Hospitals rated low for safety
HONOLULU (AP) — A national nonprofit’s report ranks more than half of Hawaii’s hospitals average or worse in patient safety.
Leapfrog Group’s report was released Wednesday. The hospital safety and transparency group gave six of 12 Hawaii institutions C grades. Those hospitals are Hilo Medical Center, Pali Momi Medical Center, North Hawaii Community Hospital and Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
Two other hospitals have closed. Kuakini Medical Center and Wahiawa General Hospital received “score pending” designations, meaning their grades would have been less than C.
Kaiser Foundation Hospital and Straub Clinic & Hospital earned As. Castle Medical Center and The Queen’s Medical Center received Bs.
Some hospital officials criticize the report and question the timeliness of the statistics analyzed.
Couple released in child’s death
WAILUKU, Maui (AP) — A judge is releasing a Maui couple charged with second-degree murder in the beating death of a 4-year-old boy.
The judge released 32-year-old Kyle McKeown and his girlfriend, 27-year-old Grace Lee-Nakamoto, during a hearing in Wailuku.
The boy is McKeown’s son.
Lawyers for both sides agreed the two should be released because the investigation is ongoing.
The judge agreed but ordered the couple to stay away from children and each other.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled for July 2.
Police say McKeown brought his son to Maui Memorial Medical Center last week when the boy was found unresponsive in the shower at home.
Doctors say the child suffered severe blunt force trauma to his internal organs and died of his injuries.
Endangered species at risk
WAIANAE, Oahu (AP) — State Department of Land and Natural Resources firefighters are trying to make sure a Waianae fire doesn’t reach the top of a ridge where endangered plants and native tree snails live.
They join county and federal crews battling a fire that started Monday near military property in Lualualei Valley.
The fire spread to Waianae Valley, leaving behind 1,200 charred acres. A flare-up spread over the ridge to the Waianae Kai Forest Reserve, home to native koa, sandalwood and aalii.
Honolulu Fire Capt. Terry Seelig says six homes on Waianae Valley Road have been asked to evacuate to provide fire department access on the narrow, winding road.
There are no reports of damage to residential property. But Seelig says a thatched roof structure at Kaala Farm’s cultural learning center burned.
Longtime Hawaii company Heide & Cook assets sold
HONOLULU (AP) — Nearly all the assets of a Hawaii mechanical contractor company have been sold.
Heide & Cook announced Tuesday nearly all of its assets have been purchased by Hawaii HVAC, LLC.
Heide & Cook, Ltd. incorporated in 1950 and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this year.
The sale was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy court last month. Current employees have been retained and Earle Matsuda remains president.
As part of the transaction, Hawaii HVAC changed its name to Heide & Cook, LLC.
