The institution was founded in 1859 by Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV, and is located in Downtown Honolulu.

Queen's is the largest private hospital in Hawaiʻi, licensed to operate with 575 acute care beds.

As the leading medical referral center in the Pacific Basin, Queen's is widely known for its programs in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neuroscience, orthopedics, surgery, trauma, behavioral medicine and women's health.

[6] Queen's offers a comprehensive range of specialties, including gastroenterology, genetics, geriatrics, gynecology, neonatology, obstetrics, psychiatry, pulmonology, and radiology.

[8] Queen's Health Systems (QHS) has partnered with many organizations in order to improve patient care and the medical work environment.

By partnering with the John A. Burns School of Medicine Department of Native Hawaiian Health, they have funded positions at Queen's hospital, such as adding a psychologist,[9] that allow for a diverse interdisciplinary team in the surgery room.

[10] Queen's Health Systems (QHS) has been a major pillar of financial support for many various organizations in the State of Hawaiʻi.

The Queen's Medical Center serves as the primary teaching hospital for most of the residency programs sponsored by the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine.

[15] In 2019, Queen's Health Systems announced a partnership with Kapiʻolani Community College (KCC) to offer a joint 12-month medical assisting program.

The program offers free tuition for 26 Hawaiʻi residents and the students will gain hands-on experience at The Queen's Medical Center while they attend classes at KCC.

[20] At that time, the continued existence of the Hawaiian race was seriously threatened by the influx of disease brought to the islands by foreign visitors.

In January 1859 a committee of Robert Crichton Wyllie (a former physician) and David L. Gregg was formed to plan the hospital investigate funding.

[20] The site picked in 1860 was an area called Manamana owned by Caesar Kapaʻakea, patriarch of the House of Kalākaua.

[27] On January 9, 2017, the Queen's Medical Center has received The Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval for Advanced Certification for Comprehensive Stroke Centers by The Joint Commission, American Heart Association, and American Stroke Association.