Kauaʻi’s first family medicine graduate program aims to create more rural physicians

The University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine and Wilcox Medical Center are blazing a new path for aspiring physicians by starting a new graduate medical education program on Kauaʻi.

To tackle the critical neighbor island physician shortage, the UH School of Medicine, Wilcox, Hawaiʻi Health Services Corp., and the broader Kauaʻi community have come together to find a solution with the University of Hawaiʻi Kauaʻi Family Medicine Residency program.

“We chose Kauaʻi because we recognized that we could make a difference in improving access to health care for the island of 74,000 residents,” said Dr. Allen Hixon, chair of the Department of Family Medicine. “With the network of health care organizations already here serving patients, we wanted to bolster the number of physicians committed to this community.”

The academic year 2026-27 will be the inaugural year of the UH Kauaʻi Family Medicine Residency program, made possible by a grant from the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program. It will be the first of its kind for the Garden Isle.

Residents will be hosted by the UH Family Medicine residency program on Oʻahu during their first year. The Kauaʻi residents will train at essential partner medical centers and clinics, including foundational rotations in hospital medicine, ICU, obstetrics, and pediatrics.

In fall 2027, Kauaʻi will welcome the first cohort of residents to the island, where they will spend their second and third years of training.

A total of 12 residents will eventually serve the Garden Isle.

The residency clinic will be located in Kapaʻa in the Kauaʻi Village Shopping Center, but Wilcox Medical Center, Kauaʻi Medical Clinic, and Pali Momi Medical Center on Oʻahu will host many of the core rotations, according to Dr. Cynthia Ohata, the program’s inaugural director.

“Wilcox is committed to developing the health care workforce on Kauaʻi. For students, this often starts with opportunities, like this residency program, to connect directly with our community while learning and growing,” said Jen Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center, and CEO of Kauaʻi Medical Clinic. “We are proud to partner with UH by providing a teaching environment that meets the rigorous standards necessary to establish this new accreditation. This is an invaluable investment in the future of Kauaʻi.”

In addition to the support from Wilcox, residents will also have education interwoven with Sam Mahelona and Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial hospitals, the Hawaiʻi Health Services Corps. clinics, the District Health Office, and Hoʻolehua Lāhui Health Centers.

“During my rural health rotation on Kauaʻi, I saw firsthand how deeply the community values local, compassionate care,” said Dr. Rui Morimoto, a University of Hawaiʻi Oʻahu Family Medicine graduate. “Having a Family Medicine residency in Kapaʻa means training physicians who truly understand and are part of the island — it’s a powerful way to strengthen health care from within.”

Since its founding 30 years ago, the John A. Burns School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency Program has trained more than 170 physicians, more than 80% of whom continue to serve in Hawaiʻi and the broader Pacific, according to Dr. Sam Shomaker, Dean of the UH John A. Burns School of Medicine.

“John A. Burns School of Medicine is the medical school for all of Hawaiʻi, and we are committed to serving all islands,” Shomaker said. “The expansion of this essential specialty on a rural island like Kauaʻi proves we are meeting our mission, and we look forward to increasing our impact throughout the state.”