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Two of Hawaiʻi’s leading cancer care organizations, the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center and The Queen’s Health Systems, are partnering to enhance cancer care in the state.
The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding to develop oncology clinic space at the UH Cancer Center in Kakaʻako. This collaboration will integrate Queen’s oncology services into the UH Cancer Center’s research facilities, providing comprehensive cancer care and early-phase clinical trials under one roof. It will also mark the first time the UH offers on-campus clinical services for cancer patients.
Queen’s will lease space on the third and fourth floors of the center’s ʻewa wing, offering medical oncology, surgical oncology, and chemotherapy infusion services. Meanwhile, Hoʻōla, Hawaiʻi’s first early-phase clinical research center for cancer, is under construction on the first and second floors and is set to open by year’s end. A collaborative effort with the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium, Hoʻōla will allow local cancer patients to access cutting-edge treatments without traveling to the mainland.
“As a member of the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium, The Queen’s Health Systems has always been one of the state’s most powerful allies in the fight against cancer,” said Naoto T. Ueno, director of the UH Cancer Center. This agreement builds on our mutually beneficial collaboration as we continue to save lives. It ensures patients in Hawaiʻi and the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands can benefit from cancer research that yields better preventive care, earlier detection, and improved treatment options.”
In September 2024, the UH Cancer Center renewed its National Cancer Institute designation, maintaining its place among the nation’s top 4% of cancer centers. Later this year, it will launch early-phase clinical trial cancer treatments, a first for Hawaiʻi, further strengthening its mission to improve cancer care for the state’s diverse population.
Queen’s Medical Center, recently ranked Hawaiʻi’s top hospital by U.S. News & World Report, also holds accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, ensuring patients receive comprehensive care with state-of-the-art services.
“We have always valued the high level of expertise of the UH Cancer Center’s team of researchers and clinicians,” said Darlena Chadwick, executive vice president and chief operating officer of The Queen’s Health Systems. “We are honored to bring our oncologists to the UH Cancer Center campus to create a better experience for patients. This agreement allows Queen’s to expand our commitment to comprehensive healthcare services, particularly for Native Hawaiians.”
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About the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center
The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center is dedicated to saving lives in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, and inspiring hope by working to conquer cancer. The flagship priority is to understand and address cancer health disparities. The center strives to achieve this through research, education, patient care, and community outreach, focusing on the unique and diverse ethnic, cultural, and environmental characteristics of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
The UH Cancer Center is one of only 74 institutions designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), representing a significant mark of excellence, and is the only NCI-designated cancer center in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The center contributes more than $57 million to Hawaiʻi's economy through scientific research, clinical trials, and other activities.
As part of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the UH Cancer Center operates out of facilities located in Kakaʻako. The center directly employs more than 300 faculty and staff, with an additional 200 affiliate members and cooperative agreements with organizations that are part of the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium. The consortium includes The Queen’s Health Systems, Hawaiʻi Pacific Health, Kuakini Medical Center, Adventist Health Castle, Hawaiʻi Medical Service Association (HMSA), and the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), all working together with the UH Cancer Center to advance cancer research and treatment in the state.
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