Email Erin Miller at emiller@westhawaiitoday.com.
By Erin Miller
Stephens Media
Alii Health Center has added two physicians to its roster in the last few months, Executive Director Debra Sundberg said.
The clinic is also looking to consolidate its five offices into one spot, although no location selection has been finalized, Sundberg said.
The new physicians are Dr. Ly Gau, who works in internal medicine and started at the clinic in November, and Dr. Nathan Tomita, a general surgeon who has signed on with the clinic but won’t start until at least March.
Sundberg said Alii Health is also actively recruiting an orthopedic surgeon to replace Dr. Vivian Chang and an obstetrician to replace Dr. James Ruiz, who recently left.
“Our goal is to provide high-quality medical care in collaboration and support of Kona Community Hospital,” Sundberg said, so when the hospital loses a physician or notes a specific need, Alii Health tries to fill that void.
The health center continues to look for a full-time urologist, she added.
Combining the five office spaces the health center now leases will help reduce overhead costs, Sundberg said. One office is for administration, the others are for general surgery, pediatrics, orthopedic surgery and adult care.
She said she would have liked for the move to already have been completed.
Dr. Barry Blum told Stephens Media last month the health center was looking to move to new offices in Keauhou. He expected the move to be complete in late spring or early summer.
Alii Health is a subsidiary of Hawaii Health Systems Corp., the state health system. The center is a private 501(c)(3), with a separate governing board from Kona Community Hospital. Center officials work both with their own board and the health center board, Sundberg said.
Email Erin Miller at emiller@westhawaiitoday.com.