State, Maui Health and Kaiser Permanente announce restoration and reopening plans for Kula Hospital

The state of Hawaiʻi, Maui Health and Kaiser Permanente today announced that Kula Hospital will be restored and reopened after damage from the March 2026 Kona Low storms forced the temporary closure of the hospital, its Emergency Department and the Hale Makamae care facility.

Funding from the state of Hawaiʻi and an investment from Kaiser Permanente will help move the restoration and reopening forward.

“Kula Hospital has been a cornerstone of the Upcountry Maui community for generations and we are committed to bringing this historic facility back stronger and more resilient,” said Gov. Josh Green. “The state’s $42 million commitment, together with Kaiser Permanente’s $23 million investment, will help restore critical healthcare services, bring Hale Makamae residents home and will ensure Upcountry families can continue to receive care in their own community for generations to come.”

“This is an important moment for Kula Hospital and for the Upcountry community,” said Wade Ebersole, interim CEO of Maui Health. “We can now move forward with restoring Kula Hospital and bringing care back to this campus. We are grateful to the state, Kaiser Permanente, our elected officials and the many partners who helped us reach this point. I also want to recognize our Kula Hospital and Hale Makamae teams, who have continued caring for patients and residents through months of change and uncertainty.”

“This investment back into Maui is one of the ways we are delivering on our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve,” said Kaiser Permanente Chair and CEO Greg A. Adams. “Ensuring that healthcare services are available to the people who need them is a critical first step in helping a community be healthy. We’re pleased to be able to dedicate these resources to help support Maui families and the community as a whole.”

“Restoring Kula Hospital is essential to protecting access to emergency, inpatient and long-term care for Upcountry Maui,” said President and CEO of Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation Ed Chu. “This investment will rebuild a stronger, more resilient facility where patients and residents can receive high-quality healthcare close to home, while helping Maui’s healthcare system withstand future emergencies.”

“Kula Hospital’s future matters deeply to all of us,” Green said. “Our collective goal has been to repair what was damaged and to make the facility stronger and more resilient, while preserving the history and character that make Kula Hospital so special.”

The project includes repairs and modernization of interior spaces and essential building systems, including resident rooms, activity rooms and nurse stations. Exterior windows and doors will also be replaced with custom, weather-protective units designed to meet historic-preservation requirements and better protect the facility from future severe weather.

The total project cost is preliminarily estimated at approximately $65 million, with the state providing $42 million in funding and Kaiser Permanente investing $23 million. Project costs may change as planning and construction details are finalized. 

The work also moves Maui Health closer to returning Hale Makamae residents to their home on the Kula Hospital campus when the facility is ready.

After being temporarily relocated to Oʻahu following the storms, Hale Makamae residents have returned to Maui and reunited with their familiar care teams and fellow residents at an interim location on the Maui Memorial Medical Center campus. The newly renovated space allows residents to be closer to family and their Hale Makamae ʻohana while work at Kula Hospital moves forward.

“We want to thank our residents, families and the Upcountry community for their patience and trust throughout this recovery,” Ebersole said.

Detailed construction planning is continuing. Maui Health will share a reopening timeline once confirmed.

Kula Clinic is open and continues to serve the Upcountry community. Kula Hospital’s Emergency Department remains temporarily closed. Anyone experiencing a medical emergency should call 911 or go to the Maui Memorial Medical Center Emergency Department.

Additional community updates are available at mauihealth.org/community.