The Healthcare and Wellness industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of Maui County’s economy in terms of job creation. As Maui County’s population ages and a larger portion of residents pass retirement age, the demand for healthcare workers will continue to increase. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Maui has seen a growing healthcare labor shortage due to a complex combination of factors, including limited workforce housing options, medical staff burnout, and few on-island education and certification programs. Many residents must fly to Oahu to receive specialist care, and Molokai and Lanai residents in particular have limited on-island healthcare options.

Given this sector’s consistent job growth, rising demand for healthcare services, and the typically high wages for healthcare-related occupations, this sector in particular offers residents some of the best career options in Maui County in terms of stability and pay. Encouraging local students as early as middle school to take an interest in healthcare careers is crucial to ensuring that Maui County healthcare workforce needs are met and that a greater portion of the population takes advantage of these well-paying job opportunities.

In 2022, a healthcare focus group convened by MEDB found that the top priorities for professionals in this sector include preparing for future workforce needs and improving recruitment and retention, shifting away from an insurance company-based delivery model, growing the number of community healthcare workers, and expanding mental health services.