Hawaii Pacific Health, the healthcare provider with a network of six hospitals in Hawai'i, said it had entered a joint venture with Birmingham, Ala.-based Surgical Care Affiliates to build a new outpatient surgery center in Honolulu.

Hawaii Pacific said the facility, to be opened at the end of next year, will help it provide better service for outpatient surgeries in terms of convenience, while freeing up existing operating rooms for more complex procedures.

"This would be new capacity in the community for outpatient care," said Virginia Pressler, Hawaii Pacific Health executive vice president.

She said most likely outpatient surgeries currently performed HPH's Straub Clinic and Hospital and Kapi'olani Medical Center for Women & Children would move to the new facility.

Surgical Care Affiliates is a provider of specialty surgical services and operates 128 surgical facilities. The company and HPH are currently looking for a site in Honolulu to replace one at 550 South Beretania St. that it will vacate in December 2010.