Schatz Visits Waiʻanae Health Center, Homeless Village Site, Meets With Providers And Staff To Discuss Need To Protect Federal Funding

WAI‘ANAE – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today visited the Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC), where he met with providers and administrators to discuss protecting the center’s federal funding, and the looming cuts to Hawai‘i’s Medicaid program, known as Med-QUEST, from the new Republican tax law. They also discussed the growing use of telehealth services and the unique needs of the Wai‘anae community.

“Health centers like the one here in Wai‘anae are doing incredible work to keep people in their local communities healthy. That’s why it’s critical they continue to get the federal resources they need,” said Senator Schatz, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’ll keep fighting to protect federal funding for community health centers across Hawai‘i.”

WCCHC provides comprehensive services to more than 36,000 patients throughout their six service sites in Wai‘anae, Kapolei, ‘Ewa Beach, Waipahu, and Nanakuli.

Following his stop at WCCHC, Schatz visited the construction site of the new Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae. There, Schatz met with staff to discuss the needs of the community. When completed, the new site will house more than 200 people in the homeless village.

“Because of the leadership of the late Twinkle Borge, the dedicated staff, and the generosity of volunteers and supporters, Puhonua o Wai‘anae has become a refuge for hundreds of people. It’s a place where people struggling to get by can find a safe space to stay and a supportive community to help them get back on their feet,” said Senator Schatz. “We’re working to make sure communities like this get all the federal resources they deserve.”

Schatz with Wai‘anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center providers and administrators

Schatz with James Pakele, Project Leader at Pu‘uhonua o Wai‘anae

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