital at 54 Hospital Road in Kapaau (808-889-6211), Hale Ho'Ola Hamakua at 45-547 Plumeria Street in Honokaa (808-775-7211), and Kau Hospital at 1 Kamani Street in Pahala (808-932-4200). Call ahead to learn which of them offer emergency services. Distances on the Big Island are long and some roads are slow, so in an emergency call 911 and go to the nearest emergency department.