Enter now Earl T. Bakken, a Minnesotan who in 1957 invented the first wearable heart pacemaker and started down a road to riches that eventually made him decide to relocate to a less chilly climate. A tourist visit to remote, quiet Kona Village led him to build a home in Kona. The medical needs of North Hawaii, which had only a clinic in Waimea, were immense. Patient rooms are bigger than in any major Honolulu hospital, all single, all with doors to gardens through which pets, even a beloved ranch horse, could come to visit. North Hawaii babies now can be born with an obstetrician on hand instead of just a midwife.
Halls are wide to reduce stress.
Skylights bring in maximum daylight. Equipment includes the latest in high tech. But that's not enough. High tech is humanized with access also to naturopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy and clinical psychology. An annex called Tutu's Center is in the Parker Ranch Shopping Center.