Our
Story

Efforts to establish a licensed freestanding birthing facility (LFBF) in Waimea date back more than a decade. In November 2023, momentum for this option resumed when community-based midwives recognized an opportunity in the evolution of the Licensed Midwifery pathways. While earlier regulatory barriers of LFBFs had limited progress, organized advocacy efforts for community-based care began to shift the landscape.

Parallel to advocacy efforts, ongoing community engagement revealed fundamental questions: What principles must guide this work from the beginning? How can families and the community shape this resource? How can midwives, many of whom have migrated to Hawai’i, be grounded in the cultural context of this place? And how can we contribute to supporting the next generation of midwives from Hawaiʻi for a sustainable future? 

Lehua Community Birth Center’s purpose is to support a model of care that is relational, preventative, and grounded in cultural fluency and clinical excellence. As partnerships for the future facility evolve, LCBC begins with investing in local learners, creating pathways into healthcare careers. For the founders of LCBC, it is an honor, this opportunity to contribute to strengthening collective wellbeing. We nourish the seeds of what will always be from and for our community.