Two residential beds at the Hilo Medical Center utilized by Hospice of Hilo will be converted back for use by the center. The beds will no longer be used by Hospice of Hilo for inpatient hospice purposes. All patients needing inpatient hospice care will have access to Hospice of Hilo’s Pohai Malama a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Care Center.
Two residential beds at the Hilo Medical Center utilized by Hospice of Hilo will be converted back for use by the center. The beds will no longer be used by Hospice of Hilo for inpatient hospice purposes. All patients needing inpatient hospice care will have access to Hospice of Hilo’s Pohai Malama a Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Care Center.
In 2000, Hilo Medical Center, as a community partner, designated two non-utilized hospital rooms to Hospice of Hilo to develop and use. The two rooms were remodeled to serve Hospice patients that needed support beyond what could be provided in the home hospice program. Now that Hospice of Hilo has completed an inpatient facility for patient use and Hilo Medical Center’s bed needs have increased, the hospital hospice rooms will be converted back for use by the center.
“The conversion of the rooms back to Hilo Medical Center promotes good stewardship of our resources,” said Hospice of Hilo CEO, Brenda S. Ho. “For Hilo Medical Center, the new agreement allows the hospital to repurpose the space vacated by Hospice of Hilo to meet other health care needs of the community.”
In the summer of 2012, Hospice of Hilo opened its 14,140-square-foot Pohai Malama a Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Care Center. The 12-suite inpatient care center was the first of its kind on a neighbor island. In the second quarter of 2014, the Care Center has averaged nine patients a day, some days reaching full capacity of 12 patients.
The Pohai Malama a Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Care Center features individual suites, each with a private lanai that looks out into the gardens. Each suite is designed to maximize comfort for patients and their loved ones. The care center also houses Hospice of Hilo’s bereavement program and the newly launched Hawaii Palliative Care Center. “Our care center offers the same high quality, compassionate care delivered in our homecare program,” said Hospice of Hilo spokesperson An Umamoto. “Having a facility allows our team to care for patient’s intensive needs in a special, state-of-the-art, home-like setting with trained, round-the-clock professional staff.”
The hospice model of care focuses on pain and symptom management of patients facing a life-limiting illness in their home, enabling loved ones to care for the patient in a comfortable and peaceful setting. The vast majority of hospice patients are cared for in their residence, whether it is in their own home or private care home. Hospice of Hilo built the Pohai Malama a Harry &Jeanette Weinberg Care Center to meet the needs of patients who cannot be cared for in their residence.
“Hospice of Hilo truly appreciates the ongoing support we receive from the East Hawaii region of the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. (Hilo Medical Center) as a community partner,” Ho said. “Our relationship is vital to ensuring the people in our community have access to the highest quality of care and support throughout their lives. We look forward to continuing our relationship with our remaining agreements for the provision of general inpatient, respite inpatient and hospice care for patients residing in their Extended Care Facility.”