While the Westside economy focuses on the Pacific Missle Range Facility and agriculture and the South Shore’s tourism and hotel/timeshare industries are key factors, the Eastside of Kaua‘i features the city center of Lihu‘e, a growing retail market and one of the largest employers on the island in the Wilcox Health Facility.
Retail Shops
The Eastside of the island also features two of the bigger shopping centers on the island in the Coconut Marketplace and the Kukui Grove Center.
The Marketplace in Kapa‘a has approximately 65 stores in the center and has been open for over 30 years while the Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e features approximately 40 stores although space is being set aside for expansion.
That expansion involves several well-known franchises like Starbucks, Jamba Juice and Blockbuster Video along with Coldstone Creamery. The plan for the center is to have several of the aforementioned stores opening by December.
On Thursday, Hawai‘i’s newest Home Depot store opened to the island community.
That store employees 145 residents from the island.
Wilcox Health
For 65 years, Wilcox Memorial Hospital has been Kaua‘i’s leading medical facility.
Today, Wilcox Memorial Hospital is recognized as one of the top 100 rural hospitals in the United States. The facility employees 945 people.
Together with the Kauai Medical Clinic, Wilcox Memorial Hospital ensures that Kaua‘i residents and many visitors have access to top-notch quality of care.
On Kaua‘i, Wilcox Health refers to Wilcox Memorial Hospital, the Kauai Medical Clinic, and the Wilcox Health Foundation.
Wilcox Memorial Hospital has 71 acute care beds, which includes seven intensive care beds, six birthing suites, and 110 long term care beds, as well as an activity area.
The medical staff of over 100 physicians provides care in obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery and outpatient services.
A project is underway to renovate and expand the diagnostic and surgical centers, including a special procedures area.
With over 70 physicians, six locations, and 20 specialties, the clinic is able to offer open access appointment scheduling for patients to see their doctors when they are sick, as well as a chronic disease clinic and Walk-In clinic.
Specialties offered are cardiology, dermatology, family practice, gastroenterology, general practice, general surgery, hematology, internal medicine, nephrology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, pediatrics, physiatry, podiatry, pulmonology, and urology.
Satellite clinics are located in Kukui Grove, ‘Ele‘ele, Koloa, Kapa‘a, and Kilauea.
Business Editor Barry Graham can be reached at 245-3681 Ext. 251 or mailto:bgraham@pulitzer.net
